The latest book I have read was entitled Nimitz class. It is a well written spy novel involving a successful mission to destroy a US aircraft carrier with over 6000 military personnel aboard. The mission was accomplished by a submarine belonging to an unknown nation firing an underwater missile carrying a nuclear weapon. Eventually the US tracks down the sub identifies it and destroys it, but never reveals the cause of the destruction of the aircraft carrier, nor does the US reveal the destruction of the sub. In the process of the book we also destroy three other similar subs belonging to a different nation. All very exciting and I enjoyed it immensely.

This disturbs me that as a person dedicated to non-violence in my personal life and as an instrument of national policy I found myself greatly enjoying this novel which glorifies the use of violence, military force, and covert operations. The novel is really a blatant piece of propaganda for the military, particularly advocating the expansion of the US Navy.

If this was exceptional it would not be so disturbing, but I know that I have enjoyed many other best sellers full of violence and was addicted to the last “24” series on TV. I couldn’t miss a single episode, video taping the shows we could not watch at the time they were broadcast. Jack Bauer’s unhesitant use of extreme violence, often deadly force, and total unwillingness to act within boundaries established to protect basic human rights is outrageous. The show also supports the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim attitude that continues to plague our country. Within the context of the show it is all justified by need to act outside the rules in order to combat extreme terrorist threats and corruption at the highest levels of government. I recognize that this show also is a piece of propaganda to justify extreme measures (i.e. the Patriot Act and beyond that) that threaten to turn our country into an oppressive totalitarian nation, instead of a democracy in which individual liberties are valued.

I have to ask myself what is in me that so enjoys reading about (and watching) the very violence that I reject on ethical grounds.

I also am very distressed because I am certain that the glorification of force and violence in literature, movies, television, and video games contributes to the growing violence in our society, and the growing willingness to act as a nation in violent and aggressive ways.