The sequel to the 1996 mega-blockbuster "Independence Day" hit theaters this summer but there was something a little strange about many of the trailers. What looks like a clever marketing campaign centered on joining the fictional "Earth Space Defense" was actually a cross-branded recruitment tool for the US Army. It’s part of a multi-million dollar joint advertising venture between 20th Century Fox and the United States Military.

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SOURCES:
• U.S. Army Using Independence Day as a Propaganda Tool
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a44860/independence-day-resurgence-army-recruitment/
• List on US military interventions since World War II
https://williamblum.org/essays/read/overthrowing-other-peoples-governments-the-master-list
• Infographic of US interventions in Latin America
http://knowmore.washingtonpost.com/2014/02/11/half-a-century-of-u-s-interventions-in-latin-america-in-one-map/
• U.S. Escalates a Shadow War In Somalia
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/world/africa/obama-somalia-secret-war.html
• McCann Worldgroup’s Lisa Nocella on NPR
http://www.npr.org/2016/05/12/477835964/u-s-army-takes-unique-approach-with-new-recruitment-video
• US Army spends 200 million per year on advertising
http://adage.com/article/agency-news/mccann-u-s-army-account/208630/
• Only 15% of military recruits get the promised college degree
http://www.alternet.org/print/story/62945/top_military_recruitment_lies
• National Coalition for the Homeless - Veterans Facts
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/veterans.html
• Sexual Assault in the Military - Fact Sheet
http://www.protectourdefenders.com/factsheet/
• Suicide rate of U.S. veterans rose one third since 2001
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-veterans-suicides-
• Military refused to assist on original Independence Day
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2004/09/operation-hollywood
• US Navy collaboration on Battleship movie
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/18/navy-stars-in-action-film-battleship/
• X-Men cross-promotion with US Army
http://www.salon.com/2011/05/26/pentagon_propaganda_xmen
• History of Military collaborations with Hollywood
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/25-years-later-remembering-how-top-gun-changed-americas-feelings-about-war/2011/08/15/gIQAU6qJgJ_story.html
• Hollywood and the Pentagon: A relationship of mutual exploitation
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/7/29/hollywood-and-thepentagonarelationshipofmutualexploitation.html

RECOMMENDED READING:
• An Ordinary Person's Guide To Empire by Arundhati Roy
• War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning by Chris Hedges
• Killing Hope by William Blum
• Rogue States: The Rule of Force in World Affairs by Noam Chomsky
• Propaganda and the Public Mind by Noam Chomsky
• Necessary Illusions by Noam Chomsky

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