The Idea of the Enemy
Ingrid Creppell
George Washington University
In this paper I lay out a set of questions and a framework for thinking about the
meaning of the idea of the enemy. The question of “the enemy” belongs to situations of
war and propaganda, but its importance is broader than that. Not only do questions about
enmity precede and last long after actual war contexts, they also fundamentally shape
assumptions about political and cultural life.
Here in the US, especially since September 11
th
we have been constantly faced
with the specter of an enemy threat. The Bush administration conceives its fundamental
mission as confronting its enemies, which it generally defines as an international network
of terrorists, driven by hatred of American freedom and an ideology of terrorism. The
threat posed by this new enemy plays a central role in justifications for security measures
like the USA Patriot Act, and in the determination and treatment of “enemy aliens” and
“enemy combatants” as not subject to conventional legal constraints. In addition, the
looming threat of terrorism and the war in Iraq has justified an enormous increase in
military spending, while investment in social services and the nation’s infrastructure are
side-lined in the national budget allocation. But the fear of an enemy is not simply
trumped up by the political leadership and was no doubt an important factor in Bush’s
reelection. As one voter explained, comparing the virtues of Lincoln and Bush: “They
both had to start an unpopular war for the safety of their nation: Lincoln to protect its
unity and Bush to keep our enemies at bay and change the course of history.”
lest we think this is a modern American affliction, driven by dreams of empire or simple
1
The Times Picayune, October 12, 2004, p.B-6. (add quote from Massing NYRB
article?)
2
Convention