La visión triunfalista y bobalicona que muchos medios norteamericanos dan sobre la guerra en Irak tiene su manifestación palpable en la figura del soldado [«Blake Miller»:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2004/11/12/2002086301.jpg] (foto). Nos lo cuenta Norman Solomon en su artículo «[«Media’s War Images Delude Instead of Inform»:http://www.counterpunch.org/solomon01092006.html]». De imprescindible lectura. Extracto:
«The picture was perfect. It provided a moving portrait, an image that journalists called «iconic.» It was true to the moment. Yet the photograph was deceiving in a way that media images often are — showing us what’s more apparent than real.
One day, during the second week of November 2004, millions of Americans saw the photo. Blake Miller’s face was grimy, but his eyes were clearly visible. He seemed resolute, unflappable. Wisps of smoke appeared to be rising from the long cigarette that dangled from his lips.
At the time, Marines were fighting their way into Fallujah, and American news outlets went gaga for the picture. At age 20, Miller suddenly became a famous archetype. (…)
The real person Blake Miller, not the media icon, said: «I’m continuing my therapy. I continued up until the day I got out, actually.» And, speaking of other Americans who had fought in Iraq, he said: «The more and more I talked to them, the more I found out that there was a lot of Marines that were going through same, similar emotions. And I mean, it’s — it’s tough to deal with. I mean, being in Iraq is something that no one wants to talk about.»
As an American soldier in an «iconic» photo, Blake Miller was newsworthy for a little while. But in sharp contrast to the media enthusiasm that greeted him back in November 2004, there was no major media coverage in the days after «The Early Show» revealed on Jan. 3 that he’s suffering from posttraumatic stress. For the warfare state, he has outlived his usefulness.»