In "Is Military Service the Path to the American Dream?," Ruben Brosbe discusses military service as a road to the "American dream" and raises important questions about where the other pathways are — and are not — for young Americans today.
Pair “Propaganda: Battling for the Mind” with “Is Military Service the Path to the American Dream?” and ask students to discuss the role of propaganda in military recruitment and operations. According to “Propaganda: Battling for the Mind,” what is propaganda, what are some examples of how it has been used by various countries’ military forces throughout history? In “Is Military Service the Path to the American Dream?,” the author notes that Joy Damiani “saw her role as more of a propagandist than a journalist” (Paragraph 9). Based on your understanding of both texts, what is the difference between a propagandist and a journalist? According to “Is Military Service the Path to the American Dream?,” would the National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY), consider military recruiters to be spreading propaganda? Why, or why not? Are there reasonable and acceptable uses of propaganda in the military? Explain your thinking.