misuse of 'war' for other issues?
Decca is an activist with a well known organization desperate for funds to support various causes and explains how ‘war’ terminology is misused to engineer public support via the media.
“Casting an issue in terms of a war of good against evil – and you’re either with us or against us – always catches the public imagination and creates fear,” says Decca. “It’s a great way to whip up the sort of social drama that the media loves.”
“Using ‘war’ to whip up support and get the community to empty their pockets is nothing new,” says Decca. “Think of the Salvation Army, marching on to war to save souls against the great Satan.”
“When activists use ‘war’ we use metaphor to present ourselves as warriors of good who fight against an evil industry which is ‘killing’ people, animals or the environment.”
“It’s a good versus evil war.”
“We always present ourselves as a ‘small’ group, or a nebulous sort of 'movement', in order to promote the David and Goliath effect in our battle against an evil industry,” explains Decca. “Actually, we have the might of the UN behind us and all together our combined ‘small’ groups constitute a veritable army.”
“Small groups or cadres are also useful for avoiding infiltration by the ‘enemy’ and because we are in constant communication it is very easy for other groups to take charge without being tarnished if one group has been infiltrated or has been discredited in some way by its campaigning.”
“As the enemy often tries to infiltrate us, so we also try to infiltrate their ranks,” explains Decca. “We look out for advertisements seeking applications for positions in the evil industry we’re fighting and if our spy succeeds in being employed he or she will be able to divulge a great deal of insider information before being discovered.”
“We don’t see our ‘war’ as a misuse of the terminology – or even denigrating real war,” says Decca. “All is fair in love and war, and deception is honorable in attaining our goals. Just like a real war uses ambassadors of peace alongside warriors, our more radical groups put pressure on politicians while other, more conservative groups, pursue political discussions with them.”
“This is a deliberate two-pronged attack,” explains Decca. “By working in concert in this fashion, we manipulate government towards a radical view without the politicians realizing what we are doing!”
Read more by Decca on this issue:
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