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In a provocative analysis written during the unfolding drama of 1992, Baudrillard draws on his concepts of simulation and the hyperreal to argue that the Gulf War did not take place but was a carefully scripted media event—a "virtual" war.
Patton's introduction argues that Baudrillard, more than any other critic of the Gulf War, correctly identified the stakes involved in the gestation of the New World Order.
JEAN BAUDRILLARD is the author of many books, including The Transparency of Evil, America, Evil Demon of Images, and For a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The war happened, but didn't take place...,
By
This review is from: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (Paperback)
Provacativively titled book either impresses or deeply angers people, I read this years ago and retained only a few points of interest.
Yes, the war happened, as in bombs were dropped, people died, buildings were destroyed, many suffered, etc. But it differed markedly from previous wars in that it was mainly an event to be manipulated by different sides in the media. Therefore, it did not take place the way previous wars had, in that the suffering and even a uniform understanding did not penetrate the population at home who watched the events on CNN. Unfortunately, all of this business about the 'realness' of the war, and the simulacra, and the hyper-reality we're now mired in, is written in a frustrating and unnecessarily bloated style that makes even this slim work a slight chore at times. Can certainly be expressed in a simpler way, therefore appearing less profound, but then it wouldn't be the work of French postmodern philosopher. Interesting 'take' on a modern war, with points that would only resonate more in the years since, it's hit-or-miss for most readers of current events (more for the philosophy crowd).
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Short and Sweet,
By
This review is from: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (Paperback)
This book basically describes how the first Iraq war differed from traditional wars of the past. It is not for everyone, Baudrillard has the unfortunate position of being too loose with ideas to be taken very seriously by 'real' academics while at the same time writing in a style that is not easily accessible to a popular audience. His thesis is that the 'war' was primarily a media event that was useful in different ways to both sides of the conflict. He does not dispute that violence and suffering took place, but suggests that the event was not a war as was defined in the past by Clausewitz. Any review that states he is trying to 'hide' the essential suffering of those at the ground of the event is just wrong. There is nothing in the book that questions or calls into doubt the experiences of soldiers or civilians; at the same time it does not dwell upon them.
6 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pac-Man, Ford, and the Girl Next Door,
By Nex (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (Hardcover)
Served as my intro to Baudrillard's work and a brilliant entrance at that.Insightful as always, cutting, pulling no punches as he presents the interface for what it is. Some of the poetry is lost going from French to English, but in the absense of the one pick up the other.
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