Did you just hear the U.S. Soldier on Springer???

[dhinojosa]

How an Iraqi neighbor will tell the U.S. troops that their neighbors are insurgents and when the Troops take them away, the people that lied about their neighbors take their house.

What a goddamn mess.

[Bouncy Ball]

1. Hmmm.

Pretty darn clever. Not right, immoral as hell, but clever.

And yes, TOTAL FUBAR. But then, who here is shocked? Not I.

[Pockets]

2. I never said this before...

But now I think the Apocalypse has begun. People are destroying one another for personal gain. Between Iraq, Dafur, and the economic cannibalism in developed nations, all for no reason whatsoever.

[Stephanie]

6. Read the Monsanto thread

Destroying people for profit. The New Amorality.

[Protagoras]

12. Ever read the Mountain People

by Colin Turnbull? (in the anthropology section)

I think it's a good read on how all sense of empathy, hope, and humanity can be destroyed in a people.

That's what we're doing in Iraq now...that's what we're also beginning to lose in large sections of our own country as well.

[havocmom]

14. Was done during Hitler's time too

and countless times in history whenever tyranny was the rule

[proud patriot]

3. Yes he was very blunt about how it works

:-(

[BobRossi]

4. re: Did you just...

And then the shrub gets to say we are capturing "Tear-Wrists".

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Not at all unusual in occupations...

and where spying is encouraged.

Old grudges and debts are settled this way, too. Happened in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and other places we and others have "liberated."

In the name of freedom, we are teaching them to be lying, thieving, scum.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. The nazis did a similar thing...rewarding people who turned in their

neighbors.

[fryguy]

8. In Afgahnistan they were doing the same thing to collect rewards

US forces were offering big dollars for information on insurgents, so people were getting turned in left and right. Most ended up in Gitmo and many were later released - although many are still being held while professing their innocence. A outright shame.

[ContraBass Black]

9. Were I an Iraqi,

I'd live virtuously and honestly, rub an unscrupulous neighbor the wrong way, and that would be the end of me.

[Horse with no Name]

10. and don't forget the legislation introduced here

that makes it illegal for parents not to turn in children, neighbors not to turn in neighbors, ad infinitum ad nauseum.
Seems the only history lesson we have here is an unlearned one.

[Solly Mack]

11. there will be those that do not believe that....but it's true

when my husband was there in 2003-2004, he encountered the same thing

people with grudges against their neighbors would try and get their neighbor into trouble with the soldiers....to get the property and goods of the neighbor.

The local city/village boss (an Iraqi) was consulted when this happened...as he knew the history of the neighbors and if there were grudges or not... and as the local boss helped to protect the Americans, the soldiers were good about keeping him informed. Yes, the local boss did profit from helping the soldiers...it was a mutual relationship where the soldiers understood they would get no where without the local boss' cooperation and the local boss got favors...though my husband will tell you, the local boss held all the power.

I don't live under occupation...I don't know how I'd behave. I like to think I wouldn't sell my neighbor out for profit or even survival....but again, I'm not living under the circumstances they are living.

Yes, it's a mess. A horrible mess and it's gotten far worse since my husband was there

[libodem]

13. that so goes against everything,

that I thought democracy meant, what lessons the Bible, is supposed to teach us about how to live, and what Christianity is supposed to represent. It does sound just like Nazi, occupation. I had heard that the new Iraqi police forces, looted the houses, sadly I felt that the neighbor thing was happening, too, it just hadn't been confirmed. What is wrong with the so-called Christians that support this evil administration and it's war profiteering motives? When people are that scared they will do anything so that it's 'them' and not 'me'. Survival.

[daa]

15. Isn't this the point of capitalism? nt