We have got the war we argued for. Now we who called for it can only pray that the cost is not too terrible for the soldiers of the United States and Britain, nor of course for the long suffering hapless people of Iraq. At this moment of truth for the Anglosphere I have very few words of my own right now that do not stick in my throat, so I will just quote Julia Ward Howe’s famous song (large file) that was also sung at the funeral of Winston Churchill.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on.Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
l can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnish’d rows of steel,
“As ye deal with my contemners, So with you my grace shall deal;”
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on.Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
God speed, Gentlemen.
“God spede, may God prosper you.”
The most heartfelt term my father uses for us.
Funny, it’s what I thought of as the moments ticked past 8pm ET yesterday.
FYI: If you want to hear it, the Mormom Tabernacle Choir has an especially good rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Byron: Yes indeed… I have just added a link in the article to an mp3 download of the excellent Mormom Tabernacle Choir version.
Jingoism
Yes Della… and now is the entirely appropriate time for Jingoism. We have been arguing for the liberation of Iraq at bayonet point and I think most here have no problem regarding the men who are actually going to engage in that messy ghastly bloody horror-filled nightmarish business as nevertheless engaged in an endevour characterised by that most unfashionable of words:
Glorious
…for what could be more glorious than the libertation of an entire people from a mass mudering tyrant?
Della, perhaps you are writing a requiem mass for Saddam when he is finally reduced to specs of DNA.
War against Saddam = good thing, long overdue
Battle Hymn of the Republic = creepy bit of pious US Civil War agitprop
I love the Battle Hymn of the Republic and would give my left arm to hear the Archbishop of Canterbury sing it.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free
I vote to change the lyrics to “let us live to make men free.” I don’t want any self-sacrificial notions around here, and I can vouch for the US Marines at least that neither do they. They have no desire to die for their beliefs, and every Marine and Marine officer fully intends to win and return home in one piece. Rather, they want to make Saddam and his henchmen die for their beliefs. I wish them every success.
The time for jingoism is at corinations, royal weddings and suchlike. War is a time when you should think very carefully about what you are doing. In the past very bad things have happened when people have become too caught up in the fervor around war.
Della, my apologies, I was not suggesting by my remark above that we should be gung-ho or glorify war. I just saw read at your message and thought, “Oh god, another peacenik who thinks we can solve the world’s problems by holding hands and singing Bob Dylan”.
I have two relatives in the American and British airforces. Jingoism is the last thing on their minds.
Let’s get this wretched business over with asap. I am sure you would agree with that, Della.
The purported doggerel that gave rise to the term “jingoism”:
We don’t want to fight
But, by Jingo, if we do
We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men
We’ve got the money too.
It’s funny how things morph…
Jingo Kogo was a 3rd century Japanese Empress.
At the time the dogral became popular an image of Jingo Kogo appeared on the back of the 1, 5 and 10 yen note. Her main claim to fame is to have invaded Korea after her husband was killed while she was pregnant.
Perhaps the intent of bringing up Jingo Kogo in the dogeral was to wish upon themselves the victories which Jingo Kogo had experienced.
A couple of weeks ago I heard a black sax player belting out this tune at the Columbus Circle Subway station in New York City.
If a guy like that can play that song in the neighborhood at the heart of American Left Liberalism then this war has far more support than people realise.
It’s a grim song, but one that I have always believed represents the reality of the spirit in which Americans fight wars.
Good Luck
Spacer
Interesting theme on Samizdata: how repulsive many find expressions of strong emotions. Perhaps the web reaches to Vulcan.
This song has an element of jingoism, but — however illogical — such can emotions power us to survive and trimumph through difficult times.
Plato explains how songs reach to the core of our beings. While poor guides to action, they can inspire us as can no reasoned dissertation.
We need not apologize for this Hymn, nor for being moved by it.
Interesting theme on Samizdata: how repulsive many find expressions of strong emotions. Perhaps the web reaches to Vulcan.
This song has an element of jingoism, but — however illogical — such can emotions power us to survive and trimumph through difficult times.
Plato explains how songs reach to the core of our beings. While poor guides to action, they can inspire us as can no reasoned dissertation.
We need not apologize for this Hymn, nor for being moved by it.
dear_raed.blogspot.com/
to know when the lights go out, and not just in Bagdad
above blog is from Bagdad (blogger links to samizdata.net)
latest from Aussie Land (sorry if inapproprate, still trying to catch up to the ‘clash of civilizations’ , etc.)
“Interesting theme on Samizdata: how repulsive many find expressions of strong emotions.”
Oh, no, emotions are fine. Religious fanatics are repulsive.
Claiming god smiles on your team is insolent enough, but traditional wartime fare. To take the position that your military action is the actual vengeful sword of the almighty is…Osama-worthy. A Nineteenth Century abolitionist matron could be forgiven for thinking this way, but forgiven in the most patronizing way.
Is it going to be their god-botherers versus our god-botherers?
Yes, Larry makes an interesting point… if these times do not move you to emotion regardless of which side of the war/anti-war argument you see yourself on, then perhaps you have not grasped the gravity of the situation.
When I advocated the ouster of Hussain at bayonet point, I did not imagine what I was calling for was ‘fun’ or ‘a gripping adventure’ or some ‘jolly jape’, I realised it was going to lead to death and terror. However I felt it was ultimately a good and, to use another unfashionable expression, a righteous fight against nothing less that temporal evil. I also know that some good people will die to make this happen.
Yes yes yes, I am under no illusions that the motivations of our political ‘masters’ are the stuff of angels but that does not change the fact if the war goes as I hope it will, the people of Iraq will end up with an immeasurably better existence and the world will be one less murderous tyrant less.
