Linda Chavez: Iraqi torture was the WOMEN's fault

[brooklynite]

From today's NEW YORK POST:

They make you want to turn away, those awful pictures of naked men piled into human pyramids while smirking American soldiers give the thumbs-up sign or grin inanely into the camera. Then you look closer, not at the humiliating jumble of naked flesh but at the American soldiers, and you realize that some of them are women. What is already a shocking tale becomes even more obscene and unsettling.

Clearly there has been a terrible breakdown in order and discipline at Abu Ghraib prison and elsewhere in Iraq, and perhaps Afghanistan and Guantanamo, Cuba. The officer in charge of the facility at the time the apparent abuses took place was Reserve Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, who has now gone on national television to defend herself. Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," Gen. Karpinski says that she "did not know anything about it. And had I known anything about it I certainly would have reacted very quickly."

But that's the point. She didn't know what was going on, and she should have.

It is hard to know what led to this breakdown in discipline. But one factor that may have contributed — but which I doubt investigators will want to even consider — is whether the presence of women in the unit actually encouraged more misbehavior, especially of the sexual nature that the pictures reveal.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. They'll try to use this t o get women out of the service

these right wingers want women back in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant

[yardwork]

2. That will conflict with their plans to draft women.

It's a dilemma for the right-wingers.

Linda Chavez is a hateful person.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Well of cousre

I had that argument with many wingers yesterday

They are still in denial but stepford wives will suddenly have
the greatest wakeup

Not only did they get their war

but it is time to pay up with their flesh and blood

And I realize a draft is coming because of what bush has done to our military

[demnan]

3. Sure the women are getting pregnant over there

Because birth control is not made available to them! Also think about it. If someone sent you over there, wouldn't you try to find the least invasive way to get yourself sent back home?

I'd get pregnant in a minute just to get my ass out of there!

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. No, if you did htat, and they proved it

you could face an article 32 or even general court martial

Look also women are given mamy options regarding this issue.... sorry
but I have seen that in person.

[Classical_Liberal]

5. She's a moron.

.

[dedhed]

6. What a great way to get chicks!

It is hard to know what led to this breakdown in discipline. But one factor that may have contributed — but which I doubt investigators will want to even consider — is whether the presence of women in the unit actually encouraged more misbehavior, especially of the sexual nature that the pictures reveal.

Typical jar-head train of thought, according to Chavez:

"Hmmmm... boy, that soldier's hot... how do I get her to notice me? Flowers? Maybe I can gift-wrap a carton of Lucky Strikes. Wait a minute... strip the prisoners naked and make them bang each other... BINGO! Hell, I'll even take a picture of her pointing at their willies! She'll fall for me big-time!!"

Thank you, Linda... you incredible twit!

:bounce:

[russian33]

8. It's not the women!

It's Clinton and gays...c'mon Linda, that's today's memo, did you miss it?

[fortyfeetunder]

13. Nah, it's waiving the magic Clenis

that makes women do the most amazing things....

[aintitfunny]

9. The only factors giving occassion to such abuse

are those that allowed it or encouraged or even ordered it to happen in the first place. This drivel is ridiculous.

[amber dog democrat]

10. Right and Maybe Clinton had a hand ,(or something ele), it too.

Anyone can be a perputrator.
Look up the women who were SS Death Camp guards. Mostly men were involved but women did demonstrate sadistic behaviors.


I am just not buying this assumption -

" including the breakdown in discipline and unit cohesion that have gone hand in hand with gender integration in the military. "

Looks to me that the woman in the photographs was just part of the team.
I wonder what was not captured in the media.

Chavez seems more resistant to overall changes in American society, that are reflected in the military. I bet in 1948 she would not have like Trueman's order to end racial segregation in the US Armed Forces.

[LeftCoast]

11. brooklynite

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
news source.

Thank you.

LeftCoast
DU Moderator

[squidbro]

12. Sexual tension a cause of criminal behavior?

Ms. Chavez needs to get a clue. The abuses were not due to sexual tension. They were sanctioned and encouraged in order to get the Iraqis to divulge "secrets".

If proper military discipline and procedures were followed, the abuses would not have happened, sexual issues not withstanding.

As a former service member who did spend time overseas, I was witness to some of the "fraternization" that Ms. Chavez speaks of. Yet, none of the people I served with used that as an excuse to terrorize foreign citizens or should I say "prisoners of war".

By the way, sexual fraternization goes on all of the time in the civilian world. In schools and offices. Horror of horrors, it also results in unwanted pregnancies!! It must be the cause of gang wars, and all sorts of criminal behavior in our society.

Perhaps we should go back to the 19th century and keep women in subjection.

Ms. Chavez is entitled to her own opinion. But the fact that she can vote and write a column in the New York Post is a testament to the freedoms she has. Does she really want to give them up?

[yellowcanine]

14. No one has ever mistaken Linda for being the brightest bulb in the house.

She was clearly the beneficiary of affirmative action tokinism in the Reagan White House.