Is America preparing for war? Heroic militarism as liberalism's blind spot

Comment published on New York Times blog, in response to opinion essay by Paul Krugman, “Ukraine deflates MAGA macho myths,” September 12, 2022:

Reading about the war since its start in the liberal Democratic affiliated Times, I am of two minds: 1) Sure, Putin's Russia is the bad guy, asserting brutal imperialist nationalism (fascism). And the Ukrainians are good guys defending their nation. Their president is our most visible hero. 2) This invasion and resistance dramatically signal in America and Europe that war is possible again. Indeed, we are indirectly already involved.

Media images of Ukrainian soldiers, including in the Times, are almost invariably men who look pretty damned tough, contrary to Krugman's confident delight.

What does this mean? Are we being sold on a new war?

Perhaps one that is imminent and unavoidable, with a new 'axis' centered around a China-Russia alliance, fueled by resentments of US power. It is quite conceivable that there will be some kind of warfare falling short of mutual nuclear destruction. If we move towards a 'big' war involving our country in some more active or simply pronounced (discursively invoked) way, what repression of dissent will we find ourselves amidst, and how far will it overreach any legitimate targets, as the response to 9/11 did?

And what will be the outcome of such a war? If it is fought partly in the name of Western ideas of liberty and democracy, which seems plausible, will its result be to preserve them or make us in the end more like China? There are just wars, and I share Krugman's enthusiasm; yet I fear what it is blind to.