Random war

Posted by Vicki on 09.01.05

The conflict over Kosovo arguably heralded the start of a new era of warfare and strategy; a move from entire nation states fighting for 'their' homeland, aka Total War, to a handful of paid representatives of the West dropping bombs on foreign countries very high up whilst the general public watch the light show on TV.

For the general public in the West the move towards Virtual War meant that instead of lamenting in the streets clutching the few possessions they could rescue from the bombed ruins of their homes, they now shouted at the TV like it was a football match. The sense of passion and involvement was in the same shallow fleeting way as felt by the fans of the latest fad alternative band.

Since Bush started invading liberating Afghanistan and Iraq I suggest that there has been yet another evolution in strategy - we have now entered the era of Random War.

Random War is an extension and diversification of Virtual War, Bush finds a target - sometimes based upon popular opinion, sometimes not, and bombs the hell out of it from very high up and then puts armed 'peace-keepers' on the ground in the hope that the native inhabitants will not kill them on sight having mistaken them for an invading force.

Even if a target has been picked that is not supported by popular opinion then that small matter is easily rectified with the use of celebrity endorsements, even if the celebrity is only on-message for a matter of days the impact has been made.

This is similar to companies using famous faces to sell their products to specific markets, for example Jennifer Aniston advertising Heineken beer in Holland (but not in the United States or Britain) or Catherine Zeta-Jones whoring herself to T-Mobile phone in America. The celebrity gives a nice sound bite to the waiting media that the war is either right or wrong depending whose side has appealed to or bribed them most. Meanwhile the politicians sit back and wait for public opinion to swing their way.

It would be misleading to portray Random War as being a purely negative event, for it has provided tired old punk bands with something to raise their voice about. Rock the Vote was an insulting waste of time and resources but it enabled a handful of people to feel that they were doing something worthwhile in directing the awakening political consciousness of youth - which just about countered the band's coma-inducing last album.

The era of Random War will probably die with Bush; then the West can go back to Virtual War's indiscriminate bombing in the name of human rights and a new band will be sold to the masses as the saviours of alternative music only to be forgotten within 3 weeks.