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humanity of war in general was obscured by the compelling use of new media
technology.
The Face of War
During the Vietnam War, the American military lost the battle over public
perception in a stunning defeat. In the minds of the public the prolonged war that became
a “quagmire” could not justify the loss of life. Presidents and Generals have called the
rejection of war the “Vietnam Syndrome,” and as the term implies, it is viewed as a
“disease,” a “set of symptoms,” a “disorder.” Those who perpetuate war now understand
that images and activism, if allowed to be seen and heard, can stop the violence of war.
Vietnam reaffirmed that war in the information age demands a symbolic environment that
denies the human costs and assures the public that accepting war is just and morally
legitimate.
The excitement and drama of TV’s reality war diverted attention away from
humanitarian concerns. Graphic pictures of civilian deaths do not fit a militainment
sensibility, and such disturbing and contradictory information is for the most part, left out
of its framework. Indeed, civilian deaths were all but ignored in the American media,
especially on television, a stunning contrast to the international media. Equally
disturbing, the few reported incidents were contextualized in ways that blocked empathy
and minimized their emotional impact. Assigning agency to the deaths caused by war and
accepting responsibility for its victims was avoided.
With the war on Iraq death was always accidental, never a logical consequence of
war. For example, NBC correspondent Jim Miklaszewski (2-9-03) reported that the
Pentagon was worried about the possible “thousands” of Iraqi civilians that may “be
Convention