First off I would like to say that I did not really enjoy either pieces, but I guess I will write about The Gulf War Did Not Exist. I feel that Baudrillard was very repetative and I got kind of bored while reading it. Also, forgive me if I make an incorrect assumption because I do not feel that I know a lot about this war.
'The Iraqis blow up civilian buildings in order to give the impression of a dirty war...'
'Strangely a war without victims does not seem like a real war but rather..... a war even more inhuman because it is without human losses.'
The first statement that we look at is stating that buildings were being blown up. He says it himself. He may say that it is a disguise to make it seem like a dirty war, but none the less it happened. I am not positive, but I am pretty sure that there were human losses and victims in those bombings. And I also disagree with the statement that it is more inhuman because there were no human losses. People were affected by this war, so I think it is unfair to say that there were no actual victims.
'the ultimate end of politics... is to maintain control over one's own people by any means.'
I would just like to say I think that statement is really disturbing. I cannot even imagine this ever happening. This idea kind of scares me in a way. I don't like thinking that one person or group can have complete control over all. I don't know.
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I think Baudrillard (despite his demeanor in his writing) would agree with you, Hannah, that the idea of a small group of politicians seeking, or obtaining, control over its people is *extremely* disturbing. Perhaps he thinks that by writing it, he will draw attention to what he may consider the disturbing state of things, and move people to consider what they can do about it.
ReplyDeleteI also disagree with the statement that a war is more inhuman without human losses. I don't think that a loss has to only be a physical one, but also a psychological one as well. Could the soldiers who come back from war with post traumatic stress disorder be considered a victim or loss? They struggle with what they have experienced. They are often not the same person they were before they went to war. Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but that's how I feel.
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