David Fiore has an interesting post about popular culture being our best tool for "conquering" the Middle East. Today the NY Times has a great stroy on what our forces take with them to the far reaches of the globe:
- American troops arrive for duty in Iraq with a rifle in one hand, a wrench in the other and a lot of American pop culture in their rucksacks.
Personal CD players, MP3's, portable DVD movie systems, satellite dishes and laptop computers with Internet access allow soldiers to stay current with American music, movies and television, even inside the concertina wire at bases deep in a foreign society isolated by years of dictatorship, embargo and war.
When a day's combat patrol or reconstruction mission is over, the troops join the global consumer culture, retreating into the the privacy of headphones to recapture a bit of territory in the war zone, free from the collective of military life.
....At the Kirkush Military Training Base in the eastern Iraqi desert less than 15 miles from the frontier with Iran, an hour's wait for a helicopter was spent listening to Marilyn Manson, Eminem and Shania Twain before the Black Hawk fired up its turbines and somebody back in the barracks, as if on cue and with a dark sense of irony, cranked up Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."
The songs came from a European satellite music channel and a communal computer where 12.8 gigabites of tunes had been downloaded for sharing on MP3's. The rule was simple: Take some music, add some music.
"Any time anybody on the team gets a new CD, they load it in, so we stay pretty current," said Sgt. Thomas R. Mena.
As the new CD from Tool blasted in the barracks, Sergeant Mena scrolled through the computerized music library, which ranged from Abba and AC/DC, through Limp Biskit and Metallica and on to Van Halen and ZZ Top.
Emigres from West Africa who joined the Army for citizenship and career training arrived with the latest Nigerian pop CD's. Chinese-Americans hauled along hot Hong Kong video imports.
"We've got the whole world under one tent," said Pfc. Nicholas Allen of the First Infantry Division's Third Brigade Combat Team.
....Inside the Baghdad Green Zone, the walled-off sector of central Baghdad whose palaces are home to the American-led occupation authority, Ludacris and R. Kelly were heard within earshot of the broad promenade where Saddam Hussein celebrated victories under crossed swords that reach five stories into the sky.
Article comments
1 - mike
Do they take it with them when they commit mass civilian casualites in Falluja, as they just did?; hundreds dead, buried in mass graves a la Saddam.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/12/1081621902273.html
These same soldiers are also virulently racist towards Arabs, as the British military has bitterly complained:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/11/1081621835663.html?from=storyrhs
2 - Anita Campbell
We overlook our most powerful asset -- our popular culture.
Having travelled out of the country on business many times, I've always been amazed at the amount of American TV, film and music that is woven into the fabric of an and available in other countries. In the UK, for example, American TV is ubiquitous. They watch Friends & X Files & Star Trek re-runs just like in the U.S.
In countries where English is not the native tongue, sometimes the only two TV shows you can get in English are CNN and MTV.
I'd like to see some of the Hollywood types start doing something proactive. Like perhaps creating films and songs with positive, pro-Western messages that treat non-Americans as intelligent, thinking human beings, instead of dehumanizing them as faceless evil stereotypes. But, then, that would be too useful. It's easier just to criticize your country.
3 - mike
It's also more effective; since if people protested, they could stop the civilian casualties currently being inflicted by the racist U.S. military.
4 - Joe
Indeed, giant papier mache heads are exceptionally compelling.
5 - Eric Olsen
but make one a rather extensive target
6 - mike
my hands are clean.
7 - Joe
Excellent, now if we can add toothbrushing and hairwashing to your repertoire, I'd say we're making real progress.
8 - Shark
"Having travelled out of the country on business many times, I've always been amazed at the amount of American TV, film and music that is woven into the fabric of and available in other countries. In the UK, for example, American TV is ubiquitous. They watch Friends & X Files & Star Trek re-runs just like in the U.S. In countries where English is not the native tongue, sometimes the only two TV shows you can get in English are CNN and MTV."
NOW we know why 'they hate us.'
9 - BB
"NOW we know why 'they hate us.'
WHICH IS IT?
Because:
"American TV is ubiquitous";
OR...
"Sometimes the only two TV shows you can get in English are CNN and MTV."
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
10 - SFC Ski
"Racist US military" I wonder what my African-American commander, Muslim-Arab-American driver, Hispanic-American Ops NCO, and Vietnamese-American clerk would have to say about that?
11 - Eric Olsen
The two "news" stories linked to support this claim read more like anti-American propaganda. Some people always choose the worst possible characterization of America and Americans as the "real truth."
12 - mike
I notice you didn't disupte the facts. The notion that The Daily Telegraph is anti-American is completely preposterous.
