The Glories of America’s Wars: “Made in Hollywood” by the Pentagon’s Propaganda Machine
The Glories of Americas Wars: Made in Hollywood by the Pentagons Propaganda Machine
By Joachim Hagopian
Global Research, June 18, 2014
A short time after the worst US war defeat in the nations history the Vietnam War a growing wave of films began emerging in attempts to grapple with Americas open war wounds. Some focused on allegorical cautionary tales such as Apocalypse Now, an epic masterpiece showing the war in Southeast Asia as a nightmare of misguided confusion and terror, and ultimately its senseless brutality. The caricatures depicted left an indelible imprint on viewers with Robert Duvalls perverse character proclaiming that napalm in the morning smells like victory. Or the decorated war hero-West Pointer renegade colonel played by Marlon Brando who saw the evil Empire war for what it was worth and jumped ship to the other side to become a hero worshipped, warrior God to the indigenous deep jungle inhabitants. Francis Ford Coppolas 1979 tour-de-force of an anti-war film became both a box office smash as well as Oscar nominated Best Picture with Coppola himself nominated as Best Director.
Just the year before in 1978 an Oscar winner for its stars was Coming Home, exploring the devastating impact of war on relationships. Wars collateral damage manifesting at home in the form of marital infidelity centered on stateside wife (Jane Fondas character), her wayward, war-fighting, PTSD-stricken husband (Bruce Dern) amidst the burgeoning intimacy of another war victim-paraplegic played by Jon Voight. The powerful reality drama in its raw emotional delivery depicted how different individuals participating in that debacle of a war each responded to their own pain, trauma and suffering. The film poignantly transcended its challenge as a potential soap opera-ish tearjerker to bring us as an audience closer home than we might comfortably want in understanding the wars very real catastrophic consequences on vulnerable and frail human beings.
Also the year before Apocalypse Now came another Oscar winning portrait of the before- and aftereffects of Americans living through the Vietnam War in Michael Ciminos 1978 Deer Hunter. Capturing the pro-war sentiment of a small steel mining town in Pennsylvania with a huge wedding celebration as a joyful tribute to three young men about to join the war effort, the second half of the film focuses on the costly toll that combat takes on the fragile human psyche and the deep sense of loyalty amongst war buddies. The mountainous treks in search of conquering the hunted act as a metaphorical backdrop to the complex nuance of male bonding juxtaposed by mans inhumanity toward both all that is beautiful and natural as well as the brutality of mans inhumanity to man. This film also offers deep human insight as another allegorically dark, cautionary tale of the heavy lessons of war.
Perhaps the most accurate Oscar winning depiction of what it must have been like as an American soldier trying to stay alive in the jungles of Southeast Asia was Vietnam veteran Oliver Stones 1986 Oscar winner Platoon. The graphic horror of war in all its senselessness including a glimpse into atrocities committed by the US military is brilliantly shown bringing out both wars best and worst in human nature.
More:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-glories-of-americas-wars-made-in-hollywood-by-the-pentagons-propaganda-machine/5387521
merrily
(45,251 posts)
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is misnamed, since it has less to do with defense than offense. The offensive it wages is not just against a growing list of alleged enemies of the United States but also, from a constitutional perspective, against the rights of American citizens and residents.
Major parts of the legislation are based on the assumption that key legal protections for individuals are incompatible with the requirements of national security. The result is that Americans are now caught between the terrorists and the authoritarian propensities of their own government.
......
The NDAA specifically Section 1021(b)(2) has already institutionalized the U.S. militarys ability to indefinitely detain, without charge or trial, citizens and non-citizens alike. This is a serious abuse of power. The monarchical authority our Founders sought to escape practiced such a disappearance of people. So have the contemporary dictatorships that Washington has so consistently supported.
Now Americans, apparently having no patience or imagination to seek routes to security compatible with our own legal principles, are ready to illegally imprison without recourse those whom we (rightly or wrongly) fear.
http://consortiumnews.com/2012/06/11/defense-bill-legalizes-us-propaganda/
The reason that I found the above news so very unsettling at the time was that governments have long propagandized their own citizens. Look how they propagandized us to invade Iraq, as just one example of thousands. And with abundant cooperation from news outlets, which were supposed to be government watchdogs for the benefit of the citizenry. So, what concern did our government even have to have that caused it to seek this law?
I remember revelations during the Bush administration that the government had simply delivered an entire filmed "news" story, which was then aired during a news program, with no indication that it was a government film. That was creepy, as to both the USG and our ever-lovin' establishment media. And we have at least one academy award winning film out of Hollywood that was a propaganda piece, regardless of who paid for it.
And, Lord only knows what else has gone on that did not come to light.
What more than things like those could the USG possibly have up its sleeve by way of propaganda that, in the mind of the USG, necessitated this new law? And why would our government need a new law to tell us the truth (give or take some jingoism) about any subject on earth?
We've tried to win hearts and minds of countries after we bomb or invade which, for some odd reason, we don't seem to succeed at. But, dang if we ain't pretty good at the mind game domestically. Are even the cynics in the US too trusting of their own government?
Oh, and while the terrorists may hate us for our free dumbs, this stuff ain't free. It costs.
Your tax dollars at work, to spy on you and brainwash you? Thank heaven we're winning the war on Terra?
I think many have forgotten about the bill legalizing propaganda by our military.
It sickens me.
merrily
(45,251 posts)news of that bill caused me some "emotional reactions." Nausea, too.
SamKnause
(13,009 posts)The MIC only supports pro military films. They loan Hollywood jets, helicopters, ships, tanks, etc.
Anti war films do not get access to the MIC toys !!!
The MIC are experts at spreading propaganda.
It seems the majority in Hollywood are more then eager to help them in their endeavor.
K&R