In an era where screens collide and voices compete, battles are no longer fought solely with weapons; rather, the word and image have become the spearhead in a confrontation that has ignited the entire region. An intense media conflict is raging, intertwining local, regional, and international wills. This conflict does not merely aim to transmit news but seeks to weave awareness and redraw the features of belonging, attempting with all available strategic tools and directed discourses to break the backbone of the "resistance axis" and diminish the positive influence of the Republic of Iran in Iraq.
In the heart of these tumultuous balances, a studied media approach reveals itself, spreading its methods and themes to shape public opinion and push the street towards new equations.
Here, we will mention the most important rhetorical foundations and the core messages of this insidious line aiming to ignite chaos in the country.
Play: Nationalism and Iraq First
Suddenly, as if by magic, everyone woke up to a new tune played by screens and platforms morning and evening: "Iraq First"! A shiny slogan raised in air-conditioned studios with high doses of emotion, as if people had just discovered – after long contemplation – that there is a map called Iraq, and that it has borders and sovereignty that must be preserved!
You sit in front of the screen to find the esteemed analyst, in his elegant suit and impeccably tight tie, looking at the camera with a gaze filled with regret and national envy, warning you in a cautionary tone about the "necessity of monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state." Of course, the state in this theatrical performance is that sweet entity that no one sees except in news bulletins, yet the camera insists that it must exclusively possess "all" weapons, while the funny irony in the background of the studio is that the building guard himself carries a rifle whose ownership is unknown!
The drama escalates as the director reaches the scene of "rejecting foreign influence." Here, the studio transforms into a ring for bidding in love of the homeland; everyone rejects "regional interventions," and all lament the fate of the confiscated political decision.
But the ironic and tragic humor in this scene is that the discourse, which passionately cries out to save the independent Iraqi decision, is often broadcast from a screen whose keys are operated from behind borders, or funded by another regional party enjoying its coffee, watching how the slogan of "national sovereignty" is used as a magic wand to settle scores and direct arrows only at opponents!
· The Weapon's Hangar and the Malicious Aim
Then the camera shifts to the favorite clip of strategic experts: "The weapon of the factions is the cause of all the galaxy's crises!" You sit in front of the screen to watch the expert eloquently painting a picture of the oppressed, wronged state, that angelic soft structure trying with all its might to build its towering institutions and impose the rule of law, yet each time it lays a new brick, the faction's weapon comes and demolishes it in the same moment!
You hear the analyst analyzing the dilemma with astonishing depth, explaining that the secret behind the country's delay, the absence of services, and even the power cuts in the burning August does not stem from poor administration or the corruption that offends noses, but because there is a gun standing between the citizen and well-being! The amusing thing is that this "weak state" they mourn over is itself participating in the displays, distributing salaries, and signing approvals, then coming out at night through television screens to complain to the poor citizen that the weapon prevents it from having stature!
In the height of this comical scene, someone who claims to be deeply concerned about the law asks you to imagine the "ideal state of institutions" that will see the light of day as soon as this weapon disappears, while forgetting completely how this law is applied selectively on the simple citizen dreaming of a piece of bread, while all those with political umbrellas or significant influence are excluded.
Thus, the "weakness of the state" file turned into a ready-made hanger and an ideal showcase to justify every government failure and convince the public that the only obstacle to turning the country into a Platonic utopia is merely a gun out of sight!
The Nationalist's Symphony: Sanctions and Illusions of Blockade!
The absurd tragedy reaches its peak when the new "economic experts" on screens decide to open the budget file, to witness the usual dual chorus: the "nationalists" who suddenly discovered love for the homeland through platforms funded by dollars, and trailing behind them the remnants of the "Baathists" who still dream of the era of generosity and the worn-out Qadisiyyah slogans, along with some "Tishreen" faces whose enthusiasm has turned to serve the agendas of embassies without realizing the scale of the trap!
The elegant "nationalist" sits next to the disgruntled "Tishreen" to echo the ancient "Baathist" professor in a single refrain: "Iran is the cause of drought, the economic crisis, and the rising prices of eggs!" You find the strategic expert looking at the camera with tearful eyes, explaining to the simple citizen that the reason for the power cut in the burning August is not the deeply rooted corruption established by the power-sharing periods, nor the organized plunder of the country’s wealth, but because Iraq dares to import Iranian gas which essentially lights their homes! Amidst the assault, they blindly forget that the Iranian neighbor is the main artery preserving energy balance and covering the severe shortfall despite all the oppressive blockade and sanctions imposed on it.
The black comedy is completed when the "Baathist" starts lamenting about "lost investment opportunities" and the deprivation of the country from attracting giant Western companies, as if these companies were lining up at the borders and were being prevented by Iran! They forget that the financial and American sanctions imposed on the region are the real tool for choking the Iraqi economy and strangling any outlet for independent development. Yet the chorus prefers to ignore the real perpetrator, blaming everything on the Iranian neighbor who stood by Iraq in its toughest security and economic crises when all doors were shut in its face.
Thus, the "economic cost" file in the mouths of nationalists and their new allies turns into just a repeated symphony; aimed at convincing the street that severing relations with the closest neighbor and turning the country into a battleground for implementing American sanctions is the magical solution for blessings to flow, in illusions that only fool the screens broadcasting them!
In conclusion
This absurd tragedy presented on our colorful screens can be summarized through three golden rules that water cannot pass through:
First: Sovereignty of Delivery: True nationalism is not complete unless it is funded by dollars and broadcast from an air-conditioned studio located behind borders!
Second: The Magical Rifle: If the electricity is cut, or egg prices rise, or the street gets flooded with rainwater, there is no need to share the account with officials; the rifle is responsible for all laws of physics and weather!
Third: The Amazing Diplomatic Solution: Starving the country and turning it into a platform for serving American sanctions is the only magical plan that will bring Western companies flocking to us with flowers and gifts!
Thus, the performance reveals an overtly targeted play, which its creators believe that the Iraqi street will be deceived by political polishing, painting, and imported slogans of nationalism.