Sebastian Junger: Meaning from War and Technological Isolation in America – #29

This conversation occurred just after President Trump withdrew US forces from Northern Syria. Steve, Corey and Sebastian debate ISIS and the Kurds. Sebastian argues that men who went to war after 9/11 wanted to experience communal masculinity, as their fathers and grandfathers had in Vietnam and WWII, a tradition dating back millennia. When they came home, they faced the isolation of affluent contemporary American society, leading to high rates of addiction, depression, and suicide. War veterans in less developed countries may be psychologically better off, supported by a more traditional social fabric.

Resources

• Transcript
• Sebastian Junger
• Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (Book)
• War (Book)
• Hell on Earth (Trailer)
• Restrepo (Trailer)
• Manifold: David Skrbina on Ted Kaczynski, Technological Slavery, and the Future of Our Species – #7