UPDATED - ColdType

EMBEDDED: WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION
“On the left, antiwar activists argued that the
consolidation of media ownership by corporate
giants has led to a ‘foxification’ of American
news shows.”
At least the media role in all of this is finally
being scrutinized even as Times reporters follow
their ‘on the one hand, on the other‚’ middle of
the road coverage pattern, which appears neutral,
but rarely is.
Media watching – glossary update
IT is not just the images, or the lack of them, that
define the coverage. It is also the language. May
we praise The Guardian as well for updating our
growing glossary of deadening war terminology
such as: “Speed bump – Anything that slows down
the progress of war – including skirmishes. The
resistance at Basra and the protracted resistance
at Umm Qasr were nasty speed bumps.
“Effects-based warfare – A nuanced approach
to war, combining strategic firepower (‘graduated
destruction’) and psychological operations
(or “psyops”) – such as leaflet dropping and
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interfering with TV or radio broadcasts. Some
Iraqi commanders have even made ‘capitulation
agreements’ already. The effects-based approach
is backed up by the provision of humanitarian
aid to create a ‘benign campaign.’
“Digital battlefield – The U.S. Army’s 4th division
is equipped with command and control systems
that allow tank movements to be monitored
on computers, seen as a first step towards a ‘digital
battlefield’ that involves ‘total situational
awareness,’ i.e., everyone can tell where everyone
else is. The idea is to dispel the ‘fog of war’
that leads to deaths from ‘friendly fire.’
“Hammer time – A U.S. admiral was shown
invoking the spirit of 90s Christian rapper MC
Hammer – albums include ‘Let’s Get It Started’
and ‘Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em’ – when he
declared to his fist-pumping troops that ‘hammer
time was upon us.”
Dissector addendum: Before Gulf War 1, the real
Hammer participated in the remake of the song
“Give Peace A Chance.” The song was suppressed,
and Hammer’s career was later hammered. Now
he’s singing in support of the troops. ●