Military-age male

Military-age male (abbreviated as "MAM," plural "MAMs") is an American military and media propaganda term used to dehumanize civilians or immigrants and whitewash civilian deaths in the face of public criticism.

Origins

The term originated in the Vietnam War when the American public was disturbed by high civilian casualties, so the military-industrial complex used the media to redefine the term "civilian" with "military-age males." This public opinion strategy involves putting civilian deaths into separate categories where one is termed "military-age males" and essentially excluded from the conscience as "possible or potential combatants," thus reducing the number of civilians deaths by only including women, children, and the elderly.

Usage in America's post-9/11 wars

This strategy was commonly used in the Bush-era wars around the world and Obama- and Trump-era drone programs.

Usage in American immigration rhetoric

The term has also been used for alarmism by the Republican party against migrants crossing the Mexico-United States border. Despite the rhetoric, illegal immigrant "military-age males" statistically commit less crimes than native-born citizens of the same age and gender groups.

Impact

The usage of the term has been criticized as mere propaganda for the public to avert criticism from the US Department of Defense and for obfuscating and preventing proper oversight of US defense and foreign policies.