There is just no way not to think about war these days. Blissfully, here in the U.S. it affects only what seems to be a handful of people in relation to the size of the population. I, for example, do not know a single person who has a friend or relative in the service. One reads and watches news-casts and politicians talk about the war and praise the soldiers who are actually fighting but that is about as far as it goes for most people I know. This state of affairs is certainly different in my case and every European of my age, whether we fought in the war or had relatives or friends in uniform. One way or another we were all affected. At the same time one talked about the “war-machine.” Industrialists became rich producing arms.
Before the industrial age wars were no less dangerous to the populations, their cities or farmlands. Just more primitive. An army would gather on a hill-side. The soldier sitting high on his horse, covering his body behind his shield, swinging his sword, charging forward when the leader gave the command, and if he did not survive the onslaught he died the death of a hero. A hero at least in the eyes of those dear to him who were left behind and needed solace. Some comforting memory to cling to.
Though the implements of war were simpler they were no less destructive. Fire is a mighty destroyer. Entire towns could be set aflame by shooting burning arrows from a horse. Nowadays you have to have a big tank or airplanes to throw bombs from the sky. The war-machine is simply tremendous. No matter which side you are on or if you are on anybody’s side. Having been in some harrowing situations myself many years ago I know at least what it is like to have gone through an ordeal. I cannot even begin to imagine how the inhabitants of any of the Arab countries who are now experiencing the current turmoil are supposed to deal with their day to day lives.
The people least knowledgeable concerning war are the younger generation, though they may be very much against war in general. On one hand it is, of course, wonderful if people don’t have to suffer. On the other hand, life is just not like that. It deals you hands. Anybody who is out of a job and can’t find one knows that. Now just imagine we were thrown into a full-blown war with rockets hitting us. Here in New York all we really know is the attack on the Twin Towers from which we have to this day emotionally not recovered.
For some of us a big disaster constitutes the absence of hot water just when I want to wash my hair. Horrors. Where is the super? Thinking of hot water. I remember the first winter of the war in Hamburg, 1939-40. All of a sudden the house had run out of coal for heat and hot water. How horrified my mother and we two girls were that we had to sit in the kitchen wrapped in our coats, the oven door wide open and the gas flames burning full-blast.We NEVER ate in the kitchen. My mother actually tried to convince us that it was healthy to stand in the cold bathroom, taking a cold shower and scrubbing your body vigorously to stimulate the blood circulation. I have to confess, I never learned to accept that philosophy though I had to learn to live with the cold or any other deprivation the war imposed on us just as everybody else did. Having lofty beliefs is very laudable. Acting upon them when circumstances push events to the limit will be quite another matter.
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