17.11.03
Jessica Lynch has nothing on this
The media is telling us the US has gone on the offensive.
The only thing new about this is that the US decided to engage in a bit of newspeak. We're not "sitting ducks who are getting attacked", you see. That's old speak. Now, we're "attacking the enemy in his lair". As if, two weeks ago, the US military was not responding in the least. As if it wasn't conducting raids a month ago. Or in June. Tough ones too, with lots of detentions, a real message (we're clumsy morons and well come arrest your entire village?). This time, what's the message?
Whatever. The response of the military (mortar fire, shooting up random buildings) is not new. Its in the same category as what the media was accurately describing, earlier, as soldiers who shoot blindly, who are nervous and afraid so they "shoot first, ask questions later." This admittedly understandable response to persistent guerilla attacks is indicative of the fact that it is not possible for the US to have a coherent military response to this shit. Now, in a remarkable coup, the fact that the US has no options has been repackaged as a brave counter offensive. The military has figured out: "We're being attacked 30 times a day and we cant do shit, well, that just doesnt look right! We gotta do something for our image."
So we get to watch a true media circus at work, as the same picture of a US mortar being fired makes the rounds, and appears everywhere as the unifying symbol of American retaliation. That oughta show some mound of dirt somewhere! Oh, and we'll shoot a missle, or a laser guided bomb, just to show them were not afraid to spend $200,000 blow up some campsite somewhere. No reports of enemy casualties in this operation (but its all about message isnt it.. or maybe the troops are so demoralized that the brass is putting on a show for them, and they get to do the acting!). The message to the Iraqis is "good job, you're winning". The message to the Americans is "theres the truth (head shaking) and the truth (vigorous head nodding)."
The media is telling us the US has gone on the offensive.
The only thing new about this is that the US decided to engage in a bit of newspeak. We're not "sitting ducks who are getting attacked", you see. That's old speak. Now, we're "attacking the enemy in his lair". As if, two weeks ago, the US military was not responding in the least. As if it wasn't conducting raids a month ago. Or in June. Tough ones too, with lots of detentions, a real message (we're clumsy morons and well come arrest your entire village?). This time, what's the message?
Whatever. The response of the military (mortar fire, shooting up random buildings) is not new. Its in the same category as what the media was accurately describing, earlier, as soldiers who shoot blindly, who are nervous and afraid so they "shoot first, ask questions later." This admittedly understandable response to persistent guerilla attacks is indicative of the fact that it is not possible for the US to have a coherent military response to this shit. Now, in a remarkable coup, the fact that the US has no options has been repackaged as a brave counter offensive. The military has figured out: "We're being attacked 30 times a day and we cant do shit, well, that just doesnt look right! We gotta do something for our image."
So we get to watch a true media circus at work, as the same picture of a US mortar being fired makes the rounds, and appears everywhere as the unifying symbol of American retaliation. That oughta show some mound of dirt somewhere! Oh, and we'll shoot a missle, or a laser guided bomb, just to show them were not afraid to spend $200,000 blow up some campsite somewhere. No reports of enemy casualties in this operation (but its all about message isnt it.. or maybe the troops are so demoralized that the brass is putting on a show for them, and they get to do the acting!). The message to the Iraqis is "good job, you're winning". The message to the Americans is "theres the truth (head shaking) and the truth (vigorous head nodding)."
