Two speakers trace how America has invoked God's blessing for wars from the Indian Wars through World War II to today, showing how each enemy gets demonized and then forgiven, while the cycle repeats. The piece questions whether divine sanction ever actually stops the next war.
Chapters
It's called the Midwest.
I was taught and brought up here. It's love still abide.
And that the land that I live in had God on its side. Oh, the history books tell me They did it so well.
The cavalry charged and the Indians fell. The cavalry charged and the Indians died.
Oh, the country was young with God on inside.
Well, the Spanish-American War had its day, and the Civil War too was soon laid away. And the names of the heroes I was made to memorize.
With guns in their hands and God on their side. The First World War, boys, it came and it went.
But the reason for fighting I never did get. But I learned to accept it, accept it with pride.
For you don't count the dead, man. God's on your side. The Second World War came, came to an end.
We forgave the Germans, and now we are friends. Though they murdered 6 million, in the ovens they fried.
The Germans now too have got on this side.
And I've learned to hate Russians.
All through my whole life.
If another world comes in, it's them we must fight.
Hate them and fear them, to run and to hide, and accept it all bravely with God on my side. But now we've got weapons of chemical dust.
If I— them—
we're forced to Then fire them we must.
One push of the button and a shot the world wide.
And you never ask questions with God on your side. Through many dark hours, I've been thinking of this.
That Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss.
But I can't think for you. You'll have to decide whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side. So now as I'm leaving, I'm weary as hell.
The confusion I'm feeling ain't no tongue can tell.
The words fill my head and they fall down That if God is on our side, he'll stop the next war.