If all that is not something to get emotional about then I don’t know what it.
So Perry, you got your war: when are you shipping out? Come back with your shield or on it, buddy. We’ll play that Mormon Tabernacle Choir mp3 in your honor either way, as the least we can do for someone who has tasted and participated in the “death and terror” he has consciously advocated.
My most sincere best wishes go with the troops, who have accepted the essential military idea that following orders from their superiors is the best means available to defend their country. The impulse to risk one’s life to defend one’s country is noble, and I honor the people holding such impulses; I hope they all come back, safe and sound. I have nothing but contempt, however, for those who exploit those impulses in the current illegal (by US law!) adventure.
And yes, if anyone cares, I said much the same thing during the Yugoslavia/Kosovo adventure, and the first Gulf War. I said much the same thing during the Vietnam War, in fact: Honor the soldiers, but hold the politicians responsible for the mis-adventure, and the flouting of the Constitution. We might as well print Article I, Section 8 on toilet paper, now.
Beautiful.
Weasel doesn’t get it. It’s going to take what that song insprires to defeat the jihadis.
Of course, there is the other version, glory, glory hallelujah! Teacher hit me with a ruler. Hid behind the door w/a loaded .44, there ain’t no teacher no more.
But that’s from our pre-PC days. Funny thing is, tho, we never acted on it. I wonder what that says, PC is repressive?
Weasel doesn’t get it. It’s going to take what that song insprires to defeat the jihadis.
Indeed I don’t. If I thought only bible-thumpers could defeat koran-thumpers, I’d have a hard time rooting for the team. Happily, I don’t think this fight is about which Middle Eastern death cult is god’s real favorite.
Here’s a poem written a bit more recently which is even more appropriate. Although it was written for an earlier war, it nonetheless does an excellent job of expressing the pro-war case:
http://radio.weblogs.com/0100205/2003/03/04.html#a1624
Sandy, I laughed out loud when I read the parody…I remember singing that in gradeschool too..
but then, I guess if folks like S Weasel had been around then, he/she/it would have turned me in to the authorities for violence against teachers.
I hate the word ‘jingo’….its used ALL too often by the left to dismiss any legitimate form of pride that Americans have in their achievement. To them, a proper pronouncement of patriotism is how much they slather over the need to go to the UN.
Jingo me that.
Folks like S Weasel would probably also say that old beautiful hymns like “Eternal Father” would be too religious for these times as well.
Sorry, here’s the Aussie article:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/19/1047749824415.html
Sharon,
S. Weasel and I are not lefties, Vulcans or actually against the war.
As Weasel has said:
“Well, somebody got a visit from the Hyperbole Fairy.”
James Merritt: You know nothing about me buddy. Well I did indeed go to the war in Croatia and Bosnia i Herzegovina so I know what wars look like up close, and not just from 20,000 feet or via CNN… and yes, I also supported the Croatians and Bosnians in that war as well as the feeble, belated and largely symbolic military intervention of the West (of course German and US logistic, intelligence and planning aid to Croatia was anything but feeble or symbolic).
… and whilst you make take a rather fascist ‘Starship Troopers’ approach to who is and is not entitled to advocate the use of military force, my view is that as I am forced to pay for the military and its members are all volunteers, I am perfectly entitled to hold the views I do.
Sharon: oh, no. Not a lefty. A pro-current-war libertarian atheist. I sometimes think online people ought to be made to wear those little nametags on lanyards.
“Hi! I’m a catholic anarcho-capitalist contrarian!”
“Hello! My name is anti-state pro-RKBA mountain man!”
Perhaps Bodies by Drowning Pool is a better song to approach battle if adrenaline is necessary.
There’s also a sixth verse:
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Interesting, the idea that religious emotion is inherently suspect, perhaps pathological.
Ideological fantasies, utopian asperations, drives to perfect the world thru force/law — I guess only these inspire righteous & appropriate emotions in our modern world, regarding groups.
Looks like religion to me, in a new form following the death of god in our souls.
Ideological fantasies, utopian asperations, drives to perfect the world thru force/law — I guess only these inspire righteous & appropriate emotions in our modern world, regarding groups.
No, those things are pathological, too. Really, you can’t defend one sick fantasy by pointing out that there are others.
–Weasel doesn’t get it. It’s going to take what that song inspires to defeat the jihadis.
Indeed I don’t.–
And you better hope that it never gets that far.
This is a long, long war. But we are now in the belly of the beast. Time to start ripping out the hearts.
“This is a long, long war. But we are now in the belly of the beast. Time to start ripping out the hearts.”
No, that didn’t sound psychotic. Not at all.
S. Weasel,
You’re right, of course. One can condemn all emotionally powered public/group. Consistent, but perhaps pointless, as it appears these come from our primary “wet-ware.”
Still, amazing how many intellectuals condemn emotional surges from religion or patriotism — but applaud those from ideological orgins as authentic, public-spirited, compassionate, etc.
I classify all of these as “religious” — perhaps irrational but unavoidable work better as labels.
Thank you for the download of Battle Hymn(I hope it works on my computer! LOL)
God Bless the USA! 🙂
I have a very close friend overseas in Musil right now, and have many times wondered what they are really fighting for… and then when I downloaded the mp3, it became clear… “As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free” and for the first time the Battle Hymn made me cry. I realized that is exactly what our men and women in uniform are doing. They are liberating the Iraqis that have been under the thumb of Saddam for far too long. Thank you for posting that link… it has done wonders for me, mind, body, and soul.
Chrissy