Media Representation on the Conflict in the Middle East - Research Proposal Example

Topic: Analysis of the media representation on the conflict in the Middle East. Thesis ment: Mankind suffers self-alienation due to aesthetic pleasure in horror, violence, or war. I. Introduction The media experts such as the journalists are highly effective in conveying their messages through their works. They go beyond everyday reflexes and changes and need to develop a heightened sense of vision, thus, learning how to give such vision significant form so that they can share it with their readers, viewers, or the general audience. Morbid scenarios such as mangled bodies, severe damage on properties and lives, sprawling bodies in pools of blood, and the deep anguish of the victims is not a shocking revelation anymore because media presentation makes mankind self-alienated. Man’s conscience learns how to forget and feel pain. Truly, mankind suffers self-alienation due to aesthetic pleasure in horror, violence, or war. The events in the world like the twin tower bombing on September 11, 2001, in New York City, Washington DC and Pennsylvania and the numerous wars that occurred in the centuries will be indelibly impressed on the minds of millions, if not billions, of the world’s inhabitants. Where were you when you heard the news on the attack on the World Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington? What was your reaction to the news on TV, Internet and newspaper when war broke out in the Middle East, learning that US is installing their troops in Afghanistan? What’s your idea of Bin Laden? Who is he? How did you feel about the story of Hitler and the Holocaust? How far has man reached in pursuit of self-destruction? The incredibly swift destruction of so much property and lives has given mankind reason to pause and reflect. But what was the role of media in representing these events? Isn’t it a normal happening nowadays to hear and view of such news? Artists and Their Shock Tactics to Imply Change. In truth, scene of war has been displayed dozens of times in art galleries in different forms. People get used to it. They find beauty in it—that is, the bloody sprawl of bodies on the floor while heroically winning battle over battle, butchering brothers and neighbors of different race. What do you think is the purpose of the artists in displaying the gruesome effect of the scene? What was the reaction of the art’s appreciator? Is it some kind of a form of a shock tactic? As viewed by Juliet S. Samuel of The Harvard Crimson online edition, shock tactics in the name of art are nothing new, whether it’s excrement smeared on the Virgin Many (Chris Ofili), crucifixes submerged in urine (Andres Serrano), or Danish artist Marco Evaristti exhibiting live goldfish in functional blenders. (Blending goldfish, starving dogs, abortions—Shvarts’ art project is nothing new, 2008). To make their work of arts authentic, these artists are bringing the real scene of cruelty into the art gallery. How do these artists justify such gruesome excesses? The possibility of an aesthetic justification is out of the question, after all—it’s not as if there’s anything beautiful about it. There is a long and venerable tradition of using shock to stir the art-appreciators’ conscience. Bizarre images or shock-art sought to tear open the subconscious, politicizing the personal realm. The important distinction is in the degree and subtlety of thought involved both that which goes into the creative product and that which it provokes. The ugly spectacle is all that there is to be appreciated, revered and appraised by integrating subtlety in the artist’s representation of art. The enormity of the disaster or violence in the art is now removed and has moved people to believe that everything they see is beautiful because the artists at the back of those creations are too crafty to prevail to distort the message. Hence, they lose the perception of reality because art has distorted the image of horror and barbarism. Even writers and photographers who are responsible in conveying the truth have put some aesthetic view in their works. Sometimes, the purpose is to dissuade the readers from reality or emphasize what they wanted to express for the sake of convincing and implicating social or political change. Whatever the rationale behind the aesthetics, mankind receives the impact and bounces him out to realize and wonder if he is still a part of the world. II. The Principle of Aesthetic Pleasure Walter Benjamin on Aesthetic Pleasure. Essayist, philosopher, and literary critic, Walter Benjamin was once quoted by Juliet S. Samuel in her article, “Blending goldfish, starving dogs, abortions” that, “Mankind, which in Homer’s time was an object of contemplation for the Olympian gods, now is one for itself. Its self-alienation has reached such a degree that it can experience its own destruction as an aesthetic pleasure of the first order. This is the situation of politics which Fascism is rendering aesthetic. Communism responds by politicizing art.”