YouTube War

What could be more fun than a web service that allows everyone to post their home-made movies? What could be funnier, sexier, or more entertaining?

Images of the war in Iraq, of course!

I'm being sarcastic (hard to tell in print, I know). According to this ASAP story, videos of the war in Iraq (or at least, what *appear* to be videos of the war in Iraq) are viewable on YouTube, the share-all, do-it-yourself video storage site of America. They're graphic and sickening--everything from targets getting blown up, to American or Brittish soldiers teasing or harrassing Iraqis.

Of course, there's no context for these videos, and there's no way to verify that these images are authentic. That's one of the problems of the Internet/blogger age--everyone suddenly becomes published without a gatekeeper to edit or fact-check. I care about the truth. I want to know if these images are real.

But what I found perhaps the most disturbing is that these images, if they are real, may be illegal. According to the article:
"The Pentagon wants the worst videos off the Internet. It has banned "photographing or filming detainees or human casualties, as well as the possession, distribution, transfer, or posting, whether electronically or physically, of visual images depicting detainees or human casualties, except as required for official duties," the military said in e-mailed response to questions."

I don't approve of censorship. It rankles me. The fine line between censorship and gatekeeping is that one is aimed at controlling information--the other is aimed at verifying it!

If these images are real, then YouTube has suddenly become the tool of the people; a grassroots way to spread the truth. The article ends noting, "The Pentagon, burned by public outcry over TV images of Vietnam, now tries to limit media coverage to reporters "embedded" with troops. But there is no censoring the trophy videos. We're all embedded now."

What do you think? Please share your comments!