"War Porn" or "Window to Reality"?
Thursday, 5 Aug 2010 — Contributed by Kuncen
Not even two weeks after classified documents released by Wikileaks made many people question the validity of the war in Afghanistan, here comes powerful new evidence of something worth fighting for.
A fiery controversy has been stirred up by a magazine cover photo depicting a beautiful young Afghan woman who has had her nose and ears cut off by the Taliban. Accompanied by the bold statement "What Happens if We Leave Afghanistan", some are now decrying the use of the shocking image as a manipulative effort to convince the public to accept continuing military action. Some are even calling it "war porn" and "Afghansploitation". Priyamvada Gopal at the Guardian says that the magazine cover is an oversimplification which does nothing to help solve a complex problem. According to Gopal, "Feminists have long argued that invoking the condition of women to justify occupation is a cynical ploy, and the Time cover already stands accused of it."
The editor of the magazine has defended the decision to run the photo, saying that it "is a window into the reality of what is happening — and what can happen — in a war that affects and involves all of us." He references the Wikileaks documents, and says that "Our story and the haunting cover image ... are meant to contribute to that debate." He goes on to clarify that the magazine does not support or oppose the war in Afghanistan, a position that some are finding hard to believe.
Is this photo a cynical piece of propaganda designed to tug at our heartstrings, as some are suggesting? A poorly-veiled attempt to provoke moral outrage that would justify continued occupation in Afghanistan? Or is it simply an image of truth, a terrible story that deserves to be told, symbolic of the larger problem of the oppression of women under the Taliban?
What's your opinion? Let me know by posting your comments below.
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forget it
u know, it sucks that this is happening, but it's happening all over the world and you don't see us running to protect women in say brazil or africa. i say get out now and f*** those crazy bastards.
agree with brendathompson77
Yep!
You said it sister! Let's all agree with brendathompson77..
Let's get outta Afghanistan, and settle back to our comfortable arm chairs, and beautiful lawns back home in the Land of the Free..
Wait, well.. tht would mean the Taliban would grow stronger, and they'd fly another plane into New York..
Or maybe they'd come over to the states and shave off our noses.. brenda, and myself are dying for nose jobs... :)
war porn? no
How could anyone call this war porn? Someone was mutilated, how is that remotely connected to something intended to titillate? This photo is a reminder of why we go to war in the first place, and perhaps the only justification for war.
Can't agree with you there.
Pornography, although viewed by Westerners as a slightly sordid inevitability, is viewed by others from different cultures as a law that is being broken, so in a way this picture could fall under the title pornography as it is a obscene photo, to the minds of most (I would hope).
In terms of a justification for war, I believe the is none. I know that it utter idealism, and Utopia is is just Sir Thomas More's pipe dream, however I will be able to come up with a justification of anyone knowingly killing others on principle. Education and punishment yes, choosing to end someone's life, no.
Obscenity does not automatically equal pornography
I believe you are playing games with words there; a bit of conjecture, if you will. I have never heard of a culture which would qualify a picture of mutilation as pornography.
Playing with words.
Guilty as charged, certainly a conjecture in the theoretical sense. After all I beleive that is the point of this site, to look at issues from different view points, and to discuss, is it not Bernard?
Please don't take offense,
Please don't take offense, friend, as I meant none. I have enjoyed many of your comments on this site. I simply disagreed with your suggestion that some countries consider everything offensive as pornography.
None taken
Was not offended in the slightest bit. Actually glad you caught me out, its been a while since I have had anyone challenge me, with intelligence anyway. Happy Fasting, if you are in this neck of the woods. :)
Not suitable for children
Goodness gracious that's an unnerving picture. Don't you think that's a little bit too strong of an image to put on the newsstand? Children could see it and have nightmares. How could the parent even explain that to a young child?
Oh, noooooo, not the
Oh, noooooo, not the CHILDREN,
won't SOMEBODY think of the CHILDREN? :P
It's SUPPOSED to be unnerving, we don't live in a perfect world.
Of course, no matter what I say, I'm gonna sound stupid.
I'll admit that.
This picture is meant to be a wake-up call for ADULTS who read the magazine. I seriously doubt that kids wander around newsstands that often.
And even if the picture does upset them, they'll get over it.
Thinking of the children
I understand you're trying to be funny (though only mildly successful)
Newsweek is sold at supermarket checkstands everywhere. There are plenty of kids in supermarkets. I know its intended for adults but kids are going to see it. Your "they'll get over it" comment makes it clear to me that you've never had to explain the unexplainable to a very disturbed little girl before she goes to sleep. Children simply don't have the faculties to process that kind of image. It just makes them upset
I understand.
I was being insensitive, and I admit I've never had to do that.
Sorry.
I agree that it's a horrible image, and that kids
shouldn't see it, but if it weren't there, the adults
at which it was aimed wouldn't see it either.
As terrible as it is, it needs to be put out there.
We need to remind people why we're fighting in the first place.
Injustice must be prevented, even if part of doing so scares people.
I can see your argument, that
I can see your argument, that adults need to be exposed to it.
Two aid workers killed in Afghanistan
This BBC Article is an interesting read. It seems that even the Taliban had limits in their atrocities. The writer of the article believes this has now been cast aside. What solutions could possibly be put into place for the population of Afghanistan? To be honest I can't think of any, asides sending highly trained troops to take out the leaders, but I fear this would only aid in recruiting more soldiers dedicated to the cause.
Hello , I from CA
Hello. I am a CA Jourist, I would share somthing here soon.
Seize the skull!
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