Greenday and U2 "The Saints are Coming" Music Video

I am a huge fan of music videos, I think they are an incredible medium, that done properly can enhance the message of a song. They can be tell a story, they can wow the viewer, they can be cool, or they can be a vehicle to broadcast a message.

However one new video has me baffled.

Check out the video on youtube HERE.

The song is inconsequential to my confusion. The selected imagery is what blows my mind.

They video shows "fake" media coverage of New Orleans, as well as footage of New Orleans during the Katrina Flooding, the band in concert in New Orleans and in studio.

The interesting shots are those of the fake media coverage, complete with CNN esque marque bar on the bottom of the video with statements such as "US Iraq Troops Redeployed to New Orleans". Complimented with videos of Attack Planes, Attack Helicopters and even what appears to be B-2 Stealth Bombers, deployed to New Orleans to rescue civilians and drop aid packages.

This provides me with two very mixed messages.

On one hand I see the Propaganda machine showing love and caring for the people of New Orleans in this video. This is shown threw the obviously fictitious use of US military assets for Katrina Aid.

On the other hand I see a subtle jab at the use of the Military. A video that asks, "Where was the military to help our own people in need?". To that question the video answers are found in the text. In Iraq.

The final frames of this video explain the artists stance. As the camera pans past a sign that says, "NOT AS SEEN ON TV", one gets the impression that the artist is conveying the message, that the imagery of the video is not true, and what should have happened, did not. And that is the tragedy.