The ‘Culture Industry’ and war coverage

The ‘Culture Industry’, war coverage and Nazi Germany

Below is a propaganda film of German airborne troops in training(1944)

Also, click here for a collection of English translations of National Socialist propaganda for the period 1933-1945.

The ‘Culture Industry’, war coverage and capitalist America

Below is a video clip from the documentary ‘Outfoxed’. This clip shows the positive spin, given by Fox News, that forms the narrative on their coverage of the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq.

Below is a talk given by Dahr Jamail, independent and unembedded journalist, in which he reflects on his eye witness coverage of the occupation of Iraq. Compare his narrative to that of the mainstream mass media.

Another documentary that you might find useful — Weapons of Mass Deception . This documentary investigates the mass media’s coverage of war and specifically the Iraq war. Finally, have a look at this video clip — ‘The Myth of the Liberal Media?” A short video that argues for a propaganda model of news.

Herbert’s Hippopotamus: Marcuse and Revolution in Paradise

Below is a documentary that examines the turbulent life in California of political philosopher and prominent Frankfurt School theorist Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979), author of ‘One-Dimensional Man’, ‘Reason and Revolution’ and ‘Eros and Civilization’, among other books, professor of philosophy at the University of California San Diego, and a visionary and influential force for the student movement worldwide during the Sixties and Seventies. Blending archival footage, interviews, re- created scenes and voice-over narration, the video profiles not only the life of Marcuse but also the history of student protest and social activism. The video features interviews with Marcuse’s student Angela Davis, former UCSD Chancellor William McGill, colleagues Fredric Jameson and Reinhard Lettau, and rare footage of Marcuse and former California Governor Ronald Reagan. Directed by Paul Alexander Juutilainen.

Karl Marx – Mark Steel Lectures

A light hearted series of lectures on Karl Marx, by comedian Marx Steel (Part 1/5):

Also see (or listen!) to parts 2/5, 3/5, 4/5, 5/5

The Individual and Society in Modernity

An interesting presentation on the individual and society in modernity. The presentation is part of a longer series entitled ‘Marxism 101′