[net.politics] PBS Series On War

eklhad@ihnet.UUCP (K. A. Dahlke) (10/09/85)

< munch away >

If you have the time, the current PBS series on war is quite interesting.
It is an 8 part series, shown on Tuesday nights (and repeated on Saturdays).
The first episode discussed the affect changing technology has on military
strategies.  The second (Oct 8) describes the methods employed when
"producing" soldiers.  If you missed it, look for it this Saturday.
The show is frightening.  Young impressionable children are
brainwashed (literally).  I did not realize basic training
incorporated patriotic songs and chanting slogans like
"we are the bloodthirsty killing marines".
Any cult expert will tell you that singing and chanting are the first
steps in brainwashing.  Interviews with marines and their recruiters
were even more frightening.  Statements like
"peace is just a pipe dream", and "this civil rights stuff is garbage",
are disturbing to say the least.
"My country right or wrong; U.S. is best."
How easily the young mind is molded!
-- 
	When You ferst realise that you're net artical contains spelling and
	grammatically errors, and sentense fragments.
			Karl Dahlke    ihnp4!ihnet!eklhad

bill@persci.UUCP (10/11/85)

In article <313@ihnet.UUCP> eklhad@ihnet.UUCP (K. A. Dahlke) writes:
>[..recommendation to see PBS' "WAR" program: seconded!...]
>Any cult expert will tell you that singing and chanting are the first
>steps in brainwashing.  Interviews with marines and their recruiters
>were even more frightening.  Statements like
>"peace is just a pipe dream", and "this civil rights stuff is garbage",
>are disturbing to say the least.

Interesting to see how effectively the leftists used these very same tactics
a couple decades back. Remember "Hell, no, we won't go!", and the like?
Not to mention the bloody violation of many people's civil rights by the
so-called "Students for a Democratic Society"!!

In the military or out of it, it is very frightening when masses of people
subordinate their power to reason to others.

A Soviet writer (egad, was it Solzhenitsyn or Strugatski?) made an observation
to the effect that the average Soviet citizen cannot grasp an idea until it is
presented in rhetoric and okayed by the State.

(Val, this is not directed at you. Besides, you're an American citizen now!)
-- 
William Swan  {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,...}!uw-beaver!tikal!persci!bill