The question raised in class today was on the impacts of mass media, and whether or not it brings about positive effects. I would like to focus on the effects of 9/11, because I was just bombarded with thoughts on that, especially in regards to ex-president Bush's speech.
There is no doubt it stirred patriotism in the nation, but I can't help but wonder if this patriotism is for the right reasons. We are led to believe that 9/11 was started by the Al-Qaeda, an Islam terrorist group. It's one thing to believe that an elite group of radical Iraqis bombed the towers, but it's another to team up against the entire Iraq, labeling the entire nation as The Enemy.
In my Media Studies class last year, I watched a documentary called "The Control Room" contrasting the news practices of FOX to Al-Jazeera. In a nutshell, FOX was exposed as overly patriotic, to the point of skewing the news for as long as it works in their favor. They did not feature the videos of innocent children and their mothers getting bombed by American troops. They only chose to air any media clip that would portray Americans as heroes, doing "the right thing."
This was particularly disturbing for me, and my train of thought led to conspiracy theories on 9/11. I have discussed this matter to a few of my friends, and one of them told me that it is a possibility that 9/11 was actually "staged." Of course, this is a rather radical viewpoint, but worth hearing nonetheless.
The idea was that the US government hired these so-called "terrorists." Some speculate that much of the explosion actually came from the floor, not solely from the impact of the airplanes, as if the bombs were implanted beforehand, suggesting it was actually pre-planned.
The principle was that there were low levels of American patriotism before the event, and the US had to direct the Americans' attentions toward a common enemy in order to "unite." A scapegoat.
This idea of "unification" was not without a cause, of course. The US government resorted to this so we can pardon them for their invasion of Iraq (or so say the theorists). Why? Because Iraq has OIL, a very valuable commodity that they wanted to investigate further and exploit.
This blew my mind. Though we can never be sure of the truth behind the explosions, some people are determined to seek it, like those people at http://www.911truth.org. Their slogan is "We want REAL answers." I want them too. Don't you?
Intrigued by the documentary, my curiosity got the best of me and I stumbled upon another of the same theme entitled "Heavy Metal in Baghdad." It follows the Iraqi metal band Accrassicauda as they struggled to share their music to an audience. Any audience, because of the curse of their ascribed qualities: their race. They had an immense passion for the music of Metallica, practicing daily in a small broken down room. One day, that room, which included all their prized instruments, was bombed as a result of the war on terror.
Determined, they moved from place to place trying to find an audience. But Iraq also developed a hatred for Americans and anything that stemmed from the culture, understandably. So they fled to Turkey, with new instruments they have managed to purchase despite their poverty. Despite their efforts they still were not received well, lest for a few loyal fans who shared in the same restrained state of having so many dreams, but infinite barriers.
The band's dream was to reach the United States where heavy metal music can be free, but the US would not let them, again because of the (nonexistent?) war that had escalated largely due to media hype.
I find that so unfair. As a student of NYU, I feel so privileged to live in a city that is so happening, so alive, where opportunities are endless. The documentary was a slap in the face, reminding me of my ignorance. I have all the freedom in the world to take my guitar anywhere and play my tunes, yet these people, who live and breathe music, cannot? And it's just because America, through the vehicle of mass media, has been fed the illusion that all Iraqis are BAD PEOPLE.
Fortunately, a few months after the documentary was released, more Americans gained awareness of the situation. Including Metallica.
I think you should see how it ended for yourself. I really feel for the guys. (A little irrelevant but might be interesting to know: I was actually in that same concert in Newark. It was AWESOME.)
Acrassicauda meets Metallica
That was an excellent post. While I do think it is a a little extreme to say that 9/11 was staged. I believe that it is something that should be thought about. As a society we are conditioned to believe what we hear, and your post most definitely brought a new perspective that I probably would've never considered.
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