Kieran Healy

The Honeymoon’s Over

Always wanted to say that. And it’s true! I’m back at home in my new role as a respectable married man.

I strongly second most of Jim Henley’s observations about What He Won’t Be Doing now the war has started. (It’s about time Jim got added to the blogroll, incidentally.) The efforts of Sean-Paul Kelley to chronicle everything-as-it-happens are heroic (we’re already up to newflash XXXIX —I’m waiting for number 88), but I think Kevin Drum is right that it’s all a bit frantic, and rather more heat than light. Similarly, I think the OxBloggers (and academics like them) should stick to their considerable strengths rather than becoming a poor imitation of the BBC news ticker. One wouldn’t want to risk descending into a Sullivanesque world of self-parodic blog-around-the-clock.

Although many will want to feel themselves a part of it—feelings of national pride and solidarity are very powerful, after all—most of us have no real role in prosecuting this war. We’re spectators. Better to be an informed commentator than succumb to the temptation to get high on the war’s emotional energy.

You’re right. I’m cutting way back on war update postings.

While I agree that we have no real role in prosecuting this war on the field, I do believe that there is an important part for weblogging to play—and that is by acting the role of citizen watchdog against those whose purpose it is to sabotage any good that can come of this conflict. At the risk of sounding Sullivanesque, I would like to quote from him on this subject:

“It is important to remember, I think, that the war isn’t just between the West and Saddam. There’s also a political and ideological war within the West. The anti-war crowd have lost the argument about going to war; so they are determined to win the case during and after it. They want this war to be regarded as a disaster. And it’s up to the rest of us to fight back, expose them, and keep people focused on reality, not pro-Saddam and anti-Western spin. I need your help in this, so keep those press clips coming. Blogs are another weapon. We should use them.”

While I don’t see any need myself to ape news-tickers of any stripe, I still think it important NOT to be molified by the views of a supposedly “informed commentator” and leave it at that. I think that we can participate in the debate and still not “succumb entirely to the temptation to get high on the war’s emotional energy.”

War has an energy all its own to be sure (and we all feel it now, or at least I certainly do)—one which can’t be ignored and should never be swept under the rug. I think it best to use that energy now rather than regret later any words that were left unspoken. Let’s now use our best talents as best suited.

War has an energy all its own to be sure (and we all feel it now, or at least I certainly do)—one which can’t be ignored and should never be swept under the rug.

Hey! No fair stealing from the The Futurist Manifesto.