--Walter Benjamin (“The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”) According to the article, “the use of taboo and shock by artists is justifiable because they have more formulated ideas behind their art than platitudes about ‘discourse.’” They sought, or seek, substantive change. For Benjamin, the key to the understanding of modern art was modern technology, particularly photography and film. (Emanuel L. Paparella) Media Trends for Change. The inevitable change in the media trend such as technological innovation have created conditions to the extent that it has now the power to capture human forms, hearts, and minds, whether to construct or destroy the inanimate and animate beauty of the subject. Especially today that digital media and video have paved its way to popularity; they have expanded the imagination of the viewing public. The current reinvention of the aesthetic in the humanities would do well to heed Benjamins lesson as described in the article, “The Media Aesthetics.” (Hansen, 2008) The word “Aesthetics” come from the Greek word ‘aisthanomai’ (I perceive) and the noun ‘aisthetike’ (sense perception), while traditional aesthetics is philosophical concept dealing with the perception, understanding, and appreciation of beauty. Art forms like painting, sculpture, and architecture are bases to judge the beauty of art. (Media Aesthetics) III. Self-alienation as a Result of Aesthetic Pleasure Self-alienation Defined. Self-alienation is the process of withdrawing from oneself, oftentimes emotionally. The term “alienation” (www.thefreedictionary.com) is to cause to become withdrawn or unresponsive; isolate or dissociate emotionally. In other words, self-alienation has a distorted sense of reality. The result of self-alienation or self-estrangement is the inability to mobilize one’s strength that lead to a rich life. Eva Pierrakos mentioned that demobilization will result a distorted experience of life. As for example, you fail because you are inferior, not that you are lazy. Your fear of responsibility is not so great because of laziness, but because failure to fulfill your responsibilities implies inferiority of your self. (Excerpted from Lecture #95 "Self-Alienation: The Way Back To The Real Self, Jan. 1961) Once you realize that this is happening within you, you will discover your real self. You do not need to pretend nor alienate yourself from your true individuality. Thus, the person not alienated from him will experience himself.  He is equipped to deal with all situations life brings.  He will also experience himself in a realistic relationship to other individuals and to the world at large. (Pierrakos Jan. 1961). Further explanation reveals that self-alienation is a state of mind in which one takes a falsified personality of oneself. The misconception regarding oneself is the cause of the many forms of ones painful life, of sense and ego-indulgence, all which come upon one as a reaction to an imbalanced personality. (Swami Krishnananda). According Krishnananda, modern man is so much a self-alienated personality that it has become a part of his nature. He is living in an atmosphere of artificially fabricated external values. As in wealth or authority, man is blinded by truth of what he really is. Upon losing everything overnight, he becomes a nobody. This feeling of emptiness is caused by the wealth and power he possessed which are attributed to his individuality, and now is lost. He now feels worthless because for him, nothing is left. Hence, he forgets himself and his individuality or his ego. He lived in a money-self or power-self rather than his own real self. (Krishnananda). Consequently, man becomes apart from the reality. IV. Review of Related Events The 9/11 Event. The horror that the 9/11 brought the world (especially Americans) will stick to our hearts even if we’re not there to witness the actual event. It would seem impermissible to note that such shocking moment will shake the world as the United States of America, revered as one of the most powerful nations, and would be the victim. The disaster in New York, taking hundreds of lives where multitudes of people exiting, running, catching breaths, saving lives, seeking refuge is surely one of the most catastrophic event that occur to mankind. This only reflects that the world is not united even in the presence of the UN who failed to do its job while the issue of Bin Laden and the Taliban relives. It truly marked the deadliest year for US in Afghanistan. Immediately after the explosion, some refugees from the disaster soon headed toward the safer buildings. As to recall, at least five buildings were severely damaged, thus include the Deutsche Bank, World Trade Center buildings 4 and 5, the US Customs House, etc, and totally destroyed were the North and South Tower, The Marriot Hotel and another World Trade Center building. (Awake! 