Article: "Challenging the National Capital War Show"
By Richard Sanders, Coordinator, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade.
This year, the theme of Ottawa's war show is "Between Best
Friends." It sounds harmless enough, but what's behind this innocuous
title? Organizers say they'll be "commemorating the special
relationship between Canada and our NATO partners." Many of world's
most deadly warplanes will execute aerial stunts to demonstrate the amazing,
high-tech war-fighting abilities of our government's "best friends."
It's fun for the whole family! Every year, the latest "weapons delivery
systems" descend on our city for a degenerate carnival to celebrate war.
Part of the growing globalization of war culture, such public spectacles - held
annually in about 500 communities across North America - are among our society's
most popular, mass cultural events. Though euphemistically called the
"National Capital Air Show," this is really a kind of sanitized blood
sport. It exemplifies a military culture that has escaped its bounds and
is parading through civil society. In this theatre of war, the battle is
fought for the public's hearts, minds and pocket books. War shows proudly
provide a major recruiting venue for the armed forces. The high-flying drama is
carefully orchestrated to breed a young generation on the art of war, to
cultivate their support for militarism and entice them into a cult which
worships at the altar of violence. War shows also manipulate the attitudes
of adults who should know better than be conned by such crude propaganda.
These events serve the interests of the military industrial complex by blatantly
encouraging public revelry in war technology. By romanticizing and
glorifying the ultra violent tools of military culture, these events help to
"manufacture consent" for war.
War as Performance
Last spring, during the bombardment of Yugoslavia, the following NATO
warplanes strutted their stuff over our fair city: Tornado IDS, E-2C
Hawkeye, P-3 Orion, AV-8B Harrier II, A-10 Thunderbolt, F/A-18 Hornet, B-52
Stratofortress, F-117A Nighthawk, C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, B-1B
Lancer, F-16 Fighting Falcon and the CF-18. During the previous year's war
show, a B-2 nuclear bomber flew over Ottawa. At US$2.2 Billion each, the
B-2 is the most expensive warplane ever built. Imagine the social and
environmental programs that could be funded with even a small fraction of this
public wealth! Seeing this list of warplanes brings to mind many of the wars,
interventions, invasions and campaigns of state terror and repression that have
been launched by our "best friends" over the past 50 years: Korea,
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Iran, Lebanon, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Libya,
Grenada, Iraq, Turkey, etc. Warplanes disturbing the skies over Ottawa
have struck fear in the hearts of millions around the world. Why do these
vehicles of destruction bring smiles and laughter to the hearts of so many of
our fellow citizens? Why are people enthralled and delighted by weapons
which have destroyed so many lives?
Media: "Partners" in War
The public's naive perception that warplanes are an appropriate source of
joyous fun is aided and abetted by our mass, corporate media. War
technology, and war itself, are often used to entertain children and adults
alike. Last year, the following local newspaper, radio and TV outlets were
listed as official "partners" of the war show: Le Droit, CFRA,
Kool FM, The Bear, Young Country, CJOH and CHOT. In 1998, media partners
included: Ottawa Sun, CJOH/CHRO (BBS), CHEZ 106 and Majic 100. Can we
expect fair coverage of our opposition to war, and war shows in particular, when
so many media outlets shamelessly become "partners" with event
organizers? No, not likely, but when did that ever stop us before?
Building a "Culture of Peace"
This is the fourth year that the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT)
has used the war show to raise awareness on peace, human rights, environmental
and economic issues. This being the UN Year for a "Culture of
Peace," and the beginning of the UN's "International Decade for a
Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World," activists
from diverse communities have an opportunity to work together to build a culture
of peace. We can refocus attention on NATO's war against Yugoslavia, which
will continue to damage the Balkan region for generations to come. NATO's
"first use" nuclear policies can also be highlighted by the disturbing
presence of numerous nuclear warplanes. This year, we are inspired by opposition
to Hamilton's war show. Among those involved in the planning are some
activists with Homes Not Bombs (Ottawa) who traveled to Hamilton's
"Festival of Life" (see pp. 27-30). We are working to create and
strengthen alliances between as many individuals, groups and movements as
possible to develop a broadly-based, innovative campaign to oppose Ottawa's war
show. In this way, we are building a culture of peace and demonstrating
our own understanding of the war show's theme, "Between Best Friends."
Source: Press for Conversion!, issue #41, July 2000.
Press for Conversion is a 40 page, quarterly magazine published by the Coalition
to Oppose the Arms Trade.
The theme of the current issue is: "Building a Culture of Peace."