--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradh...@...> wrote: > > A Zen Master and war activist friend turned me on to a > copy of the graphic novel "Addicted to War" several years > ago. The book is now available for free viewing online. > Not to be missed: > > http://www.addictedtowar.com/atw1a.html > > http://www.addictedtowar.com/bookpreview.html
The addictive quality of war (or even of living in a war zone) was brought home to me recently when I watched "The Hurt Locker." But I saw it growing up. As a teen I wound up being friends with a group of former French Foreign Legion- naires in Casablanca. They were an interesting lot, and it would probably have been easy for a 16-year-old kid to be impressed by their war stories, but even at that age I figured out quickly that all that these guys *had* were their war stories. These were the most exciting moments in their lives, and in some cases the *only* exciting moments in their lives. The most common topic of conversation was whether they should "re-up" for another five-year tour of duty. I saw the same thing among Vietnam vets home from the war. The overt symptoms of PTSD -- antisocial behavior, abuse, etc. -- were often less obvious than the covert signs of PTSD. That is, the only time these guys felt "real" was when they were in a bar talking with their former "war buddies." And it was the same scene I had witnessed with the Legionnaires. It was like being at an AA meeting and hearing "dry drunks" and ex-junkies talk about how great it used to be when they were getting drunk and high. Very sad.
