Raiders of the night find the pickings are slim (US troops in Iraq)

[DuctapeFatwa]

The Americans are accompanied by a masked Iraqi interpreter, but as the house is searched, the most frequent sound barked from within is an aggressive and very American: "Shut the f--- up."

A few nights later their target is a former senior Baath party official. He is not at home, but while the women and young men of the house are detained on the rooftop and patted down for concealed weapons, even in their hair, the house is ransacked for documents and weapons.

And, it seems, money. The Herald photographer Jason South watches as one of the US soldiers pockets a small wad of US cash from a handbag he comes across as he goes through the contents of a wardrobe in a ground-floor room.

A week later, as Colonel Rabena's men mount up, one of them declares to his mates, all of them incongruously sucking on a ChupaChup lollipop: "I hope I get to kill an Iraqi tonight."

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/17/1061059719776.html

[benfranklin1776]

1. Sick and depraved

"I hope I get to kill an Iraqi tonight."

Bringing peace freedom and democracy one corpse at a time. Saving the village by destroying it. With that type of cultivated bloodlust how long before my Lai style incidents become routine if they haven't already?

[JohnyCanuck]

23. Whatsa matter? Don't you support the troops? n/t

n/t

[benfranklin1776]

24. Oh yes I support them plenty

...which is why I would prefer they not be needlessly tossed, by maniacs like Rumsmelled, Junior and the rest of the band of merry Dr. Strangelove cast rejects, into this insane kind of sausage grinder that destroys their essential humanity and turns them into irreversibly scarred, mindless killing machines. But concern for the brutalized and their victims is somehow in the new Orwellian vernacular "blaming America first."

[Karenina]

32. Well stated.

Thank you.

[benfranklin1776]

37. Thank you as well for your observations......

.....about the potential ultimate blowback from this type of dehumanization which are correct.
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=41&sid=1454521

That prospect and the prospect of a large group of people coping with a lifetime of severe psychological and emotional trauma damage, but who receive little of no help at all from a deliberately budget busted VA should be of concern to anyone who "supports the troops."

[jiacinto]

2. Not more "Blame America First" rhetoric

nt

[StandWatie]

3. who the hell are you supposed to blame?

The French? What is your problem? It isn't "rhetoric" it's what really happens if you are an Iraqi.

[jiacinto]

4. Just what I thought

Pure "Blame America First" rhetoric. It really galls me when some people choose to always "Blame America First".

[StandWatie]

6. get galled

it "galls" me to see a bunch of horseshit, psuedo-patriotism wrenched out everytime we export a bunch of death and misery to the rest of the world out of someone who hangs out at a supposedly progressive website.

[jiacinto]

11. Whatever

I just don't understand why some of you "Blame America First". I really don't. You equate our country with third world dictators. Have you ever been to a third world country? If you have been to the third world you should know how grateful you should be to live in America.

[StandWatie]

12. why yes I have

and for the record I don't "blame America first", I "Blame Americans who have their head up their ass and say "Blame America First" first"

[jiacinto]

13. Now you are insulting me

Then again what else should I expect from someone who "blames America first".

[StandWatie]

15. like it's even serious thought

You just popped in to spout off your Rush talking point and piss people off and get attention and I like an idiot helped you out with the project. Good Day.

[Cocoa]

22. if someone with two posts wrote that

they'd be tombstoned instantly.

Maybe you should defend what you wrote, flesh it out a little, answer the people that have reacted to it?

[Mari333]

28. The BFEE IS no different then a Third World Dictator

and Bush and all his buddies should be brought down and thrown into PRISON.

[benfranklin1776]

7. Uh you're being sarcastic right?

`Let's see we invaded this country without legal authorization, we bombed cities killing civilians, we are conducting brutal house to house humiliating and degrading searches and detaining thousands of people, many without any reason, in hell holes and carving up the country's national industries to be sold to the highest bidder but none of that is blameworthy? Its just peachy keen I suppose.

[DuctapeFatwa]

8. You make a very good point.

Blaming America is about as effective as blaming strep A for eating flesh. That's what strep A does.

The question is, how long will Australia and every other country on earth just sit there with its finger in its butt and wait for the planes to start bombing THEM?

[NickB79]

20. Damn straight

American troops go into areas, kill civilians, beat civilians, and rob civilians.

