Manufacturing War: How Media, Misinformation, and Jingoism Fuel Conflict

The deliberate spread of misinformation and disinformation has become one of the most dangerous weapons in modern geopolitics. As both a teacher and student of political science, I have witnessed firsthand how carefully crafted false narratives can manipulate public perception, distort reality, and manufacture hatred against specific groups or nations. We are now witnessing this phenomenon reach dangerous new heights as war hysteria grips our region. Social media platforms and mainstream news outlets have transformed into factories of propaganda, working relentlessly to prime populations for conflict. Their content - a toxic mix of outright lies, clever half-truths, and increasingly sophisticated AI-generated fabrications - is packaged and sold as absolute truth to eager audiences. The most influential voices in this ecosystem are no longer journalists or experts, but charismatic anchors and influencers with millions of followers who trade in sensationalism and nationalism.

What makes this situation particularly alarming is how audiences have been conditioned to crave and believe these distortions. Like street vendors selling addictive spices, content creators peddle their inflammatory "churan" and "mirch masala" of propaganda to a public hungry for confirmation of their biases. The more outrageous the claim, the more engagement it receives. Meanwhile, voices of reason and moderation struggle to be heard above the din of manufactured outrage. We now stand at the brink of potential conflict, with breathless reports suggesting war could erupt any day. But few are asking the obvious questions: If war comes, how will it end? History shows us that such conflicts inevitably conclude where they should have begun - at the negotiating table. The stated justification of combating terrorism rings particularly hollow, as war typically creates the very conditions that allow extremism to flourish.

This push toward conflict represents a tragic failure of imagination. We no longer live in an era where nations can be conquered through brute force. True power and influence in the 21st century flow from economic strength, technological innovation, and cultural capital - areas where India has already established significant advantages. Why then abandon this productive competition for the destructive theater of war? The answer lies in the perverse incentives that have corrupted our information ecosystem. Conflict generates ratings, clicks, and profits for those who sell it. It provides politicians with temporary boosts in popularity. But for ordinary citizens on both sides of the border, it promises only suffering. The cycle is as predictable as it is absurd: manufactured crisis leading to needless conflict leading to eventual reconciliation - with nothing solved and much destroyed. Until we break this cycle by rejecting the merchants of hate and demanding accountability from our media and leaders, we remain trapped in Orwell's nightmare, forever marching toward wars we don't need to fight.