How War Propaganda in the Film Industry Really Works

There is no doubt the Department of Defense (a.k.a. the Pentagon) has encouraged the militarization of popular culture and is pro-actively seeking further influence in Hollywood.

Tom Secker
By Tom Secker
Saving Private Ryan | War Propaganda

As the co-authors of National Security Cinema, we have become known — rather inaccurately — for encouraging two major ideas: 1. That the government is really important in making movies more militaristic. 2. That Hollywood doesn’t produce dissenting films. While the first of these is somewhat true it is a simplification, the second is a

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Trump’s Military Spending Cuts Mask Record “Defense” Budget

Despite Trump’s promised 5% decrease in military spending, the 2019 budget is the largest ever with defense spending slated to reach at least $700 billion.

SouthFront
By SouthFront
Donald Trump military spending

US President Donald Trump called for defense spending cuts during a Cabinet meeting on October 17th. In fact, he asked all cabinet members to institute budget cuts of at least 5% for their departments in 2019. Speaking to the press prior to the Cabinet meeting, Trump spoke of his plan to ask every secretary to make a cut of 5% “if not more” in

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US Police Militarization Leads to More Violence, Targets Black People: Study

“The routine use of militarized police tactics by local agencies threatens to increase the historic tensions between marginalized groups and the state,” Mummolo said.

teleSUR
By teleSUR
Rosemarie Melbourne, of the Bronx, holds a sign in protest of police brutality after the funeral services of Ramarley Graham, 18, who was shot in his home by a police officer who mistakenly thought he had a gun, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, in the Bronx borough of New York. Civil rights activist Al Sharpton spoke during the service and pledged that Graham will not be forgotten and called the Feb. 2 killing unjust. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

A new study shows that militarizing police units has a reverse effect on communities, triggering higher levels of violence, distrust towards law enforcement, and discrimination. Some 9,000 law enforcement agencies were under inspection in a recent analysis published by the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science Journal last week when a

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Drones Will Soon Use Artificial Intelligence to Decide Who to Kill

Once complete, these drones will represent the ultimate militarisation of AI and trigger vast legal and ethical implications for wider society.

Peter Lee
By Peter Lee
UK Drone operators

The US Army recently announced that it is developing the first drones that can spot and target vehicles and people using artificial intelligence (AI). This is a big step forward. Whereas current military drones are still controlled by people, this new technology will decide who to kill with almost no human involvement. Once complete, these

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The Pentagon Is Planning a Three-Front ‘Long War’ Against China and Russia

Officials in Washington should be thinking hard before committing Americans to a strategy that will make this increasingly likely and could turn what is still long-war planning into an actual long war with deadly consequences.

Michael T. Klare
By Michael T. Klare
U.S. Army M2A2 and M2A3 Bradley fighting vehicles are unloaded at a pier in Busan, South Korea, June 29, 2011. (AP/Yonhap, Kim Sun-ho)

Think of it as the most momentous military planning on Earth right now. Who’s even paying attention, given the eternal changing of the guard at the White House, as well as the latest in tweets, sexual revelations, and investigations of every sort? And yet it increasingly looks as if, thanks to current Pentagon planning, a twenty-first-century

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