General Discussion

LWolf

(46,179 posts)

22. I'm not clear

Mon Jan 19, 2015, 01:27 PM

Jan 2015

about how supporting a movie supports "troops."

I'm not clear about how supporting military action in the middle east "supports troops," either.

I'm not sure how celebrating the number of kills from a distance someone makes supports a positive national character.

I'm not sure how turning killers into heroes makes any kind of sense. I support our troops by wanting to properly train them and equip them, send them into danger only as a last resort to actually defend the physical nation, not the political or corporate goals of the nation, and take care of them when they get home. That said, when I think of "heroes," soldiers and military personnel are not the first people, or the tenth, that occur to me.

It doesn't surprise me that the movie "did well," since this is a nation of many ignorant, blood thirsty supporters of violence.

For myself, I won't be seeing it.

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This message was self-deleted by its author [View all] paulbibeau Jan 2015 OP

Long range killing is what America does. "American Diaper" would be more fit. Fred Sanders Jan 2015 #1

Yes, we do seem to have made it something of a hobby. paulbibeau Jan 2015 #2

Some snipers do the job they are asked to do and abakan Jan 2015 #27

Well he claims to have summarily executed Katrina looters. Anansi1171 Jan 2015 #77

No I don't agree at all... abakan Jan 2015 #82

Just wait for next summer when "American Drone" comes out n/t Taitertots Jan 2015 #5

... MrMickeysMom Jan 2015 #24

We just use Drones now yeoman6987 Jan 2015 #80

You know what we would call it if it were anyone but our government doing this? Man from Pickens Jan 2015 #3

And their skin color and "heathen" religion. Why God gave "them" all that oil is puzzling. Fred Sanders Jan 2015 #6

Isn't it though? polly7 Jan 2015 #70

He is a war crimimal, fuck that guy. ncjustice80 Jan 2015 #88

Lotsa luck, dealing with the widespread sniper worship that's overtaken this country. Paladin Jan 2015 #4

May be other parts of DU...... daleanime Jan 2015 #14

Yeah 2naSalit Jan 2015 #17

I believe this is completely right wing funded.. mountain grammy Jan 2015 #28

Baby. Baby? BABY!!! frylock Jan 2015 #42

Yes, so glad I'm not the only one... daleanime Jan 2015 #48

Well, seems fitting. Hey, I realize I'm probably gonna be flamed into a crisp for saying this calimary Jan 2015 #49

See. nobody flamed you. pangaia Jan 2015 #74

Well no flames from me, arikara Jan 2015 #78

I don't expect that I will go see 'The American Sniper', but... Blanks Jan 2015 #81

no flames from me but I do disagree about football mountain grammy Jan 2015 #101

Thanks! There are women I know who openly admit they love football because of the many calimary Jan 2015 #103

it's fine for the movie to be made Skittles Jan 2015 #96

In many multiplayer first-person shooter games Blue_Tires Jan 2015 #39

I remember Halo JonLP24 Jan 2015 #45

"First-person shooter games" Paladin Jan 2015 #46

Truly. Neat, huh? calimary Jan 2015 #50

Saying shooters are "unhealthy" is like saying erotica is "unhealthy" Blue_Tires Jan 2015 #100

And yet I've never fucked my way into believing that snipers are demigods. (nt) Paladin Jan 2015 #110

Here's a real hero (killed 225 German soldiers, including 11 German snipers, during KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #7

225? Bah! A mere pittance. Orrex Jan 2015 #55

Well Zaytsev's tally came during only the Battle of Stalingrad (about 6 months), so this may KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #56

Yeah, me neither. I just saw the numbers and thought I'd bring it up. Orrex Jan 2015 #58

Someone in this thread mentioned Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" WRT to KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #59

Yes indeed Orrex Jan 2015 #60

Only 309? Comes up short Lurks Often Jan 2015 #65

Holy shit! Orrex Jan 2015 #69

Moore's assessment is simplistic and idiotic, it's war, not high school, there is no playing "fair" Lurks Often Jan 2015 #71

Who gets credit for the approx 100,000 killed in Hiroshima? nm rhett o rick Jan 2015 #63

Well... Harry Truman thanked God in his speech. I'd blame Him. paulbibeau Jan 2015 #67

Sounds like blaspheme. But I don't believe in the Christian concept of god so rhett o rick Jan 2015 #98

Thomas W. Ferebee... EX500rider Jan 2015 #83

I bet he had demons the rest of his life. nm rhett o rick Jan 2015 #99

Simo Hayha killed 505 Russians in 100 days Kaleva Jan 2015 #66

They try to make him likeable by showing he didn't want to shoot a 8 year old boy. Kablooie Jan 2015 #8

I think we sort of ignore that part. paulbibeau Jan 2015 #9

Well, you cant let the kid go and detonate the bomb. 7962 Jan 2015 #13

That was sad but understandable. Kablooie Jan 2015 #25

The kid probably either didn't exist or didn't have a bomb. Kyle was a proven liar who claimed a Chakab Jan 2015 #73

