To watch the Poetry as a Weapon of War video about the Taliban’s use of song and rhythm reminded me of a tape my grandmother used to play to me in her car. It was a compilation of historic patriotic songs (from WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War) including, “Over There” by George M. Cohan, and “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Robin Moore and Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler, and I remember the beats, the words and the tones of the songs, which were dignifying, stimulating and uplifting. I can only imagine now how motivational and convenient these tunes were for recruiting young men and woman into the war. In fact, “Over There” was No. 1 on the Hot 100 for five weeks in 1966, even though the American public at the time had negative opinions on the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War.1 In History class in tenth grade as well, we studied how poetry was used as propaganda for recruiting soldiers and strengthening the patriotic spirit at home during WWI, especially in Great Britain. From the success of the songs my grandmother used to play and from learning how poetry influenced World War One, I believe it is a smart tactic for the Taliban and its supporters, although scary for those who are against them, which includes us in the United States. If, as shown in the video, the Taliban is disseminating these poems and songs as successfully as it says, the Taliban will undoubtedly increase its espousal.
1. http://www.billboard.com/specials/hot100/charts/top50-no1s-60s.shtml
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