The recent images in the media of uniformed U.S. Marines urinating on dead bodies
in Afghanistan rightfully invokes nearly universal condemnation.
Besides respect for the dead being somewhat of a universal human value
at this point, it is a supreme law of war for every single nation on the planet.
These
images should prompt a lot of questions here in America, about our
military, our wars, our culture and our role in global affairs. To some,
mostly the weavers and backers of war policy, it seems again that 'a
few bad apples' have acted on their own within the military, and will be
brought to justice in accordance with domestic military law.
To
others, such as myself and the majority of veterans I associate with,
the barbarity of these images is synonymous with our experiences within a
military at war. No crime our brothers and sisters commit really
surprises us anymore, but confirms to us our nation's brutal history, of
which for a time we became a part, and offers us a reminder that
nothing's really changed.
But
while our military's mission of 'engage and destroy' remains essentially
the same in Afghanistan as it has been in every other conflict, the
modes of documentation have changed, as now nearly every troop carries
his own camera into combat. From this fact flows a cinematic phenomenon
that troops and veterans recognize as 'war porn.'
War porn
means different things to different people, similar to the 'adult
material' from which it draws its name. Generally, in military and
veteran circles, war porn is recognized as any image or video produced
in a combat zone depicting death, violence, gore, brutality, depravity,
lewd behavior or any other shocking act that would be perceived
unacceptable or even criminal if committed on American soil.
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