Wednesday
Jul182012
The Face of Tomorrow's Army?
07.18.2012 
Though we love parades, we didn't attend last Saturday's Bastille Day number, which is much more regimented than most in Paris. A crowd of up to a half-million on the Champs Elysses, lots of barricades, heavy crowd control, screaming fighter jets overhead, and no access for interesting photos. Ares triumphant. In sharp contrast to, say, the Dionysian revelry of the Paris Gay Pride parade.
But we did wander, post-parade, over to the Esplanade des Invalides, the huge greensward in front of the gold-domed Les Invalides, which houses the military museum of France, and Napoleon's Tomb. This entire swath of the seventh arrondissement is devoted to France's past and present military glory, and the post-parade exhibits are like a trade show for the public; each branch of the service displays and recruits, from the French Foreign Legion, to the regular army, navy, and marines, to the gendarmerie.
As long-time peace activists who wear our hearts on our sleeves, we won't get into a long anti-war riff. We just want to note that this was a marketing event, and War has lots of toys and tools on its side that make it look a lot more fun than Peace. There was nothing at Saturday's trade show that would make one think about the consequences of war. The world's literature is replete with heart-choking, compelling anti-war novels, films, articles, etc.--like our friend Chris Abani's horrifying novella of child soldiers, Song for Night. But somehow the message still isn't getting across.
We are Parisians, but we remain Americans. Our country of origin is the largest arms supplier in the world, our adopted country is fourth.
The U.S.A. spends around twenty percent of its yearly budget on defense, up to half if you figure spending the way the War Resisters League does.
Given the vast sums of money at stake, it's no wonder that War spends a lot of energy looking attractive. Would that Peace had as effective a marketing machine.
Reader Comments (7)
A poignant, powerful, painful, and frightening testament to the seductive marketing of murder. Thank you, as always.
Yep, that's how it is done. Clean and exciting until the young boots arrive at the real war.
Walt
K & R,
Je suppose que les enfants des photos sont les enfants de la famille des soldats....
Néanmoins, le défilé du 14 juillet - que je regarde chaque année depuis toujours à la TV - est une machine à vendre.
Je regarde régulièrement "Paris play", les photos sont toujours étonnantes, les textes me laissent rêveuse.
C'est un blog très fort que vous construisez petit à petit, et en tant que "vraie parisienne" je suis très intéressée par les sujets et la façon dont tous deux vous les traitez.
Vous êtes un miroir décalé des moments ou des lieux dans ma vie.
Très amicalement,
Patricia
Chère Patricia,
Cela signifie tellement venant de vous, qui êtes à la fois une Parisienne née et une journaliste et écrivain de fiction.
Les enfants dans les photos ne sont pas seulement ceux des familles des soldats, il en est venu de toutes les parties de la population de Paris et au-delà. Vous avez raison, c'est une machine à vendre, et nous savons où cela mènera certains de ces enfants qui grandissent et vont à la guerre.
Merci de nous deux pour votre appréciation généreuse, et nous espérons vous voir bientôt.
Très amicalement,
Kaaren (et Richard)
For those of you who don't speak French, here's a translation of Patricia Duthion's message and our response. She is my French teacher (thank you for the referral, Amy). I would highly recommend her to anyone in Paris who wants to learn French.
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K & R,
It seems to me that the children in the photos are the children of the soldiers' families ....
However, the July 14 parade - I always watch every year on TV - is a selling machine.
I regularly look at "Paris play", the photos are always amazing, the texts leave me dreamy.
This is a very strong blog you are building gradually, and as "a real Parisian" I'm very interested in the subjects and how you both treat them.
You are an offbeat mirror of moments and places in my life.
Very warmly,
Patricia
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Dear Patricia,
This means so much coming from you, who are both a born Parisienne and journalist and fiction writer.
The children in the photos were not just the soldiers' families, but came from every part of the population of Paris and beyond. You are right that it's a selling machine, and we know where it will lead for some of these children who grow up and go off to war.
Thank you from both of us for your generous appreciation, and hope to see you soon.
Warmly,
Kaaren (and Richard)
More sad evidence that the world is raising children to see war as "fun & games" which inures them to the real violence that threatens them and all of us everywhere; movies, TV, games and wars amongst countries and nations are just a few examples of "it."
There are no victors in this battle. I'm deeply saddened and shall be ever vigilant in my stand against the perpetuation of any kind of violence.
Thanks for the report though... we are one world and it's the same everywhere. And, yes, a money making machine at the helm making war glamorous.
More meditation and prayers for all and may Peace overtake us.
Love,
Joanne
Ken and Walt and Joanne:
Amen!
Love,
Kaaren & Richard