Today, Explained

Meme warfare

57 snips
Mar 24, 2026
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INSIGHT

What Wartime Propaganda Is Supposed To Do

  • Nicholas J. Cull says wartime propaganda usually serves three jobs: rally citizens, reassure allies, and demoralize enemies.
  • He contrasts meme-era messaging with Wilson’s democracy rhetoric, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms, and George H.W. Bush’s UN-centered case for Iraq.
ANECDOTE

How Bomb Iran Returned As White House Soundtrack

  • Nicholas J. Cull recalls Bomb Iran, a parody of Barbara Ann, as an older example of crude bloodthirsty war culture.
  • Trump revived it in a White House video celebrating strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
INSIGHT

The White House Is Memifying War

  • Nicholas J. Cull argues the Trump White House has turned war propaganda into memes, game clips, and movie edits.
  • He says using SpongeBob, Gladiator, and Braveheart frames war as content while stripping those stories from their anti-tyranny context.
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