War On Film
Have you noticed how almost every Hollywood action movie plays like an advertisement for the American military? This has been going on for a long time now, but was emphasized even more after the terrible events of 11 September 2001.
source: PxHere
War is ugly, and despite all the medals thrown around, it has no real heroes. Let me clarify that: I do respect individuals who put their lifes on the line for a greater good, perceived or real. No one can deny their valor and sacrifice. It's just that in the end, war is nothing more or less than licensed killing, not just of enemy combatants, but innocent civilians as well. And now it's worse than ever... War used to be the exception to the rule: we lived in peace most of the time, with those periods occasionally broken up by a call to arms. Now the war is perpetual, as we're no longer fighting against a country of people, but against an idea instead; the war on terrorism can't be won because you can't kill an idea. All these conclusions are drawn in the video I'd like to bring to your attention today, as it explores the marriage between Hollywood and the American Department Of Defense (DOD). Movie budgets have gone up drastically, especially those in the action-genre, which incentivizes film-makers to seek funds wherever they can get them; the DOD can be very generous, offering money as well as the use of their equipment and even personnel, as long as they have a say in what the film conveys to the audience.
This results in a fair amount of brainwashing and bending of truths in many popular movies and movie-franchises, with the worst offenders, like the "Fallen" series (which I liked watching), becoming a regular commercial for the American military, and disregarding all its wrongdoings. It's quite sobering to watch this 16 minute video; I always knew about this toxic relationship even in the days of the popular Rambo and Schwarzenegger movies (True Lies from 1994 I always found exemplary of this phenomenon, with a great title to boot ;-)), but the sheer number and variety of films that carry American imperialist propaganda is staggering; even Star Wars and the MCU films don't get absolved from this critique. My idea? Keep enjoying the films, simply for their entertainment value; just know WHAT you're watching as to not fall for the blatant lies buried withing their narratives. And please, do enjoy the video by Renegade Cut, a YouTube channel I can recommend to anyone interested in film and politics.
Post-9/11 Action Movies | Renegade Cut
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Television, video games, advertisements, all play vital roles in normalization and desensitization of the masses. Having served in the Marine Corps for four years, I've made it a point to inform people that the "glorification" so to speak is very far from the truth. I was fortunate enough not to see combat, but many of my friends did, and the pain of what war does to people cannot be summed up in a movie with violins and weeping actors/actresses.
I could get pretty lengthy discussing this topic, but you summed it up pretty well. Many that join do so far a plethora of reasons, but from experience, poverty and hardship are high up on those reasons, if not higher than the "pride of serving ones country" reason. For me it was a combination of both, but mostly hardship. I wasn't in tune with the deceptions we're up against and the horror of what the war machine really represents at such a young age.
So do I carry a sense of pride for serving? Mostly no.. Most men and women aren't there for medals, and if anyone thinks the government cares about the men and women willing to sacrifice their life for their country, I suggest looking into homeslessness and addiction statistics, if not going out on the streets and witnessing with ones own eyes.. It opened my eyes to much of what is wrong in this world, and for that I am grateful.
Very nicely written my friend, and very important topic you're addressing.
Thanks for yet another beautiful and valuable response @futuremind! 🙏🏼You touch upon a couple of important things I left out completely, like joining the army being a path away from abject poverty for many... You have a beautiful mind my friend 😁
Thank you for the kind words my friend. You as well have a beautiful mind!
I appreciate you, and I appreciate the thought provoking content you bring to the Steem community. Keep up the great work! 🙏
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