Weapons of Mass Dissemination: The Propoganda of War

That is the title of the Canadian War Museum's latest exhibit. It is a collection of toys, posters and advertising from the first half of the 20th Century. It's not often that I wished I lived closer to Ottawa (in fact, I'll go right ahead and say that this is a first) but I do wish I could see this exhibit. I've always been fascinated with war propoganda. I have a copy of the training film-turned propaganda documentary Why We Fight from WWII on DVD and am always on the look out for prints of the knitting posters (with such rousing slogans as"Knit Your Bit!" and "Our Boys Need Sox"). And if anyone ever sees an authentic Red Cross War Sock Knitting kit, even if it's just the empty tin box, please let me know!

The way that war is presented to the people left behind is, I must admit, a wonderful example of creativity in advertising. How else could you convince thousands of people that sending their friends, family, and lovers off to die in a country they may not have heard of before and for reasons they aren't necessarily really told, is a good thing? Of course, I don't beleive that war propoganda is a good thing, the way it insites hatred in the "enemy" and glorifies the soldiers (as if the other side aren't doing the exact same thing and suffering in the exact same ways) but it is a fascinating and insightful look into the power of advertising and human susceptability.

If anyone who reads this lives in or is planning to visit Ottawa while this event is still running, please post a comment and let me know what you thought of it. I can't be there myself (Toronto is about a 6 hour drive away) but I'd love to hear about it from other people.

Peace,

o( )__