ISIL Beheading Videos: The Scariest Part Is How Well Their Propaganda Is Working

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/isil-beheading-videos-scariest-part-how-well-their-propaganda-working



What are you more likely to click? President Obama making a statement about the Islamic State (ISIL) before he returns to play golf ... or an American man on his knees, in a bright orange jumpsuit, on what looks like the surface of the moon, with a ninja-like warrior standing triumphantly next to him, knife ready to perform the ultimate subhuman act?

I haven’t watched the beheading videos of the journalists Steven Sotloff or James Foley – even a few seconds of Daniel Pearl was too much for me – but I know good propaganda when I see it, even for a second. I used to be a government propagandist with the US Information Agency, and ISIL is good at propaganda.

Not that there is anything good, morally, about these political snuff films, which are now spread across the web so quickly as to assume a form of violent hardcore porn. But as a recruitment tool, the videos – and, sadly, there may be more – wake up the senses, and Western powers would be foolish to downplay the brilliant auteurism of ISIL as Manpower Inc, a kind of production company for manufactured evil.

Not that ISIL is actually interested in a real nation-state beyond violence, or that we should presume their extreme ideology will get them anywhere, but the group has proved very effective at reaching people who have lost all other meaningful points of reference. Facebook postings by armchair life coaches – BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, IT CAN ONLY GET BETTER – are ineffectual drivel to would-be ISIL recruits. These videos become more than just don’t-click bait for Westerners; they are an appeal to men far and wide to give up their mythological “fat jobs” in order to fight to the death for a life with “meaning” – and fighting to the death is not a temporary job.

[Katashi_itto]

1. Start killing their financiers. Play by a different set of rules this time.

No need for a full scale war with some gangbangers.

[xchrom]

2. i like the way you think. nt

[Katashi_itto]

4. I was in Desert Storm, Admiral's Staff. I saw what went on, we warned that this

would happen. Total BS war.

[morningfog]

3. I've been trying to make this point. IS is drawing

the US and the UK into war without leaving Iraq/Syria, without carrying out an attack in the US, without attempting to attack the US, without attacking US property or personnel.

IS is succeeding by killing only 2 American civilians so far. It is ridiculously efficient and we shouldn't take the bait. And te ONLY reason it is working is because we perceive the method of death to be barbaric and because it is filmed.

Just think, for a moment, the hundreds of innocent people the US has killed. Think of the innocent people blown to pieces in front of their families by a drone strike. Those people were just as innocent and they are just as dead.

Fuck IS and fuck their desire for war.

[RedCappedBandit]

7. This whole thing is so predictable I can't stand it.

Even anti-war liberals are all gung-ho about hunting down the IS.

Hasn't anyone stopped to consider how many civilians the west has killed in the middle east, and how that aided in the creation of organizations like the IS? Clearly our policy of dropping bombs everywhere hasn't ever worked in the past; why would it now?

[Mr Dixon]

5. WAR

One thing to keep in mind is that the media doesn’t have to show these clips they could just report the facts, but their handlers want these clips reviewed and the horrors beamed into our heads. Why? Because War is money and it always will be, but they have to sell it to the American public 1st. History confirms that this is a time tested strategy and the gravy train is warming up if you’re a defense contractor. SAD

[CJCRANE]

14. I agree.

I think it's deliberate and very irresponsible.

It's the same tactic that is used to indoctrinate jihadis.

I knew something was up when the MSM gratuitously showed the Syria gas attack video. It was even shown on a split screen on one side when John Kerry was making a speech.

And the MSM hasn't let up since then. They seem intent on terrorizing us.

[Katashi_itto]

6. ISIS does have a flair for the dramatic. Like watching a Bond Supervillian Organization.

They have their PR down right. Couched perfectly for Westerners.

And we will fall for it. Pushed by RW and MIC. We will waste another 2-3 trillion. While our country crumbles and the RW pillage it.

[morningfog]

8. It seems to be designed and ran by westerners.

For western consumption.

[Katashi_itto]

9. Exactly. That in itself should be a warning flag.

[Mr Dixon]

10. IMO

Agreed

[jamzrockz]

12. Another thing to consider is

Foley murder video 'may have been staged'
By Bill Gardner

The video of James Foley’s execution may have been staged, with the actual murder taking place off-camera, it has emerged.

Forensic analysis of the footage of the journalist’s death has suggested that the British jihadist in the film may have been the frontman rather than the killer.

The clip, which apparently depicts Mr Foley’s brutal beheading, has been widely seen as a propaganda coup for Islamic State miltant group.

But a study of the four-minute 40-second clip, carried out by an international forensic science company which has worked for police forces across Britain, suggested camera trickery and slick post-production techniques appear to have been used.

A forensic analyst told The Times that no blood can be seen, even though the knife is drawn across the neck area at least six times.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/bill-gardner/11054488/Foley-murder-video-may-have-been-staged.html

Also they did it in Syria where they have tried so darn hard to bring the Americans directly into the conflict. They probably see how successful they were in taking Libya with our help and after Russia thwarted our bombing of Syria with the whole sarin gas fiasco. They are trying this now, hopefully, Russia comes to the rescue and give Obama an easy out.

[jwirr]

13. Yes, I can even feel the confusion in my own thinking. If I lived in the ME I would be terrified and

I do not like the fact that 100 American citizens have gone to fight with them because we have more than enough homegrown terrorists as it is. I hate the fact that they are killing our citizens live on tv but I recognize that they are trying to force our hand and that brings us to my real fear: We are overstretched and cutting our safety net to make up for it. This is what can bring our entire economy down. That is what I am afraid about. These enemies watched as we, with the help of Bin Ladin, pulled the USSR down. They know how it is done.