Woebot
Well-known member
Saw Jon Ronson's "Crazy Rulers of the Earth" on telly the other night. I'm quite a fan of his knowing pile-up of conspiracy theory and humour.
The episode was about "Funny Torture" and's central focus was on the fact the fact that US Psyops have been playing Iraqi detainee's the song from Barney and The Sesame Street theme. Actually it seems the reason children's music is used is owing to chinese whispers within the military establishment. The First Earth Batallion, a kind of post-Vietnam Hippy R'n'D outfit posited the use of such music so as to mollify/pacify/emotionally disarm the enemy (other tactics of theirs include soldiers entering enemy territory holding new-born lambs, you get the picture...)
On the face of it there seemed to be no precise reason why such music was used, especially as the colonel who designed the original intentions for such music's use certainly didnt specify it's use at massive decibels and over protracted periods of time. Horrific photos showed Iraqi prisoners emerging, appallingly disturbed from containers wherein they'd been locked for days upon end being blasted by, as well as the forementioned, country rock by Matchbox 20 (?)
It seemed literally ANY music would have done the trick.
The episode was about "Funny Torture" and's central focus was on the fact the fact that US Psyops have been playing Iraqi detainee's the song from Barney and The Sesame Street theme. Actually it seems the reason children's music is used is owing to chinese whispers within the military establishment. The First Earth Batallion, a kind of post-Vietnam Hippy R'n'D outfit posited the use of such music so as to mollify/pacify/emotionally disarm the enemy (other tactics of theirs include soldiers entering enemy territory holding new-born lambs, you get the picture...)
On the face of it there seemed to be no precise reason why such music was used, especially as the colonel who designed the original intentions for such music's use certainly didnt specify it's use at massive decibels and over protracted periods of time. Horrific photos showed Iraqi prisoners emerging, appallingly disturbed from containers wherein they'd been locked for days upon end being blasted by, as well as the forementioned, country rock by Matchbox 20 (?)
It seemed literally ANY music would have done the trick.