[U184]

The Military has decided that the same old advertising for soldiers does not really show the whole picture. In accordance with the new Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM) Initiative there is a bigger push for future science careers and personnel.

These "it's not science fiction" commercials are just the first of a more comprehensive campaign, to go from this:
to this: .

and this [youtube]cq-ZVIZJaI8[/youtube]to this...
[youtube]bHdjNnUclZg[/youtube]
[youtube]gSI71JSLkiI[/youtube]
[youtube]rg2wozTbPL0[/youtube]
[youtube]Ge9Kx-dKvRk[/youtube]
[youtube]tJkfcYUVTKA[/youtube]
[youtube]VuRqdJ1hXb8[/youtube]

[Cartertonian]

Maybe I'm missing some subtle inference, here, KFLint. I'm a Brit ex-army, now airforce officer. In any nation the airforce and the navy are significantly more dependent upon Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics than the army and always have been.

Your selection of advertisements appears to do nothing other than further reinforce what is already the case.

[U184]

Even our Air Force and Navy recruitment commercials have been about planes and carriers rather then tech positions. Army and Marine commercials should be along soon. The STEM initiative has them all doing more science and tech commercials. Soon there will also be more with a civilian focus and others with support services in mind, rather than just combat.

[Rilzik]

Even listening to US army four star generals, they clearly have no clue in regards to the bigger picture compared to similar ranked air force and navy personnel.

[MB.]

Like all recruiting videos, advertisements, and media constructs of enticement (propaganda), I find these extremely disturbing.

[U184]

This is why I am a supporter MB. Education Reform in America=STEM The USA is largely driven by Military influences. In a real way the entire substructure of the USA is Military dependent.

[MB.]

The USA is largely driven by Military influences. In a real way the entire substructure of the USA is Military dependent.

You appear to be describing the military-industrial complex which, I agree, is very much part and parcel of the economic and political infrastructure of the United States. About that, I find the distinction between the military-industrial complex and the military-technological complex to be inconsequential. This is a description of the dominant means of production, which remains industrial or post-industrial. The mode of production remains capitalistic.

[U184]

I find the distinction between the military-industrial complex and the military-technological complex to be inconsequential. This is a description of the dominant means of production, which remains industrial or post-industrial. The mode of production remains capitalistic.

As a point of description...Ok. However the world has changed while the support structure has not. The progression from a military-industrial complex to a military-technological complex has meant major changes. There is no structure for these changes, so new reforms need to be addressed, to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition.

[MB.]

The military-industrial complex has been a dominant component in the infrastructure of the United States economy for decades. There are many examples of similar means of production having become integrated in waring states in the past. France, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, the USSR, modern China, the European Union, etc.

There is no structure for these changes, so new reforms need to be addressed, to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition.

Transition to what?

[U184]

Transition to what?

Did you read the thread about STEM? America has went from people working in industrial positions to robotic mechanisms doing the same jobs. We have went from an Industrial Age to a Technological Age. Our educational system was designed to place workers in industrial positions to support the military-technological complex. Since then, the educational system has had no reform.

As technology replaces workers no new workers are being educated to the new level that our infrastructure needs. This gap is hindering Americas ability to be competitive. Thus the push for educational reform in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

As I see it, all the educational system is doing now is, preparing people to work at Walmart/fast food places and be a consumer.

[MB.]

For America to be successful, the standard of living must be dramatically increased through substantial investments in infrastructure, some of this will be educational reform, but I would argue that most work is to be done at the level of American subsistence: mass transportation infrastructure, public housing board flats, agricultural, environmental and energy reform. Automation of industrial manufacturing as well as the service industry will result in either mass unemployment or a technological public society no different from communism. A similar process has been taking place since at 1970, with growing income disparity between the disenfranchised service and immigrant worker demographic and the white male protestant corporate elite.

[Smilin' Dave]

That medevac one is appalling. We aren't the military, we're a flying ambulance service, complete with waves of doctors storming ahead? I couldn't stop laughing. The 'Army Strong' thing isn't particularly convincing either (I'm not the target audience... ever ), but at least it commands some respect.

[Zyx]

That first commercial under "to this . . ." might be over eleven years old. My memory somehow associates it with the 2000 scare.

[Voltaire]

I just got back from Airforce BMT at Lackland AFB, (ELS'd for a torn ligament in my shoulder), and pretty much all the instructors and military personnel talk shit about these corny ads, at least in my experience.

[U184]

I am sure they do. They however beg and grovel to get the new technology and systems upgrades come budget time. They also are finding it harder, to get recruits that have the mental capacity and training to run the new equipment that they want so bad, thus the new technological aspect to those ads.

[Voltaire]

Perhaps, I also see a direct correlation between the amount of kids that play videogames, and the way they shape these ads, trying to make it appear that the military (primarily the science fiction airforce ones) are just like videogames, when in reality it isn't. Except for maybe a Predator Pilot. Just the Military shaping their advertisements to reach to what ever their target audience is interested in, just the same as every other commercial out there.

[U184]

There is a lot of truth to that. I would like to point out though, that the more new tech that comes in and the new blood that comes with it, is also changing the Military. Armor to communications, tents to MRE preparation, individual to unit gear, it is all going up in technology.

The soldier of today, looks nothing like what the soldier of 10 years ago looked like and the soldier 10 years from now, will even be further removed. No real major changes like that happened from Vietnam till the mid 90's and now it is a whole new ball game.

The problem is, all the brass are all old school. Not that, that is bad mind you, it just makes change hard.

[Voltaire]

Agreed, it will definetly be interesting to watch the soldier evolve over the next few decades. Hell, we may only be a century or two away from completely mechanized soldiers, maybe.

[U184]

That will not happen anytime soon, for now, there will need to be a pilot.

The human augmentation program has already been introduced to the theater. We have been getting closer to a fully enclosed light weight suit, we may even see it introduced this year.

The below image is the PEO-Soldier-Exo.

[MB.]

Am I the only one who finds this military-industrialization extremely disturbing? Why should the military propaganda complex merit automation in this area? What kind of humanist society is this?