2002, p.8) But most of the time, cloud of doubt always surrounds the critical minds of the witnesses and the victims themselves. Anyone close to the ‘actual’ disaster is aware of the many serious discrepancies between the official version of the actual happenings and the report on the world at large. (Richard A. Falk, 2008) Falk’s article entitled: “9/11: More Than Meets the Eye,” presents analysis and assessment of those discrepancies in the fateful attack. In his point of view, the narrative of the 9/11 event should have been a closed book and that the public should move and concentrate on their daily affairs. As one of the critic of the 9/11 Truth Movement, perhaps he is not convinced of the transparency of accounts. Maybe, the underlying truth wasn’t unearthed since the Americans were blinded by the fact that they were the ‘victims’ of war rather than oppressors of the terrorists group. Further he retells that what takes place in the United States often has gigantic impact to the surrounding nations. According to him, the US is the first truly global state in history, with its military presence established worldwide by more than 700 overseas bases, by navies which are entirely true. Citizens fail to investigate as they focused more on the innocent victims. They forget that the big controversy that arose from the situation is the counter-terrorism of America against its oppressors—that is, to point to Afghanistan as the prime suspect which deserves something more morbid for the sake of the lost innocent lives. Media Projection of Events. What does he meant when he mentioned that the American governmental structure has something to hide, and much to explain? How can we perceived complacently that a nation equipped with a well-founded army and bases even spread these bases spread overseas would be vulnerable to one single attack of a suicidal terrorist? How far films have reports on TV, radio, and Internet gone to elaborate to the world how strong US is as a nation on top of all the nations of the world? Hasn’t the projection of these media helped out US in its struggle for power and sovereignty? What’s pretty obvious is that the 9/11 attack is a bloody sacrifice to wage wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Hence, the “war on terror” was conceived. To prove this analysis, some critics on the 9/11 have sprung up to insist their case. In the blog article of Matt Taibbi on September 26, 2006, a group of power-hungry neoconservatives, led by Bush and others seeks to bring about a "Pearl-Harbor-like event" that would accelerate a rightist revolution, laying the political foundation for invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. It is quite logical to think that the media had played a very significant role in disguising up the event. As media hoax, as what is being referred in the article, a conspiracy theory was born. Its plot was to topple the World Trade Center and hook a series of dramatic plane crashes by alleged extremists connected to Al Qaeda. But to ponder the scenario, how could a simple plane crash which swipes the tower result to a tumultuous explosion and damage almost entirely the whole territory of the World Trade Center? Perhaps bombs were planted in the towers even before the suicidal attack appear in the media and executed the horrible act. Whether to doubt the American government or not, the 9/11 issue and the continuing conflict in the Middle East have been shaped by media aesthetics. Whether or not we are individually affected with the war on terror, the modern trend in media technology has brought drastic change in the perception of truth. Perhaps, Walter Benjamin was right in his philosophy that we are seeing horror and violence in aesthetic terms. V. Analysis of the Media Representation of an Online Article US-Afghanistan Conflict. In the article entitled, “The Reality of War in Afghanistan,” posted on The Boston Globe, tackles the realities of the war in Afghanistan. The writer is focused on the cravings of America for power, squandering its monetary fund to install more and more troops and to spend millions of dollars for armaments and equipment necessary to run the huge and “lofty” project. And to take note, these men, thousands of them who have not seen their families and homes for quite a while are required to be paid of their service. So America is spending on futile terms in order to snatch a power, a territory and build a dominion just like Alexander the great of Macedonia, Greece trying to conquer the world. But the realities of war, victims of bloodshed and heroic deeds are no longer in the picture. They weren’t even remembered anymore, those who fell because they defended the nation, where are they now? This article although permitting readers to share their opinions and point of views of Obama