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Tuesday, 17 April 2007 17:44 |
| | David Forbes |
Despite all attempts to get humanity to be otherwise, many of them partially successful, we remain a brutal and violent species, no matter our creed, place or era. The questions then remain: Why do we fight? Why do we kill? When is it right? Can it ever be right?
In an era of invasion, civil war, prisoner torture, terrorism and general unrest, these ancient questions are among the most important facing every human.
Yet the dilemma of violence is rarely seriously considered, as the discourse on all sides seems to be mired in old assumptions long worn thin.
That is why author and war journalist William Vollmannís ìRising Up and
Rising Downî (Harper Perennial, 752 pp. $16.95) is an essential book
for the times in which we find ourselves. Vollmann has considered the
topic in (sometimes nigh-obsessive) detail, but what has emerged is
absolutely genius.
This edition is actually an abridged, edited and revamped version of
the original, which ran seven volumes (total 3,500 pages) and cost
slightly more than a monthís rent. Thatís steep even for a bibliophile
like myself. Fortunately, Vollmann realized this and created this
eminently more accessible tome.
He starts out with a series of personal ruminations on death (what
violence deals out and what those using it ultimately seek to avoid)
and some historical narratives exploring his points. The centerpiece of
the work is a formal framework he dubs ìthe Moral Calculus,î intended
to help determine when violence is justified.
The rest of the work consists of vignettes from Vollmannís own travels, including Bosnia, Cambodia, Somalia and the Middle East.
 Honestly, I couldnít put it down. For a work thatís taken up with pages
of philosophy and ethical examination, this is an extremely riveting
read, filled with lines so memorable (ìPeople kill for what they cry
for ≠ó and I want you to believe itî) that I found myself underlining
certain ones for later perusal.
The size has some justification. Vollmann is concerned with violence,
period. In this text heís searching for the ìwhyî behind corrupt cops
truncheoning protestors, teen suicide, Gandhian protest, ancient Huron
warfare, Bolshevik massacres and My Lai.
He finds it. In the process he sheds light on countless other subjects.
I gained a new perspective on a great many things by the end of this
book.
However, I can see why the original ran so long. Vollman rants. A lot.
What makes the book so compelling is that they tend to be the best kind
of rants: insightful and enjoyable. Nonetheless, some sections do tend
to go on and on (his tackling of the Soviet rationale for slaughtering
certain peasant groups is just a little too exhaustive).
Also, strong as the bookís structure is, it might have been slightly
improved by mixing up Vollmannís powerful vignettes throughout. After
all, these are the raw life experiences that shaped much of the
formation of this work. This also would have served to dilute some of
the more research- or history-intensive sections.
Still, in those very sections he takes apart sacred cows with great
gusto. Anyone who believes violence is never justified or that loyalty
to authority or country alone suffices will be sorely disabused.
Vollmann takes apart the very concepts with a razorís edge and shows
the strings behind them. I canít remember the last time I saw
ruminations of this quality on class, race and nation, to name three
focuses of his scrutiny.
As for admirers of Gandhi, Vollmannís got some criticism (and praise,
to be fair) for that longtime idolís creed, too. His moral calculus
includes a section on nonviolence, both when he considers it moral and
appropriate and when it might be foolish or pointlessly suicidal.
There are, no doubt, many critiques to be made of his conclusions, his
assumptions and his justifications. Indeed, he invites and encourages
criticism many times.
But the next time someone tells you that a war is justified, or that
violence never is, this is the perfect piece of work to pull out. His
rationales may not end up being your own, but they remain a good place
to start.
These questions are far too important to remain unasked. What are your answers?
ï
David Forbes, who writes book reviews and covers news for the Daily
Planet, may be reached at marauderAVL-at-hotmail.com. Suggestions and
comments are always welcome.
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