“MASTER NARRATIVE” of the War on Terror
The concept of “Master Narratives” are especially prevalent in American culture and media, especially in the post 9/11 era during the War on Terror and the later continuation of these conflicts.
The quote “history is written by the victor” is commonly used when talking about history or a historical event anywhere in the world, with the ‘victor’ being the greater military force that claimed victory in battle or the more dominant country that gets their story told more often due to their military, economic, political and culturally influential power. In the case of the United States, I would say that it is the latter due to the power of Hollywood and that the US hasn’t exactly won a war against terrorism. The “Master Narrative” about the Unites States would be, in a way, the glorification of war and the occupation of the Middle East due to their unmatched military prowess and their ability to kill terrorists, at least that is how it is portrayed to the American public and other countries globally due to influence and availability of American media. This narrative, given to us by both the US government and Hollywood, can be found in movies such as “The American Sniper”, TV shows such as “SEAL Team 6”, in documentaries such as “Korengal” and also in video games such as “Call of Duty”.
Because of the availability of American movies and video games here in Canada, and because I really like action movies and games, the main narrative, or “Master Narrative”, that I’ve been exposed to is from the view point of the United States, or more specifically a US soldier. Because of this I’ve never really heard from the Afghan or Iraqi point of view, granted there are some documentaries in which the Afghan army and police have their voices heard however they are supported by the US so their story is still that of a very pro US stance. It is easy to see how, not only in the US, but other countries globally, especially in the west, hear the narrative of the US more loudly than other “Counter Narratives” that would contradict or question the actions Unites States.