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Review of the graphic novel Through the Blog of War

category international | imperialism / war | review author Friday February 08, 2008 23:18author by James R - Common Cause Report this post to the editors

One of the most buzzed online web comics of the year finally got a hard copy release this side of the pond last month. It's called Shooting War and James R has the review.

Like many graphic novels, Shooting War reaches into a future dystopia to stick some allegories about the present up our ass for some awkward digestion. The setting this time round is a 2011 Iraq. There's a My Lai massacre a minute, a McDonalds on every block and mortars are raining down on what's left of the Green Zone like it was Saigon '75.

Enter Jimmy Burns to the fray. He's your penny dreadful Brooklyn blogger churning out anti-corporate rants all over the east coast but has no mass movement market to hitch his ride to. One day he's doing a story on corporate seizures of property and next thing a terrorist bomb goes off in a Starbucks behind him and he's got the exclusive.
Suddenly stuck for footage, mega media bad guys Globalnews steal his video blog feed, turning him into an insta-celebrity. Forced to dance a line between his DIY journalism and corporate cash, he's shipped to Iraq as one of only four American war correspondent's left there.

This is in part the peeled back re-imagining of Lappe’s own jaunt through bombed out Baghdad; there's visual gimmicks and vocab from activist sub-cultures for a sprinkling of further credibility from his years with the Guerrilla News Network.

It's in imagining the incidentals of future war and the political props of our own evolving dystopia that Shooting War rocks most. There's the jihad group that's cornering the call centre market with its throat cutting labour standards and the use of a dirty bomb to neutralise competition in the hi-tech squalor of Bangalore. US military has harnessed civilian technologies and next gen consoles to exploit skilled self-trained gamers that control robotic gun-bots engaged in asymmetric warfare straight out of one of Mike Davis' urban terror-scapes.

Burns becomes completely divorced from his inception as the netizen every-man, used by mainstream news networks with faces battered from the blogging storm. He takes on this paper cut out April O'Neil as Naomi Klein routine that starts to grate.

In parts the comic seems like a flue of outraged liberal steam before the story arc can end with a final affirmation that our governance by a capitalism with the personality of "Godzilla on crank" really is just an issue of a few bad men.

In comic book land it'll never end up a classic like Persepolis or more obviously Joe Sacco's brilliant account of his photo journalism in Palestine. That said, with history unfolding on our screens, context free and maybe, just maybe, sometimes analyzed with tones reserved for a Britney Spears outburst - Shooting War nicely drops us in boiling pots of speculation for the crime of complacency.

READ IT AT >> You can read the full comic online at www.shootingwar.com. They’ve produced a glossy animation too that’s worth viewing at the same site.

--

From Linchpin, the site of Common Cause. If reprinting articles please include our web address http://www.linchpin.ca

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Thu 18 Apr, 15:53

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tumblr_pqi19wf7wg1y0kwqyo1_r1_1280.jpeg imageAnzac Day 2022 19:55 Mon 25 Apr by MACG 8 comments

Australia’s militaristic national myth was founded on the Gallipoli landing.  The dead Anzacs are conscripted for service in all of Australia’s wars.  They have sanctified Australian imperialism in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.  This year, the national commemoration of the Anzacs will be in the service of the developing conflict with China and the drive to war.  It must not be uncontested.

to_arms1.jpg imageEnd ANZAC Day 21:18 Sun 26 Apr by MACG / Melbourne Antifascist Initiative 0 comments

Instead of glorifying the military prowess of the Anzacs, we should be building the working class movement which can sweep away all capitalist States. We need a revolution that will establish libertarian communism, a world of liberty, equality and solidarity, where war and militarism exist no more, except as exhibits in museums and lessons from history.

1378325_795285173893636_5297279479773835095_n1.jpg imageWe are winning in Kobanê Today, and in All Kurdistan Tomorrow! 03:53 Tue 27 Jan by DAF 0 comments

Today, the gangs that the states created for their interests are running away though the ruins they are leaving behind in Kobanê. While the victory of resistance is echoing in the free streets of Kobanê, the

conviction of freedom is rising above the same ruins in the streets. Like comrade Durutti says, "We are not in the least afraid of ruins". Today and tomorrow, in Kobanê and many other places, we know that a new life is being created among the ruins. [Italiano]

toarms.gif imageWar is hell 21:34 Wed 25 Apr by MACG 1 comments

There are two possible futures. In one of them, the conflicts between the imperialist countries, and between them and China, will grow until some miscalculation leads to a nuclear war which could destroy humanity. The other possibility, the only means of avoiding that fate, is a workers' revolution to abolish capitalism and eliminate the causes of war. We can do it and we start by building the labour movement and taking a stand against militarism today. Instead of idolising the Anzacs, we should mourn them, and instead of glorifying the military, we should oppose its very existence.

binladensnipershotdead.jpg imageThe man who knew too much 07:37 Thu 05 May by MACG 0 comments

Statement of Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group. [Italiano]

bahrain_tanks.jpg imageArab dictatorships launching their biggest attack on the masses 06:26 Tue 15 Mar by Mazen Kamalmaz 1 comments

Latest news from our Syrian comrade Mazen Kamalmaz: The situation looks quite bleak for the future of the Arab peoples' revolutions: the official machine of the regimes' repression is unleashed to its maximum in several countries, threatening to put down by brutal force the uprisings of the Libyan, Bahraini and Yemeni masses. Our solidarity is needed in terms of actions of support!
[Italiano] [Ελληνικά] [Castellano] [العربية ]

textAustralian Imperialism 18:45 Sat 24 Apr by Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group 0 comments

Unlike the capitalists, the working class can unite across national boundaries. We can sweep away the capitalists and their State, with its armies, police and prisons. We can build libertarian communism, a world of peace and plenty, a world of both freedom and security. We can and we must.

textResponse to Gaza Bombings in Manhattan - demonstration today in front of the israeli consulate 19:58 Sun 28 Dec by Ilan S. 1 comments

When news from the destruction of Gaza- which has claimed more than 200 lives- reached New York City, communities jumped into action.

