Images and Truth

Photoshop changed photography - though I confess only very limited experience with it. Photos can be improved by fixing flaws - much more capability than old dark room tricks. Of course we all know it can also be used to put your girly-man friend's head on top of a posing Arnold Swarzenegger for laughs. In fact, changing images routinely causes us to jump to wrong conclusions or wonder if we are. Is that Nessie's head popping out of the Scottish loch or is someone messing with us? Can that guy on YouTube really build a big ramp, turn on flowing water, slide down so fast he flew through the air a long way - to land in a tiny baby pool filled with water? I don't think so...but it sure looks like he did... Distinguishing truth from fiction is increasingly difficult.
I have a picture of my grandfather next to an unnamed admiral looking together at the plaque signifying the end of World War II which would later adorn the U.S.S. Missouri. I understand my grandfather designed it. It marks the location on the great battleship where the signing of the treaty between the Japanese and U.S. occurred on 2 September 1945.
In my mind, I see General Douglas MacArthur, pipe protruding from under his aviator sunglasses signing that treaty in Tokyo Bay. The General MacArthur, who had marched triumphantly back on to the shores of the Philippine islands, as he promised.
Were those images of a true hero or of someone who worked very hard to project an image of a hero? Most of us have probably seen the film crew assembled specifically to show him walk ashore. There was no enemy fire or danger. But it had the look of triumph.
Pride is not something which stays small. Unchecked, it grows and ultimately causes great harm to oneself. In the case of generals, it causes great harm and destruction to others. We'll look at some evidence from the Korean conflict over the next couple of days.