How Does Media Shape Our Opinion About War?

During the last century, many great, impacting wars took place. However, probably the two most controverted wars were the Vietnam War and WWII. 
World war two started in 1939 and ended in 1945. During this period, the world's most powerful countries were divided into two bands, the allies and the axis. Amongst the axis, the germans were the leaders. During this period, the hollocaust took place and the nazi movement was born. On the other band, USA and the UK were probably the most active countries. Both countries created a lot of propaganda, wrote many texts and published many sources which shaped and changed thousands of people's opinions towards war.

The vietnam war, on the other hand, lasted 20 years, from 1955 to 1975 and was a war between the north vietnam , communist government and its allies, and the south vietnamese government and the USA. This war had a massive effect on the young population, especially in the united states, and as in the second world war, people's opinions were shaped through many different means.

Propaganda is a form of communication which aims to influence or change people's attitude, position or opinion towards something. It choses to show only certain information, selecting partially as to appeal to peoples emotion, rather than the rationalism. Propaganda uses several techinques to achieve it's objective.

The first media to analyze, is a banned cartoon, called commando duck which makes reference to the second world war. 


Jack King, Commando Duck, USA, Hollywood: Walt Disney, 1944.

This cartoon is about Donald Duck (who represents and american soldier), who is ordered to wipe out a Japanese airfield. After parachuting out of an airplane, he lands in a Japanese forest. He uses an inflated canoe to cross the river, but as soon as it fills up with water, Donald is running for his life. He makes sure the canoe hits nothing that would pop it. When he gets to the edge of a cliff, he sees the airfield. The canoe has already exploded, causing water to flow. This large amount of water splashes onto the airfield, wiping the whole thing clean, but leaving disfigured airplanes.


This cartoon's basically suggests in a comical version that the americans will beat the japanese as they are quite weak and ridiculous. 
This message is conveyed through several techniques and sutile hints. The main propaganda techniques used in this cartoon are ridiculization, stereotyping, symbols and oversimplification. 
To begin with the latter, the fact that Donald Duck, by himself can swipe a whole japanese field and solve a very difficult conflict, between the japanese and the americans, by paddling a boat, and committing a mistake, will suggest to the american audience especially, that the japanese are very weak, and that war is a very simple, even funny situation.

Since the beggining of the cartoon, we find many symbols, like Donald's cap which shows us he is an american soldier, and therefore he is the hero. 
The first time we see the japanese, we once again find symbols and stereotyping of the japanese. First we see the cherry blossom tree which is typical from Japan, and the tree has the physical features of a japanese person. 
They also ridicule their courtesy and make them seem clumsy as they shoot at eachother instead of at Donald Duck and then they apologize to eachother.
The first time we see a japanese soldier, he is stereotyped as a short, clumsy, short-sighted, not very bright soldier, which ridiculizes the japanese and make them appear as useless and hence the americans as powerful. 
Donald Duck, in the story makes many mistakes and lives very awkward situations and still manages to win. This suggests to the audience that destiny is against the japanese and for the US, and therefore makes them want to join the army and mock and dislike the japanese.


 The second source to analyze, is a poem called "Through A Soldier's Eyes":
Chris Woolnough, Through a Soldier's Eyes, USA, 1974, Unknown

This poem basically describes the memories of a veteran in the vietnamese war. The scenes that Woolnough describes are very horrifying, sad scenes. 
For example, he writes "as men too young, draw their final breath". The use of the words "young" and "final" appeal to the reader's emotions and make the audience identify with the soldier and empathize with him. It also makes the reader feel the misery and the fear of going to war. The fact that that poem is even called "Through a Soldier's eyes" allows the reader to imagine more closely what war is like.

The phrase "To those who have witnessed the destruction of war" creates a very clear negative posture toward war and speaks directly to the reader, which is effective as to persuade and influence the reader's opinion because he feels included. The word "destruction" is a very strong word. The use of this kind of emotive language make the reader be afraid