01.24.2003 || 20h59

Changes

Well, when the US isn't turning its Armed Forces into drugged-out drones (and nowadays, every Canadian knows about the uppers in the cockpits of US fighters, even if this is alarmist claptrap), Rumsfeld's debasing the Special Forces (the navy's SEALs, the army's Delta Force, and Grey Fox) by turning them into nothing more than hunter-killer teams. According to the New Yorker's 23 - 30 December issue, '"They want to turn these guys into assassins' as former high-level intelligence officer told me. "They want to go on rumors--not facts-- and go for political effect, and that's what the Special Forces command is really afraid of."' This is in reference to the new culture a-borning in the US military and the subsequent 3rd November Hellfire attack on a car in Yemen's Marib province. The aeroplane that fired the missile was an unmanned Predator, but the policy is the same: Gerald Ford was wrong. It's okay to target and kill people without juridical process. And while the Hellfire attack was lauded far and wide, I think that Anna Lindh (Sweden's foreign minister) was right when she said that the US attack, even though it had Yemeni approval and co-operation, 'Is nevertheless a summary execution that violates human rights. Even terrorists must be treated according to international law. Otherwise, any country can start executing those whom they consider terrorists.'

No wonder they're willing to go to war even without UN approval.

And in that atmosphere, I guess the release of a videogame by the Department of the Army isn't really that surprising, either. Every war comes with a certain glorifying of the invader's soldiers, before, during, and usually after the messy business.

And before anyone says that it's not propaganda, allow me to quote the site:

'Q: Why are you doing the game?

A: It is part of the Army's communications strategy

The Army's game is an entertaining way for young adults to explore the Army and its adventures and opportunities as a virtual Soldier. As such, it is part of the Army's communications strategy designed to leverage the power of the Internet as a portal through which young adults can get a first hand look at what it is like to be a Soldier. The game introduces players to different Army schools, Army training, and life in the Army. Given the popularity of computer games and the ability of the Internet to deliver great content, a game was the perfect venue for highlighting different aspects of the Army. Firms such as Toyota have used games for this educational purpose with considerable success.'

Boom baby.



||Gods save the Queen,
||cf

back || forth

older shite

One last little note... - 09.21.2006

de-stressing, biking and terrorism - 06.06.2006

Mildly stressed... - 05.29.2006

More crime stupidity - 05.28.2006

Scary stuff - 05.25.2006

diaryland.com
Oh yeah, the page and everything
on it is �2000 - 2005 to me, alright ?
don't copy without asking.