Abstract
Finlan explores the role of myth in contemporary warfare. Inspired by Barthes, he argues that myths are vital enabling narratives in democratic societies that legitimise and sustain military campaigns, veiling the horrors caused by war. The chapter explores three dominant myths: the antiseptic battlefield, precision killing, and killer applications/drone warfare. It frames these myths in the context of the Global War on Terror and the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq by predominantly military forces from the United States and the United Kingdom. Finlan critically interrogates the related narratives of the empty battlefield, ‘collateral’ damage, human shields, war by satnav, and remote-control killing in media and popular depictions, and discusses their broader social implications and significance for the perpetuation/legitimacy of making war in the modern age.
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Finlan, A. (2016). Tales and Images of the Battlefield in Contemporary Warfare. In: Bliesemann de Guevara, B. (eds) Myth and Narrative in International Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53752-2_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53752-2_10
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