I don't know where people get this Blame America stuff from. Its OBVIOUSLY France's fault!

[ozymandius]

25. Why shouldn't we shoulder the blame for perpetuating this f*-up mess?

The American Way of Life has been one of privilege and plunder for the past one hundred years. We Americans comprise 5% of the world's population yet we consume 30% of the world's resources. Is it any wonder why we offer unfailing support to regimes who brutally oppress their own people for the sake of cheap fuel?

Do you understand why the mosque has become a center of political actions? Do you know why radical Islam is so popular? The people of the Middle East are not stupid. They know that the "good ol' US-of-A" props up friendly despotic governments for the sake of political convenience. They see the wealth that their dirt creates just as plainly as they see themselves getting bashed in the teeth whenever an outspoken individual rocks the boat against their malevolent depostism and the United States' interests.

How often has our government condoned torture while it serves a political strategic purpose? How often has the CIA overthrown a popularly elected government because our leaders do not happen to like a third-world country's politics? Too often, I say.

So I blame America, Jiacinto. Our government is so shitty - full of smiling bastards lying to anyone as they please.

[benfranklin1776]

27. Exactly and well said.

A true patriot who loves his or her country acknowledges when it is screwing up royally and failing to live up to the ideals which make it great and then tries to alter its ruinous course. Patriotism does not consist of burying one's head in the sand. That is an invitation to decline, decay and disintegration.

[NYC]

30. Whom would you blame for this?

A week later, as Colonel Rabena's men mount up, one of them declares to his mates, all of them incongruously sucking on a ChupaChup lollipop: "I hope I get to kill an Iraqi tonight."

This is not a rhetorical question. I would like an answer.

[Fovea]

35. You are being insufficiently motivated by this point of view, arent you?

"My country, right or wrong. If right, to be kept right, if wrong, to be put right." -- Carl Schurz

I don't think that we blame America first. I think we blame Certain Americans where blame is deserved.

[Jacobin]

41. what claptrap

so, should we blame Polynesia first and america second.

Who the hell do you think is over there marauding the citizens of iraq?

[htuttle]

5. Ah yes, it's those fanatically Anti-American Australians again...

If America is not to blame for the situation in Iraq, who shall we blame?

We invaded a country already on the verge of collapse and broke perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT international law as a result. Our government, and our society, said that aggressive war was never, ever, ever justified FOR ANY REASON during the Nuremburg trials.

Who, then, is to blame? Is America immune from blame? Have we acted in such as way as to be above reproach?

Please give me more than a one-line, Limbaugh-esque talking point if you respond..

[benfranklin1776]

9. Amen

n/t

[NNN0LHI]

10. Easy to ignore what is happening...

...when your country has not been invaded and occupied so someone can come in and steal your natural resources at gunpoint so someone like you can keep their gas tank filled. Happy motoring Juan.

Don

[0007]

31. Juan has a way of getting under my skin

If you say is isn't, Juan will say it is, if you say it is, Juan will say it isn't.

Yes, happy motoring in your new SUV, Juan.

[bpilgrim]

14. not more of the RW rhetoric comming from DU'ers

whats up wit dat?

peace

[Karenina]

21. Der ist ein Profi

There are numerous realities that must be considered when reading such a disturbing story as this.

America "employs" a volunteer military force, whose members are not necessarily the most educated or culturally aware. Nor does Centcom make ANY attempt to render them moreso. They have been thoroughly brainwashed in order to become "good soldiers." A part of that baggage is an innate, ingrained HATRED of the "enemy or other," the long-standing template of American consciousness. When the troops return to America in any great numbers, if they ever do before being mentally and physically maimed beyond all recognition, she will then see AND experience the grotesque MONSTER she has created. Remain in denial as long as you wish about the atrocities being committed in Iraq on a DAILY BASIS. What leaks through is merely the tip of the iceberg. It SHALL return to your shores. Karma and payback are truly bitches.

[Cocoa]

16. it's an account of what our troops are doing

I'm not sure what you mean, do you mean this account was made up?

Or it's not representative of what our troops are doing?

What do you think is happening in Iraq, where do you get your information?

[Aidoneus]

17. what in the bloody hell are you talking about?

Methinks that Mr. "how dare you criticize America" doth protesteth too much.. I don't see why I should be surprised, or give a damn for that matter, but mad ravings are like a lightning rod for me..

