Pixelated Semantics

One man's trash is another's headline

Following the Minister for Defence's statement to parliament yesterday, it's clear that the government was recieving frequent reports about US forces mistreating and abusing Iraqi prisoners as far back as June last year, despite attempts to mislead over the chronology and depth of knowledge. According to the Herald, "on the information we have so far" Hill should not resign - leaving our judgement in the hands of those who have withheld the very information required to complete the picture. The terrors of war are perhaps better demonstrated by the "shattered" Australian veteran of Afghanistan who attempts "suicide by cop" but becomes the first person "officially" tasered by tactical operators for his trouble; a moment of stark human need that is at least honest and requiring no senate enquiry to produce a palatable version of the "truth". But while the SMH is comfortable with making editorial judgements based on half-truths and lies, it is also just as capable of finding poetry in the email trash of cyberspace - indeed, to "treat it as art" - where one man's trash is another's headline. And in an interesting kind of militarised "butterfly effect", as one Psychological Operation expands in Iraq, another contracts in Asia: the South Koreans have begun to take down its propaganda gear across the Demilitarized Zone on Wednesday for the first time since the end of the Korean War. The effort uses huge loudspeakers to broadcast music, messages and propaganda - 15 hours a day, audible up to 8 kilometres away. Though this seems to be a modernist take on "swords into ploughshares", there are no reports the speakers will be recommited to Korean dance parties.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 3:19 pm ::