NY Times writer admits war addiction

By: Emily Sirois
Posted In: News

Christopher Hedges, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and New York Times reporter, said that war is “addicting” during his lecture, “Is There Such a Thing as a Just War?” in the O’Hare lecture hall on Wednesday, March 24.

During his 20 years as a journalist, Hedges has covered many hot spots, from the Middle East to the Balkans to the Persian Gulf. For the New York Times, Hedges has covered Operation Desert Storm, Bosnia and most recently, Afghanistan and Iraq. Hedges said that the very nature of war can act like a narcotic and thus become an addiction, which is what made him return to Iraq after being captured during the Gulf War and seeing fellow journalists die.

“Illusions [about war] blind us and violence becomes the primary form of communication,” Hedges said.

Hedges talked about his experiences of covering war that have lasted through most of his adult life. His first taste of danger occurred when rebels shot at him in El Salvador. Hedges said that after this experience, many others would have learned to stay away.

“I was hooked,” Hedges admitted. “I would rather have died covering war then go back to the routine of life.”

Hedges also warned the audience that comradeship during war was not equivalent to friendship. He said that comrades are almost immune to one another and fall into despair after the war ends.

Even though Hedges believes that many of the wars the United States and other countries have entered may have been unjust, he said that war wipes out tenderness, and life becomes hard to bear.

“The reason that many people in the United States join in war is because we have a belief that we should stand together as a nation,” Hedges said.

He didn’t admit to missing war, but said that he missed the passion and addiction of being a war correspondent.

Hedges was part of a team of Times reporters that received the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism for their coverage of terrorism in 2001. Hedges has also written two books, “War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning,” and “What Every Person Should Know About War.”

Hedges’ address was part of the Atwood Lecture Series, which is supported by the Donaldson Charities Trust.