Since the beginning of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, the White House has used references to computer games, memes and pop culture in its message about the war. The approach of the administration in Washington and the bombastic language used by its officials arouse controversy, but also admiration among Internet users.
An animated character from the popular game “Call of Duty” enters a bomb launch code on a tablet. A moment later, the screen shows – through the cameras of thermal imaging drones – real bombs and missiles falling on buildings, missile and drone launchers, or a torpedo hitting an Iranian frigate. “Courtesy of the red-white-blue,” the caption reads. This is one of many unconventional videos posted by the White House on social media since the launch of Operation Epic Fury.
Also in other official materials, scenes showing rockets causing destruction are mixed with memes, fragments from the cartoon “Spongebob SquarePants”, the game “Grand Theft Auto” and Hollywood films. “Justice the American way” – says one of the entries, illustrated with images of explosions interspersed with scenes from “Braveheart”, “Breaking Bad”, “Transformers” and Japanese anime. In the next one, we see planes going into action and bombing Iran to the rhythm of “Macarena”.
Donald Trump's administration has not yet presented a clear justification and goals for the war with Iran, but the strategy adopted by the authorities is intended to arouse war enthusiasm, especially among the president's youngest voters, says David Greenberg, professor of journalism, media studies and history at the Faculty of Communication and Information at Rutgers University in New Jersey, in an interview with PAP.
“It seems to be intended to excite a certain segment of the population, mostly men, and especially younger men who like games like 'Call of Duty,'” Greenberg says. “By emphasizing the dramatic, spectacular dimensions of the war and American military power, the administration may be able to generate enthusiasm for its actions,” he added.
“To was never meant to be a fair fight and is not fair“
Trump himself seems impressed by the successes of the US military in the war, emphasizing at every step the achievements of US forces “at a level no one has ever seen.” During a meeting with tech company executives, Trump warned one speaker to keep his words brief because he “needed to go back and look at the war.”
This strategy also includes the bombastic, triumphant rhetoric of administration representatives, especially the speeches of the head of the Pentagon – for some time Minister of War – Pete Hegseth, full of bon mots and rhetorical fireworks. In each speech, he emphasizes that the actions of U.S. forces are “lethal”, “merciless”, “ruthless”, “spreading death and destruction”.
– It was never supposed to be a fair fight and it isn't. We beat them when they lie down, and that's how it should be, he said during the first press conference after the war began. “They're done,” he said. In the same speech, he announced that the US was “ending politically correct wars” and compared the situation of the Iranians to an American football team that was supposed to win, but ran out of previously planned plays, which is why it is in disarray and is unable to plan further ones.
Both the White House's entries and Hegseth's rhetoric aroused outrage and disgust among critics and commentators.
“War is not a fucking video game. Six Americans are dead and the lives of thousands of others are at risk because of your illegal, unjustified war,” commented Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, a US Army veteran who lost both legs in the Iraq War, on one of the videos. Another veteran, former head of the British right-wing UK Independence Party, Henry Bolton, admitted that White House propaganda videos make him uncomfortable.
“When fragments of someone's head fell on you, when you felt the stench of burning flesh, saw a body torn apart and scattered on the ground, (…) then you know that (war – PAP) is not like a computer game, a Hollywood movie or a story about supporting a football team,” he emphasized.
Assessing Hegseth's rhetorical displays, The Atlantic magazine said that “the defense minister appears incapable of treating matters of life and death with even the slightest bit of respect or humility.”
Propaganda is part of every war
The White House sees its communications approach to the war as a way to bypass traditional media.
Traditional media want us to apologize for highlighting the incredible success of the United States military, but the White House will continue to highlight in real time numerous examples of the destruction of Iran's ballistic missiles, production facilities and dreams of having nuclear weapons, White House deputy spokeswoman Anna Kelly told PAP in a statement.
– Propaganda is part of every war, on both sides. It has been this way since the invention of modern media – says Jonathon Narvey, PR specialist and owner of Mind Meld PR, in an interview with PAP. In his opinion, the White House's goal is to maintain morale. He noted that the US defeat in Afghanistan or Vietnam was largely determined not by military realities, but by the mood in the country.
Polls show that war with Iran is unpopular with Americans. According to a survey for NPR radio, 56 percent are against military action. of them, while 44 percent supports them.
The administration's war message is part of the overall media strategy of the White House, especially on social media, which involves abandoning current norms and ruthless, often vulgar attacks on critics in the media. Behind this approach is White House communications director Steven Cheung, who – as he explained in an interview for Vanity Fair – is “unlimited by traditional and outdated political mores.”
From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)
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