Dissent from WarThe rhetorical presumption of war's necessity makes violence regrettable, but seemingly sane, and functions to shame anyone who opposes military action. Ivie proposes that the presence of dissent is actually a healthy sign of democratic citizenship, and a responsible and productive act, which has been dangerously miscast as a threat to national security. Ivie, a former US Navy petty officer, puts a microscope to the language of war supporters throughout history and follows the lives and memories of soldiers and anti-war activists who have dealt with degrees of confusion and guilt about their opposition to war. Arguing that informed dissent plays out largely in the realm of rhetoric, he equips readers with strategies for resisting the dehumanizing language used in war propaganda. Through his careful study of language strategies, he makes it possible to foster a community where dissenting voices are valued and vital. |
Contents
1 War is Easy | 1 |
2 A Question of Conscience | 11 |
3 A Question of Redemption | 55 |
4 A Question of Communication | 101 |
5 A Question of Citizenship | 151 |
6 Making War Difficult | 204 |
| 225 | |
| 233 | |
Common terms and phrases
academic freedom achieve adversaries alien American American exceptionalism Antiwar.com argues articulate attack attitude available online axis of evil Bush Campus Watch Chantal Mouffe Christian Churchill citizens citizenship Civil communication conflict conscience contestation critical critique culture of peace David Horowitz dehumanizing democracy democratic democratic dissent demonizing discourse Douglass empire enemy evil exercise Family Matter fear fighting force Frank Strain George George W Gerges global Horowitz human imagination imperial Indiana Iran Iranian Iraq Islamic Islamist Ivie jihadist Kenneth Burke killed language metaphor Middle East military moral motives Muslim Nhat nonviolence one’s peacebuilding peacemaking perspective political culture practice President presidential Press Secretary propaganda radical reconciliation redemption regime religious republic resistance rhetorical rituals Robert savagery scapegoat slavery social soldiers speech strategic symbolic tactics terrorism terrorists threat tion transcend transform Union University Press victimization violence vision war on terror Ward Churchill warfare Warism York