Propaganda is produced by all sides in war. But the images and slogans roaring across social media in this first month of the war in Iran may be something new.
The Trump White House has posted videos online that weave real images of missile strikes and destruction with clips from video games, sports, and action movies.
A White House post to social media shows real air strikes in Iran accompanied by the soundtrack and snippets from the Call of Duty video game. Another splices real combat videos between home runs and slam dunks from Wii Sports. Others show explosion footage, accompanied by clips poached from Top Gun, SpongeBob, Braveheart, and the series Breaking Bad, where a character shouts, "I AM the danger!"
Meanwhile, Iranian state media puts out Lego-style war animations: minifigure versions of President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, plotting; Iranian commanders mashing launch buttons; soldiers and civilians running from fiery wreckage in animated versions of Israel, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
Chicago's Cardinal Blaise Cupich issued a statement after seeing White House videos, saying "A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it's a video game — it's sickening." He warned that videos like these can make us "addicted to the 'spectacle' of explosions" and put our very humanity at risk.
"The legacy media wants us to apologize for highlighting the United States Military's incredible success," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told a briefing, "but the White House will continue showcasing the many examples of Iran's ballistic missiles, production facilities, and dreams of owning a nuclear weapon being destroyed in real time."
But John Vick, who is executive director of Concerned Veterans for America, said in a statement that while the success of the U.S. military should be saluted, "gamifying or making light of war also undermines the sacrifice of the Americans who have died…"
I have covered many U.S. soldiers and fliers in combat. I have heard them swear — plenty— and exult about succeeding in their missions and surviving. But I have never — and I repeat never — heard a soldier or pilot rejoice over the death of an enemy soldier or civilian. They know war too well to see it as a game.
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