Addicted to war? The US at home and abroad

Elective Course

The Vietnam War was the first war in the age of the television and the first war that America lost. The emotions aroused by the loss of American lives and the images of violence and brutality made TV and Hollywood important actors in the war for hearts and minds. This course will examine the multiple wars, police actions, military invasions, armed “liberations,” coups d’etat, political assassinations, “regime changes” and other euphemisms for military aggression and intervention on an international scale. Among other issues discussed may be international weapons trade, the Cold War, the two World Wars, international peace keeping, “wars” on drugs and/or terrorism, and the state of civil liberties in the US. In the process we will also examine the role of movies, television and journalistic reportage in shaping public opinion and thus indirectly the American perception and misperception of the rest of the world.