Not wanting to waste time, an assorted group of Israeli activists came together that afternoon to hold signs in front of the consulate. Most of them knew each other from past demonstrations, but they were never united under one banner. They were members of Breaking the Silence, Anarchists Against the Wall, and Combatants for Peace back home.

300_0___20_0_0_0_0_0_settimanarossa.jpg imageItaly 90 years ago: World War I ends 18:21 Tue 04 Nov by Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici 0 comments

90 years later, let 4 November be a day for repudiating war, for anti-militarism and non-violence between peoples, for ceasefires and the de-militarization of all war zones, for the withdrawal of the Italian army and all armies from fake peace-keeping missions. [Italiano]

textMayday 2008: A Fine Day for the Working Class 21:03 Mon 05 May by ronan 0 comments

For those of us involved in the fight for workers' power, the 1st of May gave us much to be cheerful about. Traditionally a day to celebrate working class solidarity and militancy, workers in America and Iraq, marked May 1st with a wonderful demonstration of both of these fine qualities.

more >>

imageA Talk on the Ukrainian-Russian War Aug 31 by Wayne Price 9 comments

A talk on the Ukrainian-Russian war, from an anarchist perspective. I reviewed my reasons for being in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. But revolutionary anarchists should give no political support to the Ukrainian government nor to the U.S. imperialists who help it.

imageMalatesta on War and National Self-Determination Jul 29 by Wayne Price 6 comments

As far as I can tell, Ukrainian anarchists have in fact followed Malatesta’s approach. Virtually the whole country has risen up to oppose the invasion. There is voluntary organizing throughout the nation, both military and providing social services, despite chaos and destruction. Ukrainian anarchists have not made fools of themselves by opposing the resistance of the people. Instead they have merged with the broader movement of Ukrainians. Some have provided non-military services through mutual aid groups, such as food distribution. Others have formed a military unit composed of anarchists and anti-fascists. Although they have a good deal of autonomy, they coordinate with the Territorial Defense Forces.

imageSanctions against Russia: The impact is greater to Europe Mar 30 by Zaher Baher 7 comments

This article covers the impact of the sanction on all sides. But the real losers are the working class and the oppressed people. It shows the way how we can fight back against both wars: the current military one and the sanctions war.

textAn Anarchist Analysis About The Anarchists In Ukrainian Resistance Against Russian Invasion Mar 04 by Batur Ozdinc 2 comments

A group of Ukrainian anarchists living in Kyiv declared that they have joined popular resistance against Russian invasion and organized their own group- leading to many debates among anarchist circles. As long as we do not exactly know their own circumstances, one might think that they are purely pro-NATO people, confused nationalist-anarchists or even neo-Nazi supporters. Actually, they are not! According to their declarations before and during the war, they do exactly know what NATO, capitalism, nationalism and imperialism is; and they are against all of them. For me, they are just a group of comrades who found themselves in the middle of a war and trying to find out a way to defend their own lives and their own ideas.

imageIn imperialist conflict our solidarity is with the working class Feb 22 by Iswed Tiggjan 0 comments

Both NATO and Russia must be opposed, and should war eventuate, our job is not to pick a side but to work to end the war as quickly as possible. Should war break out then the spectre of 1917 needs to be made a reality again. The best defence against imperialist wars will always be a powerful, militant working-class and the fear of revolution that brings.

more >>

imageAnzac Day 2022 Apr 25 Anarkismo 8 comments

Australia’s militaristic national myth was founded on the Gallipoli landing.  The dead Anzacs are conscripted for service in all of Australia’s wars.  They have sanctified Australian imperialism in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.  This year, the national commemoration of the Anzacs will be in the service of the developing conflict with China and the drive to war.  It must not be uncontested.

imageEnd ANZAC Day Apr 26 Anarkismo 0 comments

Instead of glorifying the military prowess of the Anzacs, we should be building the working class movement which can sweep away all capitalist States. We need a revolution that will establish libertarian communism, a world of liberty, equality and solidarity, where war and militarism exist no more, except as exhibits in museums and lessons from history.

imageWar is hell Apr 25 Anarkismo 1 comments

There are two possible futures. In one of them, the conflicts between the imperialist countries, and between them and China, will grow until some miscalculation leads to a nuclear war which could destroy humanity. The other possibility, the only means of avoiding that fate, is a workers' revolution to abolish capitalism and eliminate the causes of war. We can do it and we start by building the labour movement and taking a stand against militarism today. Instead of idolising the Anzacs, we should mourn them, and instead of glorifying the military, we should oppose its very existence.

imageThe man who knew too much May 05 Anarkismo 0 comments

Statement of Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group. [Italiano]

textAustralian Imperialism Apr 24 Anarkismo 0 comments

Unlike the capitalists, the working class can unite across national boundaries. We can sweep away the capitalists and their State, with its armies, police and prisons. We can build libertarian communism, a world of peace and plenty, a world of both freedom and security. We can and we must.

more >>
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