War: It's not black and white
It wasn't long ago when the only people who truly knew about war were those who lived it - the combatants and civilians fighting or caught in warzones and conflicts.
As recently as the Second World War, even the Vietnam War, information from the battlefield was vague, sanitised, edited and carefully controlled to tell a particular story (or hide one) and to generate propaganda designed for one purpose or the other. The "news" was manipulated, a means to an end, rather than a report of facts.
With the rise of the internet and social media it's more difficult for "news services" to manipulate and edit what people see but it still happens (a lot). However, with images and footage beamed directly from battlefields by anyone with a camera (including the warriors and civilians) it's possible for those who aren't there to have a clearer picture of the battlefield at least, if not the actual reasons it exists in the first place; that's the domain of the string-pullers up the very top who hide their tracks (and motivations) well. But even still, people who are not there will never really know about war itself.
War isn't black and white.
There's no hard and fast right and wrong, when it comes to war because depending on who's telling the story it's vastly different depending upon that persons' or organisations' agenda.
It's easy for people to say, "war is wrong," many do, however has that stopped human beings from making war upon each other? Nope, it has not.
But humans are moving in the right (peaceful) direction right?
Umm...also nope.
Take a look around and count up the battlefields around the world currently and the reasons for them. Now go back 100 years and count up the wars and conflicts that have occurred. Now go back 1000 years...fuck it, go back to the start of human kind...you'll find the same. There's many reasons for it and most don't understand or know them...greed is one of them.
It's escalating...North Korean troops fighting for Russia, the escalation of those nutbags in the middle east...
No...war isn't black and white at all.
It's mostly red, and it's chaos and noise, blood and guts and nothing nice at all - the battlefield certainly isn't sanitised and edited; those on the battlefield, by choice or otherwise, will attest to that.
Anyway, I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here, nothing important or valid I guess because humans have a strong propensity for conflict no matter how much logic is put in front of them and that's not changing anytime soon in our lifetimes or that of our children's children.
But, what I know for sure (in this post at least) is that war is fucken black and white because here's a collection of photos with a war theme taken in black and white.
I know these photos aren't the greatest which is why they're in the shit photo community...but the first one...I took that with the shadow pointing at the little guy in the centre of shot on purpose. I'm not sure what it "says"...the guy brandishing a gun with a fierce look of intent on his face (it's called a 'war face') only to have his own shadow pointing a gun right at him in return. I guess I see humanity in this photo, humankind's' warlike nature and inability to find better ways to solve their differences, and that there's always someone with a bigger gun and better skills. What do you see?
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
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Image(s) in this post are my own
They even shot a film after the Vietnam war to save their image, how strong the mass media is.
There's been many films based on wars...back in the World War Two film reels at the cinema was how people got to see footage (and propaganda) from the battlefield. Much of it was a means to an end, getting people to buy war bonds, sign up and so on. The information came through other means also, newspapers, but mostly the government/military censored it to suit their needs. Obviously, for security and ongoing operations, a lot of information isn't disclosed but much of what people (think they) know is pure fabrication.
Hi Galen, after reading the text, seeing the image brings to my mind your phrase about who pulls the strings and who are the victims. You also reflect on propaganda in times of war and, quite rightly, in times of "peace".
Which leads me to wonder if that photograph with the shadow pointing at the soldier would have suggested the same thing to me if I had not read your publication. Which leads me to another question. To how easy it is for those who pull the strings to direct thought (that of many people) in one direction or another, as it suits (their greed).
Yep, you got the gist of my post then. It's about how easily people are misled or pushed in a particular thought/opinion direction by a simple image or a title,a few words they read.
There's a lot of string-pulling at the very top and the masses have (mostly) no clue.
It is sad. In any case my day starts now and I hope it will be a great day. I also hope you are enjoying a great end to the day.
Yeah man, a good day today, very long and complicated and tiring, but over now. Friday tomorrow but I've so much happening I'll be working both days on the weekend I think. Oh well. Have a good end of week.
