Weapons of Musical Destruction
 

Besides withering laboratory plants and spawning liability lawsuits, heavy metal "music" gives Iraqis the heebie jeebies. Also, as far as Psyops go, it's as sophisticated as Sesame Street and Barney. Of course, it doesn't function quite that way in our more culturally evolved society...

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The U.S. military is using Metallica and the ‘Barney’ theme song as instruments of coercion in Iraq

NEWSWEEK

May 26 issue — Your parents aren’t the only ones who hate your music—some Iraqis hate it, too. U.S. military units have been breaking Saddam supporters with long sessions in which they’re forced to listen to heavy-metal and children’s songs. “Trust me, it works,” says one U.S. operative.

THE IDEA, says Sgt. Mark Hadsell, is to break a subject’s resistance by annoying that person with what some Iraqis would consider culturally offensive music. The songs that are being played include “Bodies” from the Vin Diesel “XXX” movie soundtrack and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” “These people haven’t heard heavy metal before,” he explains. “They can’t take it.” Few people could put up with the sledgehammer riffs of Metallica, and kiddie songs aren’t that much easier, especially when selections include the “Sesame Street” theme and some of purple dinosaur Barney’s crooning.

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This was done in Panama, as well - Noriega cracked under the strain. And you'll recall the Waco fiasco - same schtick.

I wonder if the stuff we listen to is actually a sort of dissociation tool used by media conglomerates to confuse us.

nah....no way.

this is simply priceless, i love the fact that our very culture is used to break iraqis down. They should try some janis joplen, ill bet interogation time gets cut in half

I cracked up while reading this and started playing some metallica just to celebrate. Quite awesome.

The Scots and the Irish knew the power of music.
They used the bagpipe and drums to scare their enemy's.
The Brits realized the power of the bagpipe and used the Black Watch in many battles.
Many an enemy line broke and ran when confronted by the the pounding drums and complex notes.
I also remember the scene in Zulu when the warriors line up and while beating on their Shields sing battle tunes.
Music has the power to make people brave and intimidate the hell out of your enemies.
Motorhead, Metallica, Mothers of Invention, it's all good.
Barney, on the other hand, is scary without the music.

Should've tried 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' or 'Trapped Under Ice'. Enter Sandman is Metallica lite. But Barney music is a killer.

hmmm. If Metallica did the trick, i wonder what would happen if they tried Anal Cunt or The Locust??

Anal Cunt would do the trick. "You look adopted!"

I bet they couldn't play anything with explicit lyrics.
"Hey, bombing them is okay, but don't you DARE expose these people to the F-word!!!"

I've got 3 kids under the age of 5. Kids songs are all I ever hear. No wonder I can't fucking think straight!

Me and some mates where planning to do something similar to that as a challenge: Listening to a single track constantly for 12 hrs, whoever breaks first does a forfit (probably involving eating the evil sandwich known as a Mega Mitchell)

Each person would pick a track for another to listen to, and I think so far we've picked some 60's Sinatra song, a Sepultura track (or some similar band) and that 'Ma-na Ma-na' song, whatever its actually called.

Two words: Yoko Ono.

The Iraqis would scream for mercy within minutes.

I thought that Barney was pretty scary but Yoko Ono would probably be against the Geneva Convention rules on torture.

I used to have a National Lampoon record that parodied Paul McCartney's "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," with the following lyrics (it helps if you can sing the tune in your head while reading the lyrics):

Give Ireland back to the Irish
Give London back to the Laps
Give China back to the Chinese
And Yoko back to the Japs


Classic.

NOW that is just SICK! I have a severe Metallica allergy and it has been banned in our household while I am at home. My boyfriend puts Metallica on the CD player only when he's really mad and wants to annoy me. It's worse than domestic violence. The reason is that when I was a teenager, every dorky boyfriend I had listened to it and I associate Metallica forever with teenage boys acting tough and making Beavis & Butthead sounds.

My suggestion would be speed metal or norwegian church-burning-metal a la Dimmu Borgir.

play: william shatner, spice girls, crazy town.. that should do it.

Ha. William Shatner would be classic. Why don't we even just go for mainstream pop? You make me listen to a couple of Nsync tracks and I will tell you anything you want to know.

HA HA!

If these bastards hate metal so much why doesn't the government give me a few of them for a week or two and I'll bet that I find out where Osama is. http://www.boomspeed.com/sixate/devil.gif

I can understand why Barney would drive them nuts. If I had to hear that shit I'd jump off of the tallest building I could find.

Not only have the psy ops boys driven them crazy, but now the RIAA has their ass for listening to Metallica without first presenting themselves in person down at the local music police station and paying the appropriate licence fees in triplicate.

OH shit if Lars finds out about this he's going to sue the government too.

Lets send Pantera, Slayer, Anal Cunt, Cannibal Corpse, and Dillinger Escape Plan overseas for the "Headbang to Stop Terrorism Tour 2003."

Music can bring people together, and make them crack. I wonder if the Defense Dept. will ever release a collection of the songs used to break the enemy.

LOL, how true :)

I have to agree that Barney is definently a great way to break people down. Play ten seconds of that anywhere near me and I'd do anything to make it stop. :p

Heh I'll be sure and tell Secret about that :p

heh, unfortunately, "anything" is more along the lines of kill someone. Especially if her reaction is anything like the one she has when I sing "Doo Bee Doo Bee Doo" to the tune of "Strangers in the Night" a la the Miller Lite Penguin.

LOL,

How about "Puberty Love"? Or maybe that only works on Tomatoes...

Re: Weapons of Musical Destruction
 

http://www.cnn.com/enya-cause-of-palestinian-suicide-bombing.html

just kidding!

LOL I'd have to kill ya for that one too Secret :D

thats outstanding.....knowing this makes me want grab my guitar and join the corp.