Holiday War
Why does "holiday" = "WWII" on the History Channel? I just turned the television on and up pops the History Channel. The network bug (that is the channel identifier) on the bottom right corner of the screen said "Happy Holidays from the History Channel" and was decorated with joyful holly. While on screen, a man in a foxhole was screaming and screaming under an attack of enemy fire.
I've noticed this rather gruesome trend occurring holiday after holiday. They show WWII marathons, be it Band of Brothers or various documentaries. Actually, the History Channel seems to think that history is WWII--or war in general--but predominately WWII. Where is the Vietnam War? The Korean War? The Gulf War, Spanish-American war? Even the Civil War. What about international wars and skirmishes? Don't they exist? Why is it all American wars?
Perhaps they are not aware that history is more than war. It is social history and scientific history and industrial history. And don't forget Global history. Though they do occasionally offer a crumb to those of us interested in something other than war, but those paltry crumbs are few and far between, so in general, I don't watch the History Channel very often.
I don't like war. Especially modern war where humans are faceless blades of grass to be cut down in a rain of bullets. It's a horrifyingly and lonely way of dying. At least in ancient warfare, you looked your enemy in the eye as you killed them and felt the weight of their death. To understand that you've taken a life, I believe you need to see the person as a human being, not a heat outline or a bombing target. But at least the History Channel doesn't glorify war and shows the terrifying reality.
So please, History Channel, more programming on social life and social history as well as war please. Some of us are squeamish.
I've noticed this rather gruesome trend occurring holiday after holiday. They show WWII marathons, be it Band of Brothers or various documentaries. Actually, the History Channel seems to think that history is WWII--or war in general--but predominately WWII. Where is the Vietnam War? The Korean War? The Gulf War, Spanish-American war? Even the Civil War. What about international wars and skirmishes? Don't they exist? Why is it all American wars?
Perhaps they are not aware that history is more than war. It is social history and scientific history and industrial history. And don't forget Global history. Though they do occasionally offer a crumb to those of us interested in something other than war, but those paltry crumbs are few and far between, so in general, I don't watch the History Channel very often.
I don't like war. Especially modern war where humans are faceless blades of grass to be cut down in a rain of bullets. It's a horrifyingly and lonely way of dying. At least in ancient warfare, you looked your enemy in the eye as you killed them and felt the weight of their death. To understand that you've taken a life, I believe you need to see the person as a human being, not a heat outline or a bombing target. But at least the History Channel doesn't glorify war and shows the terrifying reality.
So please, History Channel, more programming on social life and social history as well as war please. Some of us are squeamish.