They are all the same
A nation. A flag. An ideology. A system. A lot of wars. The supremacy of a country. The death of millions of sons of their mothers. The glory. The honour. The duty. Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. Which are the differences between this flag to the Japanese flag? Which are the differences between a Japanese soldier and an American soldier? Which are the differences between two countries?
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a photograph that shows us the American supremacy. It was taken on February 23, 1945 by Joe Rosenthal, atop Mount Suribachi, during the battle of Iwo Jima, and it won a Pulitzer Prize of photography. In the photo we can see six American soldiers raising the USA flag on a hill: Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Michael Strank, John Bradley, Rene Gagnon and Harlon Block. We can see a lot of symbols, like the first soldier from the right, who is making a lot of effort only to raise it, and on the ground, we see rubble as if the USA soldiers could conquer everything they wanted only for being American. In the background, we see the sky, and some hills on the left down side. The flag is waving in the wind to the right. They are all making a lot of effort because they are raising not a flag, they are raising a nation to the glory, and they must be proud of this. This photo inspired the construction of The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia; and a postage stamp.
The only thing I really see when I look at this photo is disgust. I see it and I think what the American people feel looking at it: pride and I don’t know how they can feel pride about their country, a country that sends men to kill or die for money or for more territory. And with this, I’m not saying that the American people are bad, they are like us or like the others, but what their country did in the past is horrible, but it was their country not them. And then they look repulsive at the Russians or to China, when they are all the same: countries of zombies, like all the countries of the world that use the TV, the news, the books or the education to put us their ideas.
All we can do here is die-
-Capt. H Miller in Saving private Ryan
Media:
Information:
-The photo was taken by Joe Roshental on February 23, 1945, during the WWII. It was taken at the Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima Japan, during the conflicts between Japan ans the USA. It appears six american soldiers (see the text) who are raising the USA flag atop the Mount Suribachi. The photo became famous fast by his symbolism.
Historic moment:
It happens on the WWII, in the fight between Japan and the USA (while it was between the nazis and the Coalition). The WWII take place in different parts of the world like the pacific, Europe or Africa, and it started with the Nazi ascension at Germany.
The photographer
Joseph John Rosenthal (October 9, 1911 – August 20, 2006)was an American photograper who received the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic WWII photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.
