The familiar phrase, All quiet on the Western Front, is borrowed from a German novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I, refers to a stalemate with few visible changes. The story reveals the manufactured excitement and stark realities of combat, culminating with peace that only comes at tremendous cost. All quiet on the Western Front, first published by a German newspaper in 1928, has been produced as a movie several times, most recently in 2022. It follows Paul Bäumer, an initially enthusiastic German youth who joins the war as a soldier in World War I. He finds camaraderie but also the horror of the battlefield and trenches. The beginning of the tale cautions readers that this is “…neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure…”
While the nationalistic excitement of an imagined battle can be exhilarating, the reality is much different and Paul’s experience illustrates the result: separation from humanity and construction of an alternate reality that has little room for everyday non-combat roles. Unfortunately, with the close of World War I, conflicts, both regional and worldwide, continued and do so to this day. Our country is not immune to this disease of extreme partisanship and nationalism. Over the past several years, we have witnessed the bloom of such behavior in American politics and questioned whether this alternative reality deluge would irrevocably transform our experiment of democracy.
Faith in the voting process in which all citizens have the right and obligation to participate in selecting local, regional, state and national representatives has been challenged by a wave of sentiment toward authoritarian rule that defers to the whims of a few powerful figures. The question was put to a test in the last election cycle as choices were clearly defined. Fortunately, at the local level and within our immediate communities, issues were confined to important but more mundane, less existential, concerns. Close races have resulted in some changes as well as the return of familiar faces to city councils and local boards. Without the drama of those preaching fear, hate and distrust, to this point, our elections have been relatively smooth. At a national level, it appears that some sanity is returning to the political stage as well.
With a sigh of relief, we can clear the clutter of signs, brochures and inane commercials. It is time to get back to the business of improving our cities and surrounding areas. Familiar and new faces will greet the next political year with plenty to be done as problems including cost of living, crime, traffic, high tech challenges and homelessness are still present and will not disappear without a concerted public effort. Is it really All Quiet on the Western Front?