Randolph Bourne, “War is the Health of the State,” 1918
In this document, Bourne, a Progressive author, addresses American citizens in an essay on the effects of war. Although many of Bourne’s fellow Progressives embraced war as a way to speed up the advancement of their socialist causes, Bourne rejected this opinion, insisting although war may seem to strength a nation through the renewal of nationalistic ties and improvement of the popular image of government, involvement in a war becomes a negative influence on a nation morally and may harm its citizens. Specifically, Bourne speaks out against the stirring of false patriotism and the loss of values leading to infringement of the right of freedom of speech. Through war, Bourne argues, the State suddenly acquires greater power and undue control of individuals. This document was written to the American public, because Bourne believes citizens are creating the social problems during wartime. Bourne seems to be directly responding to laws limiting the freedom of speech of American citizens. He is writing in 1918, just after the introduction of the Espionage Act, which criminalised speaking …show more content…
Bourne’s claims and predictions in this document were shown to be accurate soon after they were written. Those who disagreed with the State’s military actions were not thought of as merely having a different opinion, they were “un-American” (754). Such dissenters suffered for their dissenting beliefs at the hands of vigilantes like the American Protective League, who considered it their duty to spy on other citizens. This behaviour was explicitly addressed by Bourne: “Every individual citizen...becomes an amateur agent of the Government in reporting spies and disloyalists…” Anti-government or anti-war speech was treated as a criminal offense (753). At least during the era they were written, Bourne’s writing was proven
In this document, Bourne, a Progressive author, addresses American citizens in an essay on the effects of war. Although many of Bourne’s fellow Progressives embraced war as a way to speed up the advancement of their socialist causes, Bourne rejected this opinion, insisting although war may seem to strength a nation through the renewal of nationalistic ties and improvement of the popular image of government, involvement in a war becomes a negative influence on a nation morally and may harm its citizens. Specifically, Bourne speaks out against the stirring of false patriotism and the loss of values leading to infringement of the right of freedom of speech. Through war, Bourne argues, the State suddenly acquires greater power and undue control of individuals. This document was written to the American public, because Bourne believes citizens are creating the social problems during wartime. Bourne seems to be directly responding to laws limiting the freedom of speech of American citizens. He is writing in 1918, just after the introduction of the Espionage Act, which criminalised speaking …show more content…
Bourne’s claims and predictions in this document were shown to be accurate soon after they were written. Those who disagreed with the State’s military actions were not thought of as merely having a different opinion, they were “un-American” (754). Such dissenters suffered for their dissenting beliefs at the hands of vigilantes like the American Protective League, who considered it their duty to spy on other citizens. This behaviour was explicitly addressed by Bourne: “Every individual citizen...becomes an amateur agent of the Government in reporting spies and disloyalists…” Anti-government or anti-war speech was treated as a criminal offense (753). At least during the era they were written, Bourne’s writing was proven