Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Visuell makt – en krigsförklaring

Waldfogel, Noah LU (2022) STVK02 20212
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to examine a case-study on the satellite images presented by Collin Powell in the U.N. security council in 2003. This is done through a discourse analysis with visual securitization as the main theory. The papers focus is the satellite imagery that Powell used to present a fabricated evidence on the Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction program. However, the paper also analyzes other speeches linked to the invasion of Iraq and other material to illustrate in which dominated discourse these satellite images could gain visual power. The main purpose is to understand how the satellite images where remediated, securitized and how that could bring the images to act in a regime of truth. The result is... (More)
The objective of this paper is to examine a case-study on the satellite images presented by Collin Powell in the U.N. security council in 2003. This is done through a discourse analysis with visual securitization as the main theory. The papers focus is the satellite imagery that Powell used to present a fabricated evidence on the Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction program. However, the paper also analyzes other speeches linked to the invasion of Iraq and other material to illustrate in which dominated discourse these satellite images could gain visual power. The main purpose is to understand how the satellite images where remediated, securitized and how that could bring the images to act in a regime of truth. The result is that the images where acting in a regime of truth given the dominated discourse. The American administration had already made up its mind about Iraq long before the images where presented. The sole purpose for Powell to present the so-called evidence in the security council was an attempt to convince the world to believe in the same narrative about Iraq as American politicians did. It is a great danger when imagery acts in a regime of truth on a political level. The visual gives policymakers the power to present “the objective truth” but trough remediation actually can fabricate it given the discourse. The use of the visual in international politics therefore contains a lot of power and it is vital to understand this power in international politics. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Waldfogel, Noah LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVK02 20212
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Återmediering, satellitbilder, säkerhetisering, sanningsregim, visuell makt, massförstörelsevapen, Collin Powell
language
Swedish
id
9070272
date added to LUP
2022-03-14 12:31:32
date last changed
2022-03-14 12:31:32
@misc{9070272,
  abstract     = {{The objective of this paper is to examine a case-study on the satellite images presented by Collin Powell in the U.N. security council in 2003. This is done through a discourse analysis with visual securitization as the main theory. The papers focus is the satellite imagery that Powell used to present a fabricated evidence on the Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction program. However, the paper also analyzes other speeches linked to the invasion of Iraq and other material to illustrate in which dominated discourse these satellite images could gain visual power. The main purpose is to understand how the satellite images where remediated, securitized and how that could bring the images to act in a regime of truth. The result is that the images where acting in a regime of truth given the dominated discourse. The American administration had already made up its mind about Iraq long before the images where presented. The sole purpose for Powell to present the so-called evidence in the security council was an attempt to convince the world to believe in the same narrative about Iraq as American politicians did. It is a great danger when imagery acts in a regime of truth on a political level. The visual gives policymakers the power to present “the objective truth” but trough remediation actually can fabricate it given the discourse. The use of the visual in international politics therefore contains a lot of power and it is vital to understand this power in international politics.}},
  author       = {{Waldfogel, Noah}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Visuell makt – en krigsförklaring}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}