Jan 3, 2019 07:48 PM
https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/01/03...nowflakes/
EXCERPT: For some time now, the British Army has struggled to embody military values, to present itself as a robust, risk-taking, flexible military institution. Instead of upholding what were once key values of the military – service, duty, courage, discipline, loyalty – it has taken to promoting itself as just another normal civilian institution.
So last year it launched its ‘Belonging’ recruitment campaign, which assured would-be soldiers that the army is an emotionally correct outfit that provides psychological validation to its recruits. [...] Predictably, this depiction of the army as effectively a Safe Space where everyone is made to feel comfortable did not motivate young people to sign up. [...] in the three months to August 2018, the army recruited just 10 per cent of the officer recruits and seven per cent of the other ranks it needs for 2018/19.
And yet instead of learning from the failures of the ‘Belonging’ campaign, the army has decided to go even further down the road of presenting itself as a cuddly, non-challenging, soppy institution. Its new PR campaign features posters and TV ads calling on ‘snowflakes’, ‘selfie addicts’, ‘class clowns’, ‘phone zombies’ and ‘me me me millennials’ to sign up. One poster says: ‘Snowflakes – your army needs YOU and your compassion.’
MORE: https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/01/03...nowflakes/
EXCERPT: For some time now, the British Army has struggled to embody military values, to present itself as a robust, risk-taking, flexible military institution. Instead of upholding what were once key values of the military – service, duty, courage, discipline, loyalty – it has taken to promoting itself as just another normal civilian institution.
So last year it launched its ‘Belonging’ recruitment campaign, which assured would-be soldiers that the army is an emotionally correct outfit that provides psychological validation to its recruits. [...] Predictably, this depiction of the army as effectively a Safe Space where everyone is made to feel comfortable did not motivate young people to sign up. [...] in the three months to August 2018, the army recruited just 10 per cent of the officer recruits and seven per cent of the other ranks it needs for 2018/19.
And yet instead of learning from the failures of the ‘Belonging’ campaign, the army has decided to go even further down the road of presenting itself as a cuddly, non-challenging, soppy institution. Its new PR campaign features posters and TV ads calling on ‘snowflakes’, ‘selfie addicts’, ‘class clowns’, ‘phone zombies’ and ‘me me me millennials’ to sign up. One poster says: ‘Snowflakes – your army needs YOU and your compassion.’
MORE: https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/01/03...nowflakes/