A Nation at War

Is America at war? To the soldier under attack today from a roadside bomb or a group of insurgents in Iraq, the answer seems clear: a resounding yes. The same unequivocal response would have emanated from Afghanistan in 2002, although that theater has suffered from inattention in the intervening years. In Afghanistan, the answer to the war question is a bit harder: soldiers in Kabul recognize that they are at “something other than peace,” but may not be sure that they are at war . . . and with whom. As one draws farther and farther from the theaters of war, confusion increases about whether or not the Nation is really at war. Even in some parts of the Defense Department, bureaucracy—in the most pejorative sense of the word—reigns, providing examples that suggest even the agency charged with prosecuting the war is unable to instill in all its people the urgency that should attach when a nation is involved in an existential fight. Military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan sometimes can see the faults of their own Department, but are more likely to focus their attention on other parts of the government. In 2005 (and undoubtedly continuing in 2006), senior leaders in Iraq increasingly were asking, “Where’s the rest of the U.S. Government?” The State Department, with its significant investment of personnel and other resources in Iraq, is protected somewhat from the implied criticism, but many parts of the diplomatic corps also are missing the expected sense of urgency. Perhaps worst of all is the answer that would come from the broad American public. Their vocal response might be affirmative, but except for those families with loved ones in the military, there might be scant tangible evidence that the Nation is at war. Part of the confusion stems from the nature of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The war is certainly existential, but judging the performance of the nation by the standard of the fight for the nation’s life in World War II is wrong. Even in World War II, some parts of the United States—government and public—might have been only marginally affected, but the overwhelming majority of the country felt in daily life the sacrifices required for the war effort. Mobilization was immense; American industry was mobilized on par with the nation’s citizenry. Although some actions—like saving tin foil to be used in building battleships—were more symbolic than significant, virtually every American was acutely aware of his or her role in the war. When making comparisons against the World War II standard, analysts of today’s GWOT cannot be faulted for suggesting that the Nation really is not at war.