OT: There's a FRONTLINE being broadcast that will tear you up.

Anyone having seen the film; is it anti war, or critical of Bush policies?

I understand there are two versions, one with bad words, one without. I also learned the Frontline series is produced by a station in Boston.




munk
 
It was about the troops so it wasn't really a critique of policies, more just what they have to deal with day to day. If anything I'd say it was fairly flattering to them, although not really in a biased way. More in a way that it was more of a documentary on the whole thing from their perspective, it wasn't meant to have balance.

About the most unflattering thing was when one of the guys shot this Iraqui's dog. But about half of the soldiers were pissed he did it so even that was more just a documentary of what happened.

Our station carried the bleeped version but I dont' think it really affected the content.
 
IN the last two decades America has returned and even lifted higher a respect for its soldiers.

I wonder if this perception is going to stick? I hope unpopular policies are never blamed on the individual soldier again, as was done in the Vietnam era.



munk
 
You put people in a war they are gonna do things that seem bad. They put you in there they put me in there we're gonna do the same thing. But most of the time they are just trying to stay alive and follow orders. Shouldn't blame them. If we feel the cause is not right we should hold the people accountable that sent them there, not the soldiers.
 
cliff355 said:
So far, I haven't heard of a single thing any US Soldier has done over there that can reasonably be called "bad" unless you also apply the term to a number of historical actions currently referred to as "heroic."
Click to expand...

That's exactly right.
 
Cliff355,

I can imagine that Normandy scene. The Germans were built in, solid fortifications for an invasion they knew was coming and had months to prepare for. When the Allies landed they were in a pig shoot. Exposed on the beach, the Germans mowed them down.

So when the Americans finally, finally lose enough men to gain access to the Germans, they throw up the white flag. "It was OK to wipe you out like cut grass, but now you're here I don't want to play anymore."

Cliff, like you, I don't have any problems trying to visualize that.

What the Allies did to resistance in Post War Germany would shock America today. Yet today we're accused of torture.

>>>>>>>>>>

Anyway, if the Frontline show comes on this week, I'll try and catch it.

munk
 
I had a teacher that was at Normandy. One of the students asked why all those guys didn't stay in the things instead of running out. He said a bunch did but they had people in the back PUSHING everyone out ;)

Nowdays we'd have the air power to prevent that slaughter hopefully.
 
It was a good documentary - focus on facts vs. commentary.

War is nasty and brutal. The guy who fires his MG42 right until the last second then throws up his hands is not a good risk for survival. Average soldiers hate the snipers on the other side -- sap some poor guy just taking a dump. I know an old boy from the 101st. He tells me that they took zero Waffen SS prisoners after the Malmady Massacre. Pay back is always a bitch.

As for the blood at Normandy, think of 60,000 Brit casualties alone in the first day at the Somme.

We are so damn good at killing one another. If we could turn all this dedication and energy into other paths.

But that's aspirational at present. It's a rough neighborhood, this Earth of ours, with people who will kill you and eat you. I think we still need cops - and well equipped SWAT teams -- well equipped with TLAMS and JDAMS and M1A2's and F16's -- until that new time not yet here.
 
That's it, Thomas. There's not much happening in this tiny mountain community where I live, but the people actually invent reasons to hate one another. Consider it the prerequisite of war. This place is so pretty- they invent reasons to be unhappy.


munk
 
Where we live is pretty good for us. We had bad neighbors once, but it never really escalated because I think they feared us because we both worked for the government ;)

However what has helped us is that we aren't related to anyone. Seems like all the really bad stuff happens between family members! At one point we were the only people on our hollow that were not related to anyone.
 
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