'Each man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world'
-- Arthur Schopenhauer, Essays and Aphorisms

'Artists are tricky fellows sir, forever shaping the world according to some design of their own'
-- Jonathan Strange, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Sunday 11 March 2012

Top Gunning

Article from David Sirota at the Seattle Times on the military-entertainment complex.

The image of the military has been recalibrated during the war on terror. Cameraphones linked to the internet have led to various perspectives on the conflict being disseminated globally, instantaneously. And the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen a uniformed professional coalition fighting an unseen, highly motivated enemy using assymetric tactics.

The tactical aspect of the war on terror may be best remembered by history for the rise of the IED as a space-denial weapon. This week saw six British deaths from a blast in Afghanistan. At least five of the six had only deployed on 14 February 2012.

It's a re-evaluation of soldiering, in that they never got to face an enemy, that suggests the Western militaries will face a hard time reinvigorating the warrior branding. For how Pentagon see that may be helped, read Sirota's article.

James der Derian has also written over the years on the rise of the military-media machine.

No comments:

Post a Comment