Written during the buildup to the war in Iraq:
In wartime the state seeks to destroy its own culture. It is only when this destruction has been completed that the state can begin to exterminate the culture of its opponents. In times of conflict authentic culture is subversive. As the cause championed by the state comes to define national identity, as the myth of war entices a nation to glory and sacrifice, those who question the value of the cause and the veracity of the myth are branded internal enemies.
From War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning, by Chris Hedges (published 2003).
Blork's Literary Snippets 