and McCain, what’s forgotten is that, Afghanistan, the underdog in the scenario, was once a hostile country. You may never know what it can do. Afghan, as implied in the article, is a strong force that can pose its arms and fight face to face. On the other hand, a strip of the article below is seemingly unmasking the truth about US’ pursuit in engaging conflict in Afghanistan. “The McCain-Obama approach to Afghanistan, like much of US policy toward the Middle East and Central Asia, is based on emotion rather than realism. Emotion leads many Americans to want to punish perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. They see war against the Taliban as a way to do it. Suggesting that victory over the Taliban is impossible, and that the United States can only hope for peace in Afghanistan through compromise with Taliban leaders, has been taken as near-treason.” (Stephen Kinzer, 2008). Is it really peace that United States is up to? What about those Taliban leaders having compromise with US leaders? Exchanging allies directly means shift of interest. What’s the underlying interest there? Take a closer look of the following paragraph: “In recent weeks, this elemental truth has begun to reshape debate over Western policy toward Afghanistan. Warlords on both sides met quietly in Saudi Arabia. The Afghan defense minister called for ‘political settlement with the Taliban.’ Secretary of Defense Robert Gates would not go that far, but said he might ultimately be open to reconciliation as part of the political outcome."(Kinzer, 2008) Notice the words in boldfaced. There is an elusive agreement of concerned parties for the sake of protecting their own interests. Afghanistan, in which US continues in sending troops for peace distorts the discernment of people about the true scenario. But the article is correct in saying that a long run success in Afghanistan means lesser troops deployed, not more. Nevertheless, the ground is no longer a battlefield of belligerent countries but a battlefield of political obsessions. More so, the violent militant groups and the threat of Al Qaeda of Bin Laden is now being underestimated as if US can conquer everything and everyone as pointed out in the latter part of the article. Although the writer is right in highlighting the issue of intensified conflicts between Obama and MCcain against the Taliban and other militant groups, he forgets to implicate intensively the persona behind the terrorist groups and Bin Laden himself as a powerful individual (like Saddam Hussein and Hitler (?) who could destroy the world and has been successful in inciting war against their foes. The jidahists, the Al Qaeda, function no longer as a religious group because it has despised its moral obligation. Bin Laden’s group is putting reinforcement on his troops by recruiting foreign fighters from nearby regions. He’s more concern on solidifying his force so as to win the war even another immeasurable numbers of human lives are at stake. In this case, the audience in this grand scenario-the readers, even those involved in the conflict, the recruits in both parties dissuades the sanctity of preserving life. In this aspect, man forgets death as a displeasure on earth—an end to all the pleasures of life. Mini-Conclusion. In analyzing the comment of one its readers, Kinzer was effective in stirring consciousness of the masses that America is on her high level of conspicuous consumption, that is to say, the using of funds in adding reinforcement to the parts of the world in terms of arms and people. Based on his perspective, many are convinced that US is the promoter of brutality, civilian conflicts and corruption against its strategy of crushing down Al Qaeda. Ironically, it is Bin Laden who’s winning over the long-term rift as he is successful in diminishing the forces of America which already present a great impact on global economy. Even before Obama, Bush wasn’t concerned about the global impact. He failed to anticipate the outcome of all his organization’s scheme. And for the normal individual, he fails to penetrate deeply and see the real picture. He is more concentrated and watchful on who wins and who loses in the battle instead of taking up measures to promote peace. He even forgets himself. His involvement on the issue is making his heart callous enough to feel the reality. VI. Summary/Conclusion The facts of the tragedy in the 9/11, the siege of Middle East territories and the capture of Bin Laden through the years, the subsequent bombing and explosions in the Arabian domain and the continued struggle of United States against her warring neighbors are indisputable. The role of media on these issues stirred widespread and varied reactions from individuals from all over the world explaining why these happened and how they responded to the war on terrorism. In these modern times, the media is a powerful force in shaping our view of reality and