General Discussion

McKim

(2,412 posts)

24. Glad You Mentioned War as Entertainment

Mon Jan 6, 2020, 09:08 AM

Jan 2020

Glad you mentioned war as entertainment. Certainly the obscene fireworks display of the Night of Shock and Awe was most entertaining for Americans. War watching has become analogous to sports entertainment. Note the constant use of sports analogies on media to describe war events.
I heard a moving speech by a holocaust survivor who said that the current extreme popularity of sports teams and games was not healthy for society because it set up world view of “Us against Them” and that it framed a conflict mindset. She thought we should all work harder on not “othering” which is a primitive human emotion that we must keep in check to build a better world.
Apologies to sports fans and here is just food for thought.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

49 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

One reason some Americans are so gung ho for war is... [View all] Kablooie Jan 2020 OP

While flag humping with a yellow sticker on the hummer. mahina Jan 2020 #1

A thought hit everyone with a war tax. Unless someone in your IMMEDIATE family is a veteran. usaf-vet Jan 2020 #3

I'd be perfectly fine with that! Pacifist Patriot Jan 2020 #15

EXACTLY! usaf-vet Jan 2020 #38

Glad You Mentioned War as Entertainment McKim Jan 2020 #24

Money tiptonic Jan 2020 #2

This. Dulcinea Jan 2020 #17

Money and, for some, perceived power. Mostly money. nt crickets Jan 2020 #47

'Lazy boy gung ho warriors' don't realize how warfare has changed. empedocles Jan 2020 #4

Exactly. Three or four days without Ilsa Jan 2020 #10

And there's a segment that regards the media's depiction as a reality TV show or videogame. no_hypocrisy Jan 2020 #5

We do live in a bubble, mostly privileged by the almighty dollar. KY_EnviroGuy Jan 2020 #6

Most of us have nowhere near enough almighty dollars to be "privileged" whathehell Jan 2020 #8

You surely misunderstood my drift. KY_EnviroGuy Jan 2020 #18

Not at all whathehell Jan 2020 #22

Watching and cheering Soxfan58 Jan 2020 #7

The so called "leaders" Scarsdale Jan 2020 #9

"Other people's children"? Three thousand additional troops were whathehell Jan 2020 #11

Some kin here already on their way empedocles Jan 2020 #12

Right, so we need to stop talking about wars as if Americans whathehell Jan 2020 #13

They are both. Lars39 Jan 2020 #28

Says who? whathehell Jan 2020 #30

The people who've had the shit bombed out of them Lars39 Jan 2020 #31

Yeah, those being the third world countries originally whathehell Jan 2020 #33

And now us. Lars39 Jan 2020 #35

So, along with "us" we need to blame those now whathehell Jan 2020 #36

Found this article today bdamomma Jan 2020 #29

In the 60s we brought the war home to our streets. safeinOhio Jan 2020 #14

I am Ready!!!! McKim Jan 2020 #26

Um, no.. It took quite a long time to bring them home whathehell Jan 2020 #34

But we were right... safeinOhio Jan 2020 #39

Chest thumping The Wizard Jan 2020 #16

A big 79% climb of the stock market began around the time of the Iraq invasion 3/20/2003 progree Jan 2020 #19

Most GOP Trumpers live under one huge misconception gordianot Jan 2020 #20

yup. video game wars, debut during the Iraq invasion. Lots of ad money, lots of eyeballs NRaleighLiberal Jan 2020 #21

On Any Given Day modrepub Jan 2020 #23

Just wanted to chime in and say you are probably more correct than you think... blugbox Jan 2020 #41

I checked also modrepub Jan 2020 #44

The way things are going with remote warfare, LuvNewcastle Jan 2020 #42

And they'll be huddled in the cold and dark TheCowsCameHome Jan 2020 #25

+1 uponit7771 Jan 2020 #37

And trump samplegirl Jan 2020 #27

It just should show us bdamomma Jan 2020 #32

it's just brown people. (their thought not mine) SlogginThroughIt Jan 2020 #40

Introduce a war tax, rationing, and censorship of public communication, Aristus Jan 2020 #43

They won't turn on the war, they'll turn on the politicians Kablooie Jan 2020 #45

My cousin Kurt called yesterday and told me his son Michael was deployed with the 82n Airborne. redstatebluegirl Jan 2020 #46

I jumped a coworker for the same crap. xmas74 Jan 2020 #49

A coworker cheered it on the other day xmas74 Jan 2020 #48