Using the Olympics for War Propaganda

NBC's coverage of the Olympics is even more political than usual

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

I prefer to watch the coverage of the Olympics with the audio muted. That way, I can appreciate the incredible feats of the athletes, while not having to listen to the political commentary of the announcers.

Although I am a citizen of the US, I don’t care how many medals the US gets. I’m tuning in to see elite athletes perform, not to keep a tally of the medal count.

I understand that NBC is providing coverage that centers on the athletes from the US, because that is what most Americans (as most US citizens refer to themselves) want to see.

But, it’s hard for me not to focus on all the propaganda spouted by the announcers.

During the parade of boats, the NBC announcer somehow thought it was clever to say that it was a good thing that Israeli and Iranian athletes weren’t on the same boat, considering the current political climate between those two nations.

Why bring up the hostilities between nations during what should be a joyous gathering of the world’s athletes?

Answer: the US is supporting the Israeli war in Gaza, and there is much talk in the news about the great possibility of the role of the US in the widening war in the Middle East (Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Yemen).

It’s that type of political propaganda that has always turned me off when it comes to the Olympics.

But NBC went over-the-top with military propaganda on Saturday evening (August 3rd) during its Primetime Olympic coverage, with a Matt Damon-narrated documentary honoring the 80th anniversary of D-Day; this

“22-minute documentary not only commemorates the bravery of the soldiers but also celebrates the enduring friendships forged amidst the chaos of war.”

While watching this tribute, I turned to my husband and said, “This is military propaganda, preparing us to accept ‘forever wars’ as the new norm.”

He agreed, and asked me where I thought our country’s military would openly engage in war next (as opposed to our current participation in proxy wars).

Recruitment for the military is down, a draft is in the works, and the citizens of the US are being prepped to see ourselves as the essential saviors of the world.

(I shared that comment after reading an excellent article by Bill Astore, War is Atrocity in Bracing Views.)

I couldn’t sit through that 22-minute documentary. I turned the TV off.

While it was sweet to see the schoolchildren in Normandy showing affection for the centenarians who served in the US military over 80 years ago, it was uncomfortable for me to realize the veiled message behind the documentary.

With 93 days until Election 2024, in which the duopoly is offering us a choice between two pro-war candidates for the Presidency, and with new “language included in the House Armed Services Committee’s draft of the annual defense authorization bill would mandate the automatic registration of all males between ages 18 and 26 living in America in the Selective Service System, the federal database used for a military draft in case of a national emergency.”, it should be obvious that we are being prepped for the endless wars to come.

According to Chrissie Houlahan, (D-PA), who sponsored the automatic registration language:

“This will also allow us to rededicate resources — basically that means money — towards reading readiness and towards mobilization … rather than towards education and advertising campaigns driven to register people.” (link)

The world has changed in unimaginable ways since WWII. I don’t believe that future global conflicts will result in heroes being welcomed as saviors.

I see military contractors reaping trillions of dollars as the world gets closer and closer to nuclear annihilation.

Using the Olympics for military propaganda is nothing new. Yet WWIII will not resemble WWII.

No one will exist to welcome the heroes.