He's either a liar or a murderer to some here. So it either happened or didnt 7962 Jan 2015 #85

Well, he's obviously both. Chakab Jan 2015 #86

No, because theres no proof of it. But I'd believe most of the Iraq stories 7962 Jan 2015 #91

He didn't have to enjoy it so much though. Jamastiene Jan 2015 #115

The "unofficial ROE" that you quoted Revanchist Jan 2015 #10

I hate to say it, because I voted for him... but it also reminds me of this: paulbibeau Jan 2015 #11

Before Fallujah the army ordered an evacuation then went in figuring anyone left was the enemy.... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #33

Point of inquiry: was this Fallujah in April 2004 (after the deaths of the 4 KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #57

The mindset of "collective punishment" was certainly there.... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #64

Sickening, I remember that as well peacebird Jan 2015 #72

... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #92

So..... AlbertCat Jan 2015 #12

He is not a hero PumpkinAle Jan 2015 #15

+1 2naSalit Jan 2015 #20

Chris Kyle was a braggart serial killer who figured out how to get away with it. hunter Jan 2015 #29

LOL. Perfect stated. nt SunSeeker Jan 2015 #43

I believe you have summed PumpkinAle Jan 2015 #62

"Show me a hero and I'll show you a bum" DinahMoeHum Jan 2015 #16

Good reads and comments there too thanks lunasun Jan 2015 #93

Republican Family Values Stainless Jan 2015 #18

This movie title is plastered above every feature in today's movie section... MrMickeysMom Jan 2015 #19

Talk about propaganda PumpkinAle Jan 2015 #21

I'm not clear LWolf Jan 2015 #22

US desperation for hero's. The struggle to keep from focusing on all the bad the US is and does. L0oniX Jan 2015 #23

Grand Theft Auto treats them more than a faceless stereotype JonLP24 Jan 2015 #26

Love Generation Kill Cosmocat Jan 2015 #35

with the fascist mentaility heaven05 Jan 2015 #30

I wonder if Bradley Cooper has regretted the role in this movie? TRoN33 Jan 2015 #31

He received an Academy Award nomination so I doubt that he is regretting the movie yeoman6987 Jan 2015 #84

My husband, a Vietnam vet, who saw his share mountain grammy Jan 2015 #32

I'm sorry your husband had to see this bullshit constantly pumped out over the KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #61

A little study of history will show dumbcat Jan 2015 #34

That's too simplistic. Lex Jan 2015 #44

That ia the point he is trying to make. ncjustice80 Jan 2015 #90

I'm a warrior of the berserker sort. hunter Jan 2015 #51

Masters of War seveneyes Jan 2015 #36

The old "joke" from the Vietnam era about snipers.... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #37

Sorry, but this is bullshit!! FairWinds Jan 2015 #38

The guy is/was a serial killer AgingAmerican Jan 2015 #40

American Torturer jalan48 Jan 2015 #41

In a just war, like WWII, I don't care if a sniper kills 1 or 1,000 of the enemy. It's his/her job. Flatulo Jan 2015 #47

Exactly. Hate to say it, but anyone who participated in those ncjustice80 Jan 2015 #89

I won't be seeing this movie. onecaliberal Jan 2015 #52

It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder. Einstein Tierra_y_Libertad Jan 2015 #53

We have taken the word hero Runningdawg Jan 2015 #54

Snipers do save lives SnakeEyes Jan 2015 #95

He's no hero; he's a lying scumbag. alarimer Jan 2015 #68

Salon.com article: American snipers at work in Fallujuah cer7711 Jan 2015 #75

Well - that's a soldier's job. Combatants only, of course. Yo_Mama Jan 2015 #76

...^ that 840high Jan 2015 #87

yeah, we know he was just "doing his job" Skittles Jan 2015 #97

Thank you for this well written post. russspeakeasy Jan 2015 #79

We killed 100s of thousands for no reason. None at all. Zero. Bush, Rice, Cheney should be in prison whereisjustice Jan 2015 #94

the average american gobbles this shite right up is because TimeToEvolve Jan 2015 #102

I'm a vet and I have had the same thoughts about snipers even when I was in the service.... marble falls Jan 2015 #104

I've heard that from other vets. paulbibeau Jan 2015 #108

The war on terra m.bolden jr. Jan 2015 #105

You prefer Carpet bombing like operation "Rolling Thunder" One_Life_To_Give Jan 2015 #106

Yes. We did. No argument there. paulbibeau Jan 2015 #109

Thats exactly the point. What does it take to prevail? 7962 Jan 2015 #116

Couldn't pay me to go and sit through that movie. sinkingfeeling Jan 2015 #107

to some Donald Trump is a hero olddots Jan 2015 #111

This murderer Thespian2 Jan 2015 #112

IMO Mr Dixon Jan 2015 #113

I have absolutely zero interest in the movie... Pacifist Patriot Jan 2015 #114