NY, London, Paris... Baghdad

摘要

The traditional idea of war is of a conflict between two opposing sides, generally fighting for control over a common object, or fighting for a military victory, which implies the defeat of 'the other'. Similarly, the discourse on civil war often implies the degradation of 'the system', a descent into lawless-nessor-inmore crude texts - a growth of tribalism. But it is not unusual to hear similar phrases in discussions of the ghettos of modern cities, or the goings-on in 'seedy' parts of town. In Los Angeles, loosely aligned members of fighting 'sets', that is to say gang members, were firmly divided by the media; the Bloods and the Crips, for example. These are the most well-known, but there are approximately 300 black gangs and about 600 Hispanic gangs in Los Angeles County alone. Local politicians and media frequently compare them to the "murderous militias of Beirut'. But the media ignore the opportunity to investigate the reasons behind the tensions - relying on a simple condemnation of the act.