our understanding how the world works. Media may have the intention to be objective at all times, which in fact, is their role to convey the message clearly to the world. But what we need to understand is that media is also playing a major role in deforming our perceptions of truth, to keep us apart from reality, making us invulnerable to pain. The horror-stricken and the gruesome scenes of the war aftermath were no longer gory to us. It seems that we find it beautiful to look at those pictures of explosions and blood and body parts of war victims scattered on the battlefield. Perhaps, the account of world wars has hardened our conscience to look deeper into the meaning of the shouting cadavers of the war victims. We no longer perceive it as a violence, but as an art, that even the filming of war-content movies are as beautiful as a real-life drama but clothed in a beautiful gown of a bride. Media is constructed and produced, not anymore for plain and objective transportation of message. It is built and edited to serve its purpose to its audience. All media embodies a point of view. References: Branden, Nathaniel, (1972). Psychology, Self-Esteem, Self-Alienation, Psychotherapy. Bantam Books, 2nd Edition. P 237. Falk, Richard. (November 10, 2008). 9/11:More Than Meets the Eye. American Everyman. Retrieved from http://academic.regis.edu/jgschwin/402lecoutline.1.htm Hansen, Miriam. Why Media Aesthetics? Critical Inquiry. Retrived from http://criticalinquiry.uchicago.edu/issues/v30/30n2.Hansen.html Kinzer, Stephen. The Reality of War in Afghanistan. The Boston Globe, Globe Newspaper Company. Retrieved December 7, 2008 from http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/10/15/the_reality_of_war_in_afghanistan/ Krishnananda , Swami. (Nov 5 2008). The Problem of Self-Alienation. The Divine Life Society - Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India. Retrieved from http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/medi/medi_5.html. Paparella, Emanuel L. (Nov 27, 2008). Walter Benjamins Concept of Art as Auratic: the Nexus between Modern Art and Technology. Beyond September 11, Media Literacy in a Post 9/11 World. Retrieved from http://www.hrusa.org/september/activities/medialiteracya.htm Pierrakos, Eva. (Jan. 1961). Excerpted from Lecture #95 "Self-Alienation: The Way Back To The Real Self. The Pathwork Foundation.  Retrieved from   http://www.awakentruth.org/lectures/95selfalienation.html Samuel, Juliet S. (4/30/2008). Blending goldfish, starving dogs, abortions—Shvarts’ art project is nothing new. The Harvard Crimson, Online Edition. p. 89. Taibbi, Matt. (Sep 26, 2006). Why the "9/11 Truth" movement makes the "Left Behind" sci-fi series read like Shakespeare. THE LOW POST: I, Left Gatekeeper. Retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/11818067/the_low_post_the_hopeless_stupidity_of_911_conspiracies. Young, James. (Fri. Apr 25, 2003) The Terrible Beauty of Nazi Aesthetics, Acknowledging the Role of Art in a Spectacular Act of Barbarism. The Jewish Daily FORWARD. Retrieved from http://www.forward.com/articles/8694/ . Draft 1 Outline Topic: The impact of media representation of the conflict in the Middle East Thesis Statement: Mankind becomes alienated due to aesthetic pleasure in horror, violence and war. I. Introduction II. Walter Benjamin Introduced A. Who is Walter Benjamin? B. Benjamin’s Ideology on Self-Alienation C. Aesthetic Pleasure Defined? D. The Nazi Aesthetics III. The Middle East Conflict A. Analysis on the Media Representation on the Issue of War and Terrorism 1. Afghanistan-US Conflict 2. 9/11 B. Analysis on the Role of Art in Barbarism IV. Summary/Conclusion Draft 2_Outline Topic: The Impact of Media Representation of the Conflict in the Middle East. Thesis Statement: Mankind experiences self-alienation due to aesthetic pleasure on horror, violence, or war. I. Introduction II. Walter Benjamin and His View on Aesthetic Pleasure a. Who is Walter Benjamin? b. Benjamin’s Ideology on Self-Alienation c. What is Aesthetic Pleasure? III. The Middle East Conflict a. Analysis on the Media Representation on the Issue of War and Terrorism i. Afghanistan-US Conflict ii. World Trade Bombing b. Analysis on the Role of Art in Barbarism IV. Summary/Conclusion Draft 3_Outline Topic: Analysis of the media representation on the conflict in the Middle East. Thesis Statement: Mankind suffers self-alienation due to aesthetic pleasure in horror, violence, or war. I. Introduction Artists and Their Shock Tactics to Imply Change II. The Principle of Aesthetic Pleasure Walter Benjamin on Aesthetic Pleasure Media Trends for Change III. Self-alienation as a Result of Aesthetic Pleasure Self-alienation Defined IV. Review of Related Events The 9/11 Event Media Projection of Events V. Analysis of the Media Representation of an Online Article US-Afghanistan Conflict: The Reality of War in Afghanistan VI. Summary/Conclusion Read More