Music & Small Wars (a broad theme)

**marct** · 02-19-2009

Hi Entropy,

Originally Posted by Entropy

So a question I have, is there anything we can do with music to further our COIN strategy, or is this something we should steer away from? My experience with Irish music tells me that attempts to ban or otherwise discourage certain bands/songs/themes are most-likely counterproductive. Beyond that, it seems to me the hostility toward most music by elements in the Taliban, takfiri and other movements we are opposing presents an opportunity to attack their ideas and ideology through music. Thoughts?

A question near and dear to me heart!

Yes, it could be worked into our current COIN strategy. The trick is to act behind the scenes to support specific types of music. You might want to take a look at Heavy Metal Islam by Mark Levine for some examples...

**marct** · 02-20-2009

Entropy,

You might want to take a look at Singing Songs with Radovan Karadzic over at the CT Lab.

Karadzic the poet? The Bosnian Serb militia as purveyor and preserver of medieval cultures? Paul Pawlikowski (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0667734/)’s 1992 film on the role of gusle music, Serbian Epics, presents a very different take on the Balkan conflict, highlighting the inter-relation and mutual trajectories of culture and violence that lie so close to the heart of modern ethnic wars.

**Rex Brynen** · 02-20-2009

Having spent my early political activist days as an organizer of music/protest gigs, I'm fully convinced of the ability of music to assist in protest and political mobilization. That being said, it depends a great deal on who is selling what message to whom, and very easy to do it badly. I'm doubtful, moreover, that outsiders have the "street cred" to design and market an effective message.

On a much less serious note, over the years students in my civil war simulation have written and recorded a number of songs set in our fictional simulation universe ("Brynania")—and some of them are damn good:

Kings of the Jungle (Rise up Zaharia)—a song supporting the "Popular Front for the Liberation of Zaharia"

Berri-Degoa—the singer reflects, while on a long train ride, on the righteous cause of the Zaharian separatists. One of the band also went on to a real-life career at the State Department!

Rebels Won't Succeed—a pro-government song, criticizing rebel attacks. Damn catchy too.

The Movement—a very polished French/English bilingual appeal for support for the hardline Zaharian People's Front.

Uqamistan—the anthem of revolutionary Uqamistan.

**Entropy** · 02-21-2009

Thanks for the replies - interesting stuff.

**Bill Moore** · 02-21-2009

Entropy, excellent question. In Iraq I went through quite a few Shi'a militia CDs in Iraq, and the music was actually pretty good (unfortunately the accompanying video was sometimes enough to make you want to go out and kick some butt, even they were injects from the movie Blackhawk Down). You can probably find their material on u-tube. The question was is it effective? I don't know, but the music was popular. Effective would mean it compells passive or active support.

I enjoyed the protest music in the 60s and 70s, but I wasn't compelled to passively or activity support the anti-war protestors; however, if you were so inclined I suspect the music would stiffen your spine a little. Listening to our national anthem always reinforces my spine and spirit, because I have been programed that way since being a young boy. Bands used to accompany troops into battle (obviously hard to do when troops are dispersed as they are now) to provied additional motivation. Nothing like good martial music to make you think you're 10 feet tall and untouchable. Just like playing hard rock in the gym to get through a heavy lifting session. It works.

Landsdale, an American advisor who worked with the Philippine government assisting them with their insurgency against the Huks, was famous for visiting villages with his guitar and singing folk songs to warm the people to his message.

I think if we researched it we would find a number of instances where insurgents/reistance movements effectively used money to motivate and raise money.

Great question, and it is probably an area we can exploit better.

**Sergeant T** · 02-23-2009

Wanted to second Marct's recommendation. Finished it a few days ago. I would have never thought an all girl thrash metal band could/would give a command performance at the royal palace in Morocco. Worth the read and LeVine has an interesting resume. When you piggyback this with the region's youth bulge I think you get a much more effective game changer than anything the government could do. One interesting aspect of the book: People decrying the cultural imperialism....of the Saudis.