The Artists' War | Your Thoughts

Your Thoughts

Niles Xi'an Beh- Lichtenstein's poem "Goodbye Malaysia" was inspired by stories his family told him about their experiences in Malaysia during World War II. On The Artists' War, Niles discussed his generation's relationship to war, "I can see my friends growing up and rushing to the wrong decisions because the realism of war has not touched their hearts."

Young people today are exposed to more information, more media, than any previous generation in history, but does this generation understand the realities of war?

Mon, Jan 24 10:55:08 PM (PT)
From Nancy Guittard in San Jose, CA :
Your show tonight was very impactful. Niles poem was very powerful. Both of my parents and their families lived in the Phillippines during WWII. Part Filipino, European and American, my parents were caught up in their childhoods by the horrors of the Japanese. Yet through their stories (and the stories of my 94 year old grandmother), I have learned the importance of peace. Thank you Niles for having a voice for young people, a voice that does not forget history. May your art touch many. Nancy Guittard (age 36) Member, Center for Internee Rights

Tue, Jan 25 7:25:22 PM (PT)
From Gaverick in Berkeley :
Young people have been exposed to more media, more information about war. But WHICH media, which information? We get pictures of 'smart bombs' hitting their targets; pictures of sleek attack jets just leaving the runway; and pictures of generals standing next to maps. Somehow the coverage always stops short of a ground view of the human aftermath. The technology, fireworks, and personalities remain abstractions so long as they are not tied to human consequences. This may well be why, as the Gallup Polls showed, people who watched the most TV coverage of Desert Storm, actually knew the least about the facts of the war. For the length of Desert Storm, there was a severe media blackout, and audiences were left with ample coverage of the Patriot missile, but no coverage of Iraqi civilian casualties. Even today, where are the follow-up reports to last year's US missile attacks against Iraq, Kosovo, Sudan, Afghanistan? While we may be getting more information about war, it is the KIND of information that determines whether or not we understand the realities of war. p.s. Great site. I especially appreciate the Resources links.

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