13 - Eric Olsen
The stories clearly are biased apart from what the papers themselves may or may not be.
This is "news"?: One or more unnamed British military people in Iraq claim to have a different engagement policy from the Americans, and they think the American's policy is "anti-Arab." What am I to refute? Assuming the report is "true," between a "defensive" approach and and "offensive" approach to the situation, I'll take the offensive, aggressive approach every time to dealing with a situation like Fallujah.
And as to the demographics and numbers of "civilian" casualties, this reminds me of the media war over Jenin: I guess we'll have to wait to see what the facts are when things calm down.
14 - mike
google the news story and you'll find the same accounts across media all over the world and from every ideological perspective, usually based on first hand accounts. i call that verification.
as for the british, Basra speaks for itself; the city is far more calm and peaceful, in large part because of british tactics.
15 - mike
"Excellent, now if we can add toothbrushing and hairwashing to your repertoire, I'd say we're making real progress."
That was pretty good. But you're still a twit.
16 - Mark Edward Manning
This was the sort of talk a year ago when the Iraq war started: The British were up-front and interacted with the local population, while the Americans were distant, aloof and defensive.
My thoughts at the time were (and still are): If the British trust that person approaching them with flowers and get blown up, then more power to them. Their value as a strong ally won't be worth much if they are too trusting and open.
The Americans knew that there would be those who wouldn't care whether Saddam got ousted or not. Their presence would be resented no matter what, and they knew it. And they were subsequently prepared.
With that in mind, you tell me which is the better policy.
Of course, histrionic liberals love any excuse to cry racism and mike is demonstrating that perfectly.
17 - ladyshark
this is to mike who said "Do they take it with them...." I fully support the president and his decisions. DON'T EVER FORGET 9-11! Iraq is only the tip of the iceberg. You have Osama, Al Queda, Palestine, Israel.... A sad joke- what is the truce word between Palestine and Israel? Reload. Then there was this political cartoon about the grim reaper standing between the two countries. The grim reaper was pointing a gun at his head. We knew trouble was going to come from the middle east after the cold war. Let's not forget Russia, China, Korea, Chechnya, Thailand, Tawain, and muslims in the orient. Either China or Korea was trying to teach their kids bad things about Anne Frank. Dangers of total government control. Korea has one model city like the Nazi's ghetto. Tourists aren't supposed to go see malnourished kids in the real life cities. Humans are going to put theirselves into extinction. A virus is going to decimate us. Whether or not it's going to be manmade or natural occuring remains to be seen. Aids came out of nowhere. China tried to hide sars. Then there's the nuclear bomb. Just one time will unleash armagaeddon. Doesn't matter if it's war, mistake, or an accident. That one time is going to wipe us out. This is my two cents saying I support America and her armed forces.
18 - Sean Minahan
When I was in the service, all I ever met was the "Ugly American". The level of ignorance and arrogance is absolutely astounding to anyone with anything resembling a mind or heart, don't even need both. And remember, this is a magnified version of typical Americans: "I don't know anything about anyone, but I know I'm better than anyone. I'll maintain my image because my image is all there is to me. Yeah, people might die because I drive recklessly, but I've got to be macho. I'm a God-fearing person, and I'll shoot you for no reason. What contradiction? Don't bring your pinko commie stuff like logic, reason, consistency, into this." KA-BLAM!!!!
19 - SFC SKI
I only answer old posts to get rid of the adbots, isn't there some way to filter these things out?
20 - Eric Olsen
we used to be able to ban spammers by IP, but now they rotate them - we delete them as fast as we can
21 - SFC SKI
Well, thanks for a thankless job, the 2 edged sword that is the Internet, I suppose.
22 - Eric Olsen
thank YOU, they tend to come in bunches, which makes it much easier to delete them - stupid spammers
23 - Richard
"I'd like to see some of the Hollywood types start doing something proactive. Like perhaps creating films and songs with positive, pro-Western messages that treat non-Americans as intelligent, thinking human beings, instead of dehumanizing them as faceless evil stereotypes. But, then, that would be too useful. It's easier just to criticize your country."
And surely its also pretty vital to criticize ones country. To expect the Arts such as film and music to provide messages dictated to them which is what you're suggesting is frighteningly similar to the regime control of the arts that you can see in fascism and all the different communist regime. Art is not a channel, especially in the western world, for propaganda. Be careful when you go off on one about these kind of things because suggesting this takes away your right of freedom of speech. Lets just start using our heads and thinking about what films, music, TV, radio, art and performance should be saying. Keep these mediums free and just speak the truth, or whatever you believe to be the truth, and this wouldn't help anyone?