National anthems: beating the drums of war?

We look at the Paris attacks, national anthems and the use of sports to promote war; plus, the battle over Rustavi 2 TV.


When George Orwell wrote in 1945 that sport is "war minus the shooting", it was recognition of the power of sports to arouse nationalistic sentiments.

Orwell would have seen an echo of his words in the spectacle of thousands of football supporters across Europe singing the French national anthem as a show of solidarity for those who had died in the Paris attacks earlier this month.

In times of conflict, when the mainstream news media already tend to pound the drums of war - having sports audiences repeatedly exposed to pro-military messaging - tilts the playing field further still.

The short distance from the pitch to the battlefield is evidenced by the extensive use of sporting events by the Pentagon to rally support for US troops and military action abroad. Back in Europe, how many of those singing the Marseillaise were aware of its bloodthirsty battle cry?