In this piece, the authors discuss the topics of feminism and war, as well as feminist critiques of war itself and the reasoning/justifications behind said wars. One of the justifications that is often given that the authors touch on is the claim that the U.S. is going to war with X country in order to "save the women".
At the beginning of the piece, the authors note that "women's liberation" as a justification for the U.S. waging war on countries in the Middle East is inherently false, pointing out that the wars have a "...disproportionate and annihilating effects on the lives of women...". Instead of actually "saving" these women, the U.S is instead effectively killing them and upheaving their lives all in the name of capitalist gains. The authors point out that the dehumanization and demasculinization of men of color also accompanies the white savior complex of "saving" women in the Middle East. Both of which inherently demonize the native cultures and practices and effectively pushes the notion that western heteronormative ideals are supposedly better or more civilized.
Reading about this made me think of how almost all conversations of war in our society are ones in which the military is praised for the actions they carry out, without even stopping to discuss the destruction and pain they cause to the people living in these areas, or whether our waging of war was even justified to begin with. When the question of justifiability is asked, saving women from oppression or ending terrorism is typically the answer given. However, they once again fail to recognize our bombings of innocent civilians saves no one and that our own society was built on and continues to oppress and murder minority groups. So I really enjoyed reading the various topics and critiques the authors all brought up because they are often silenced or brushed off as unpatriotic.
Reading this piece made me think of all the narratives that were given to justify invading Iraq and the overall War on Terrorism and how hypocritical it is. They claim to be going there to save these women, yet back at home Muslim women and men are continuously oppressed, beaten, murdered and deported simply based on their religion.
Taking into consideration the violence and destruction war causes, could any position other than anti-war be considered feminist?
I also found it hypocritical that the U.S claims to “save women” while also killing and oppressing other women. I think that the U.S’s claims about saving women have to do exclusively with the idea that the military is protecting, white women specifically, from “them.” The authors point out that women on targeted countries suffer and die because of the U.S, but also women at home suffer and die because of the U.S’s use of funding for wars. I agree with you, I do not think war in any way can be feminist when it is powered by death and destruction.
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