Thank you very much, I wish you the same even if you have both days busy.
War never changes as they say. The propaganda is always tightly controlled and the sheep eat what they are fed almost always. It's a horrible thing
Many of the sheep hunger for the propaganda, for what they're fed, as it gives them the ability to remain blissfully unaware of the truth. It's easier for them that way, more time to think about the important things like Facebook and TikTok. 🥴
Haha, indeed. Very well put! 😃
It is a horrible thing indeed. I miss seeing you around..glad to hear you're still breathing! You are still breathing aren't you??
I am!!!
I will be back posting very soon. Just struggling from coming back from vacay on Monday and being flying back into the pit of work!!
Great news...Looking forward to it! I know how it is trying to come back to the real world lol
It's grim isn't it. I am struggling as we are heading into winter and I can't be bothered with the cold!!
war is a lose to lose situation for the parties involved
While I don't know how I would survive without things like water or electricity I still think that in some ways living in uninhabited island would be calmer than being this close to war.
Speaking about war have you read The Good Soldier Švejk? In my opinion it is a very good book.
The military satire? Nope I've not read that, I prefer non-fiction when I read military books, of which I read many.
So much food for thought. How many people in society follow a piece of news that is perhaps or very probably false or manipulated, images, videos that can also be manipulated today and people believe it. It enters through their eyes and ears and for them that is the reality and that is what is convenient for certain people.
And that's not only what happens on the battlefield... There are simpler or not so simple wars in everyday life. People are at war with their neighbours, their relatives... a society that I don't know where it's going, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere positive.
It's easier for people to absorb the "news" as they don't need to think for themselves and yet feel informed.
That's the key.... thinking and critical sense.
Those are some really great photos. I can't really speak to war, I haven't ha to deal with it first hand. I know that everyone involved has a story and a reason for why they fight for what they fight for. The complexities are vast. Almost like the light and shadows in your photos.
Agreed, it's a complex thing and comes right down to the individual. I wonder how different things might be if the actual facts were revealed. Maybe no different considering humanity's warlike nature though I guess.
Probably not, people allow their biases to lead them and they only believe what they want to believe. Even if they were presented with the truth, they would consider it a lie.
Mainstream media news makes me sick anymore. I watch my local telly station through one loop to catch the weather and the road conditions, and how many murders happened yesterday. I want nothing to do with war, but if it comes to my door, I am ready...gotta practice my war face though!
There's not much of value in the "news" so I don't watch it. It's all designed to keep people watching so they can sell advertising space.
Good to hear you're prepared...but for sure work on your war face, one must have that at its optimal.
!PIZZA
I like the shadow guy...
Mine and Yours.
Hmm, looks like you're a shadow of your former self.
The world is at war.
We are at war.
If you had published that news here in my country - which is a planet apart - everyone would have peppered you with prejudiced questions asking for the reliable source from where you got such information.
And yes, as always, nobody knows what a war is about if you don't live it, if you are not there in the middle of the war field with your eardrums bursting with blood from the explosions of bombs and the bombing of planes loaded with missiles.
Sometimes, everything seems so hateful and dirty to me that I don't want to know about anything, starting with my own people, I'm ashamed to say it but we are the kings of manipulation...I don't want to be filled with hate or live hating either.
I have a friend from a LATAM country who assures me that there will be no change without deaths.
Humanity is not ready to live without wars.
Your shitty pictures are very explicit, even if they are just little black and white dolls with very expressive faces.
Yeah, and meanwhile they're all out there living their lives around the fabrications and fakeness found on social media like sheep following one after the other on a path that decends straight into chaos and oblivion.
All I could say to them is, good luck fuckers.
I need a few people with your attitude here on my island....the luck of them and misfortune of us is that we are surrounded by sea....nothing goes in, nothing comes out.
All we have left is to annihilate fear.
Hello galenkp!
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