[slappypan]

18. Is America blameless?

To what degree do you think the most powerful nation on earth should be accountable?

[Ms. Clio]

19. this post ain't nuthin but shit

per usual

[Malva Zebrina]

26. I don't blame America first

America should not blamed for any of this slaughter. Meruca told us the truth--with us or against us--racki against us--little two year old racki--gainst us--women with murican money in their bag--gainst us--go Murica--kill em--women, children and old men--they are gainst us--rah rah sis boom bah--ching a lacka ching, ching a lacka chow--get them little brown babies, kill em now--terrorists all of them-- gainst the Murican marines.

Blame the Iraqis--for gettin in our way--yes sireeee bob. Not our fault they were against us--kill em, take their stuff, kick em and leave em for dead--not our fault. We big bad ass marines.

So we have hired 5000 Iraqis to guard the oil fields and the pipelines right? There ya go--we took their stuff, lied about the Bush greed, proceeded to the killing and the slaughter of thousands of little children--now can hire them to guard what used to be theirs at pitance pay--and, who is paying for this? We are losing jobs by the thousands almost daily here in the US--and we are paying the Iraqi's a salary to keep Halliburton's oil fields safe--?

Yup--it's the Iraqi's fault for having that oil in the first place--it should have been ours--blame the Iraqi family. Kill em .

[benfranklin1776]

39. "What is our oil doing under their sand, damnit!"

Sarcasm of course but that statement and the mindset you so brilliantly recounted in your post are l fear what many actually believe and adhere to.

[underpants]

29. I hate to say this but that mentality is not too surprising

I never went to Gulf 1 but I know how Army troops think (multiple by 5 if dealing with the infantry) and these guys are in full out animal killing mode. No not all the time but I guarantee that their anger is being turned towards the Iraqis (who probably have become faceless to them) and that does not make for a good situation.

[atreides1]

40. N/T

I did go to Gulf 1, volunteered actually. I realized that I might have
to kill an enemy soldier, but I never dehumanized the Iraqi's or other
Muslims for that matter. Most of the people I went with weren't cold
blooded killing machines, and that included the grunts(Infantry). We
were only interested in going in, doing our job and getting back home
in the same physical condition we got there in. But back then we were
taught how to clean our weapons, what the Geneva Covention was, and that we were there to do a job.

What this shows is that the chain of command is corrupt, and is filled
with evil men and women. But the truly evil ones are those that know
these actions are wrong, but continue to look the other way when they
occur.

Did you know that theft of property belonging to people whose country
is being occupied is punishable under the UCMJ and the Manual of Courts Martial. It is a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions,
which our current administration only takes into regard when US military personnel are POWs.

Eventually those troops who are being told that the Iraqi people are
not worthy of being treated like humans, will reap the whirlwind for
their crminal behavior. If you remember back to the 2 soldiers that
were kidnapped and found dead, I guess you can say it's already begun.

The next time I have a feeling it's going to be worse.

And for those that refuse to deal with reality, whether you have 1000+
posts or one. I have just one suggestion get your head out of your A**.

[Fovea]

33. When will we get to see this on COPs

or Amerika's most jingoist videos?

[markses]

34. This thread teaches us all something very important

When spreading a meaningless right wing meme and bandwidth consuming flamebait like "blame America first," at least have the good sense to take it out of quotation marks...:crazy:

[mediaman007]

36. Ah yes, the intolerant behavior...

will make them the perfect right wing patriots when they get home. As Americans we had valued "reverence." This group of soldiers are hopefully not representative of the people that we have in the military.

This group of soldiers will get home, endorse the "my way or the highway" slogan, see everything as black or white, and tell the rest of us that we are unpatriotic.

Society peaked in 1995.

[kimchi]

38. So are these soldiers saving babies, stealing money, or killing the media?

All of the above. But the longer they stay, the more prevalent the horror stories will become. It's a damn war-it is ugly even in the most moral circumstances, of which this is not one.

THAT is main reason many compassionate people like ourselves didn't want it to start in the first place. Of course, we Americans that joined the rest of the planet in understanding that George Bush is the biggest threat right now ARE blaming America. And our Psychopath in Chief deserves the brunt of it. The rest is reserved for those who continue to enable or support this evil regime.