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From 1939 to 1945, massive bombings( Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki) were justified on strategic grounds and rarely questioned in terms of their human cost.
Vietnam: the moment human horror burst onto the scene
The Vietnam War marked a turning point: photos of civilians burned by napalm, the My Lai massacre, traumatized American soldiers.
Flashmag! Issue 173 June 2026
For the first time, the press portrayed the war as a human tragedy. The result: public opinion shifted, and the war’ s legitimacy collapsed. This episode proves that showing suffering can slow down the war machine.
Post-9 / 11: Regaining Control of the Narrative
With the“ war on terror,” Western militaries are imposing a new model:“ embedded” journalists, integrated into military units. Reports focus on operations, objectives, and“ surgical” strikes. Civilian deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan are often reduced to broad estimates. Suffering once again takes a back seat.
Today: Geostrategy, the Hierarchy of Lives, and the Trivialization of War
In contemporary conflicts( Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, Yemen, the Sahel), the media focuses on:
front-line maps, military analyses, drone footage, strategic statements.
War becomes a technical, almost scientific subject. Military language(“ targeted strikes,”“ collateral damage”) dehumanizes death.
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