Friday, August 15, 2008

War! Huh! What is it good for?

A Georgian journalist was apparently shot (grazed her arm) by a Russian sniper.

They say that over one hundred and twenty journalists have been killed in the war in Iraq.
For a moment I thought that this might teach people that something like this does not only happen to small brown people or to soldiers. In other words, that war is counterproductive.
But then you look at human history, and nothing has yet taught humans that war is counterproductive. The best they've learned so far is that the people dying should preferably be those you don't know personally. Then it's all right.

Update: article.
"...it has become an article of faith on the political right that grisly images of the Vietnam war - including the famous pictures of a street-side execution and of a naked young girl running from a napalm attack - undermined public support and led to the American defeat. Subsequent administrations have made it increasingly difficult for journalists to cover war in all its horror."

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

War is productive to those who wage it. Both to the leaders and the soldiers, but for different reasons.

Take Iraq for instance. The war is being fought to control oil. The attraction of the war to US soldiers is obviously not the oil, nor the money or the travel, but the appeal of absolute power of life and death over others, the opportunity to maim, rape, kill and plunder without restraint.

Anonymous said...

"The attraction of the war to US soldiers is obviously not the oil, nor the money or the travel, but the appeal of absolute power of life and death over others, the opportunity to maim, rape, kill and plunder without restraint."

I don't think that's the case with the vast majority of them. I think they've mostly just been brainwashed into thinking they're doing something to make their country a safer place. Their hearts are in the right place, but the logic is a little backwards.

Anonymous said...

The actions I listed are what they actually do. In human behavior, actions tell the authentic story.

The official party line of "making the country a safer place" is a mantra, a rhetorical device designed to give people something to quieten the voice inside that would otherwise make committing the crime impossible.

For the soldiers, this works as long as they are together as a group, reinforcing the mantra for each other. But when they return to their families and civilian life they have to face what they have known all along, that the mantra has no meaning.

Many of the servicemen then commit suicide, doing humankind a service by taking themselves out of the gene pool. Others just live in misery for the rest of their lives. And, of course, then there's the group of psychopaths who have no remorse about killing and maiming people for the fun of it.

Anonymous said...

It's a good thing your country didn't have to count on a weasely pussy like you, TTL, back in WWII.

The attraction of the war to US soldiers is obviously not the oil, nor the money or the travel, but the appeal of absolute power of life and death over others, the opportunity to maim, rape, kill and plunder without restraint.

When did you conduct the in-depth psychological study of soldiers from which you gained this insight? Oh, you didn't do one? I'm shocked! Oh, and you've never been a soldier yourself?! Wow, that just floored me! I am beyond shocked at that revelation!

Many of the servicemen then commit suicide, doing humankind a service by taking themselves out of the gene pool.

I wonder why you don't follow their example. You sound like some scrawny, nerdy, weasely computer nerd. Guys like you are a dime a dozen. You know, the ones who stand on the sidelines and feel qualified to comment on things despite a total lack of personal experience or even direct observation. You'd never have the guys to say even half the things you do from the safety of your keyboard.

Others just live in misery for the rest of their lives. And, of course, then there's the group of psychopaths who have no remorse about killing and maiming people for the fun of it.

What an ignorant ass you are! What you've said here would be funny if it weren't for the fact that many people think as you do. People who have never had any direct experience. Most of them are probably like you, stuck behind a computer most of their life. It's a good thing your country is not likely to have to rely on you to protect it, as in WWII. You'd have gladly taken it up the ass from both the Russians and the Germans. Anything to avoid taking up a weapon and protecting yourself and your country. I pity you. I feel so sorry for you.

Mike Hunt said...

"War! Huh! What is it good for?"

Absolutely nothin'! Huh!

Anonymous said...

Oh cool, it's Mr. T! I pity the foo! Dial 1-800-COLLECT, sucka!

Johnnie Walker said...

You know, Tolstoy originally wanted to call War & Peace "War, what is it good for?" His mistress convinced him to change it.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Don't make me throw your organizer out the window.