" The work also shows sensitivity to the emotional side of life by its stress upon the political reformers' upbringing as one of motherly virtue and love, not simply manly heroism. Discussion 2

Although the depiction of the beheading of a U.S. solider may be awful it is not an avante guard image of the war. To be avante guard is not the same thing as being anti-war. The image may stir the public's outrage and make Americans ask 'why are we fighting' but it does not humanize either the soldier or the Iraqi people. In fact, it dehumanizes the fighting man, as he is...

Truly radical images of war show not simply blood and violence, but humanize the opposing sides as individuals, causing the public to question their dearly cherished notions of national identity, religion, their sense of moral superiority, and their sense that the 'other side' is intrinsically different from 'their side' simply because their leaders tell them that this is the case in propaganda.