War is the most awful part of our human story, so we must think critically about how images make us feel acutely aware of or desensitized from devastation.
"The president wants to sell an American hero story, the U.S. military wants to sell its usage of your taxpayer dollars, and the mainstream media wants to sell clicks."
This was a very thoughtful and painful account, and I admit, I wanted to scroll past it too. So, I made myself think about it--the imagery, the motives, the modern take on armchair quarterbacking death. Wow.
Now here's a conundrum for image-centric analysis. What happens when we get NO visual from an undeclared war? Here, I am talking about my father's home country of Cuba, the target of slow starvation by the Trump regime via a fuel blockade. Yes, there are some sad and shocking photos drifting in. Myself, I do look away, after a lifetime of hope for better relations between the U.S. and Cuba has been dashed. The feds notably post no pictures of this tremendous show of strength by a wealthy and well-armed country against a poor and vulnerable neighbor. But it's not just an island; it's not just a couple of Castros and their successors. It is an island of millions who are in misery by our hand. Where is the damning image of that? Because that one is in my head, and I can't get it out of there.
I fully agree with you, KKG. This situation with Cuba shows better than anything else what a bully the orange dumpster is. A nation as big and powerful as the US slowly starving and depriving Cubans of even the smallest possibility of living a normal life is a crime against humanity.
I absolutely despise not just the orange dumpster, but everyone who lets him get away with it unchecked, or even participates in this despicable "game" they are playing with human lives.
The major problem with George Bush's and Trump's wars was that they were both started based upon lies. At the time (at least with Bush) there was a better sales job, and more people had a greater trust in the government. As that war ground on, what with changing stories and moving goalposts, Americans grew tired as it seemed that little real progress was being made. With Trump, there was no imminent Iranian threat, Trump didn't even consult congress, presented no plan and no exit strategy, and just did it. Now we're stuck with it until some kind of a 'deal' is fabricated. It probably will not increase the area stability or help our ailing international relations.l
"The president wants to sell an American hero story, the U.S. military wants to sell its usage of your taxpayer dollars, and the mainstream media wants to sell clicks."
This was a very thoughtful and painful account, and I admit, I wanted to scroll past it too. So, I made myself think about it--the imagery, the motives, the modern take on armchair quarterbacking death. Wow.
Now here's a conundrum for image-centric analysis. What happens when we get NO visual from an undeclared war? Here, I am talking about my father's home country of Cuba, the target of slow starvation by the Trump regime via a fuel blockade. Yes, there are some sad and shocking photos drifting in. Myself, I do look away, after a lifetime of hope for better relations between the U.S. and Cuba has been dashed. The feds notably post no pictures of this tremendous show of strength by a wealthy and well-armed country against a poor and vulnerable neighbor. But it's not just an island; it's not just a couple of Castros and their successors. It is an island of millions who are in misery by our hand. Where is the damning image of that? Because that one is in my head, and I can't get it out of there.
I fully agree with you, KKG. This situation with Cuba shows better than anything else what a bully the orange dumpster is. A nation as big and powerful as the US slowly starving and depriving Cubans of even the smallest possibility of living a normal life is a crime against humanity.
I absolutely despise not just the orange dumpster, but everyone who lets him get away with it unchecked, or even participates in this despicable "game" they are playing with human lives.
That means a lot to me. How can we take our place in the world when we treat lives like trash? And I think that is what Azza is saying as well.
Bottom line, innocent folx are bein murdered. AND for what!? No one seems to know or wanna say.
The major problem with George Bush's and Trump's wars was that they were both started based upon lies. At the time (at least with Bush) there was a better sales job, and more people had a greater trust in the government. As that war ground on, what with changing stories and moving goalposts, Americans grew tired as it seemed that little real progress was being made. With Trump, there was no imminent Iranian threat, Trump didn't even consult congress, presented no plan and no exit strategy, and just did it. Now we're stuck with it until some kind of a 'deal' is fabricated. It probably will not increase the area stability or help our ailing international relations.l
Surely he fell asleep while trying to make even more of a disaster. We'd all be better off if he would just stay asleep.