Overview of War Communication

Governments are increasingly utilizing the visual language of video games and internet memes to communicate military operations. A White House video, depicting US strikes against Iranian targets, reportedly combined real strike footage with video game footage, including "killstreak" animations. This approach has led to discussions regarding its implications for how violence is perceived.

Impact on Perception

The use of such visuals is observed to trivialize violence and potentially hinder the process of grieving victims by desensitizing public responses to suffering. This communication method may influence the interpretation of violence and determine which deaths are acknowledged.

United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly supported military campaigns, described as adopting a combat enthusiast's perspective. The White House video is not an isolated instance; social media platforms host numerous videos featuring military footage presented as gaming clips or memes, often incorporating cross-hair graphics or explosions set to intense music. An example cited is a Department of Homeland Security video of ICE raids accompanied by the Pokémon theme song.

This content's viral features often omit crucial context, such as the identities of targets, instances of civilian harm, or the legality of strikes.

The visual language employed in these communications is considered to convey specific instructions about emotional responses, with the adoption of gaming language by governments for real military operations potentially removing the sense of consequence. Meme culture, with its use of irony and humor, is noted to create emotional distance, making the emotional reality of violence less accessible.

Evolution of War Visuals

Historically, the "CNN effect" linked television coverage of conflicts to moral pressure on governments by showing suffering. This model aimed for "seeing" to produce "feeling," leading to accountability.

However, the 1991 Gulf War introduced a new aesthetic featuring precision strikes filmed from above, presenting targets as abstract geometries and removing the human body from the frame. This shift trained audiences to focus on military technology rather than its consequences.

Grievability and Accountability

Philosopher Judith Butler's concept of "grievability" refers to the conditions that make some lives recognizable as worthy of mourning.

The visual grammar adopted by the White House, which frames individuals as game avatars, implies that these figures are not grievable but rather targets.

For instance, over 160 girls, mostly under 12, were reportedly killed in a US air strike at the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab on February 28. These casualties were not included in the White House's content. President Trump, when questioned about the incident, stated he lacked sufficient information and would accept whatever the report showed. Defence Secretary Hegseth has reportedly dissolved the Pentagon's civilian protection mission and dismissed military lawyers responsible for ensuring operations comply with international law.

Democratic scrutiny of war is understood to depend on both information and a moral response. The challenge lies in recognizing the implications of this visual grammar, which may preclude emotional responses necessary for public debate.

Addressing the Issue

Experts, such as former US special operations targeting specialist Wes J. Bryant, have indicated a departure from established global norms since World War II and a perceived lack of accountability.

Audiences are encouraged to pause and consider not only the events depicted but also what the presentation format may prevent them from feeling and about whom.

This consideration is proposed as a starting point for accountability. War is fundamentally experienced as loss, uncertainty, grief, and irreversible destruction, rather than a highlight reel. Restoring this understanding is viewed as a moral concern.