Progarchives.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Topics not related to music > General discussions
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Are We Not Better Than This?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum SearchSearch  Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Are We Not Better Than This?

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 3456>
Author
Message
jammun View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: July 14 2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3441
Post Options Post Options   Quote jammun Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Are We Not Better Than This?
    Posted: March 01 2012 at 00:09
Apparently no one remembers My Lai.

It's war my friends. 
Can you tell me where we're headin'?
Lincoln County Road or Armageddon.
Back to Top
Progarchives.com
Advertisement
Sponsored links (registered users, log in to remove)
 
Slartibartfast View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 26021
Post Options Post Options   Quote Slartibartfast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 04:10
I have an interest in history.  I wasn't there but I do know about it.  As a powerful country there is no shame to admitting to and apologizing for (or at least regretting) our mistakes.  As individual we don't have direct responsibility for things done in our name but it is better to deal with the abuses than sweep them under the rug and pretend that they didn't happen. 
Back to Top
KoS View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: May 17 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 16383
Post Options Post Options   Quote KoS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 04:11
oh, LOL.



Edit: Seriously, late teens early-twenties people will do stupid sh*t, In War (capital W), it's inevitable.  Is it in bad taste? Yes! But sh*t will happen.



Edited by KoS - March 01 2012 at 04:13
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 14592
Post Options Post Options   Quote Equality 7-2521 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 07:52
Originally posted by DisgruntledPorcupine

Originally posted by Equality 7-2521

If the whole world were like that, you wouldn't be sitting on the internet complaining about it. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole


What were you hyperbolizing exactly?
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 14592
Post Options Post Options   Quote Equality 7-2521 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 07:53
Look everyone, we all get that war is ugly and atrocities always have been committed in war and atrocities always will be committed in war. What's the point of saying that? It's not a justification. Who cares? You're not giving an argument. I'll still condemn those who commit them every time. 
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
DisgruntledPorcupine View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: January 16 2010
Location: Thunder Bay CAN
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4396
Post Options Post Options   Quote DisgruntledPorcupine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 12:29
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521

Originally posted by DisgruntledPorcupine

Originally posted by Equality 7-2521

If the whole world were like that, you wouldn't be sitting on the internet complaining about it. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole


What were you hyperbolizing exactly?
I don't mean EVERYONE is like that. But many many people are always unnecessarily hateful. Like the notion that everyone in the Middle East is a terrorist that is shared by many I speak with and even many friends of mine.
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 14592
Post Options Post Options   Quote Equality 7-2521 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 12:33
I agree, but as a percentage of the population I find those people to be small. 
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
JJLehto View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: April 05 2006
Location: New Jersey, US
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 32611
Post Options Post Options   Quote JJLehto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 15:02
Originally posted by jammun

Apparently no one remembers My Lai.

It's war my friends. 


Hell, that only got so much press because we didn't win.
WWII had abuses and crimes committed by the Allies but, ya know, we won.


Witty Quote
Back to Top
Slartibartfast View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 26021
Post Options Post Options   Quote Slartibartfast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 15:08
Originally posted by JJLehto

Originally posted by jammun

Apparently no one remembers My Lai.

It's war my friends. 


Hell, that only got so much press because we didn't win.
WWII had abuses and crimes committed by the Allies but, ya know, we won.



More accurately put it got so much press because our leaders were saying we were winning, which was a lie, and it occurred before we didn't win.

Arguably the firebombing of Dreseden and nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were allied atrocities.  But so was the German bombing attacks on Britain and the Bataan death march.

In the end the question has already been answered and it is that no matter who we are we aren't.  Humans as a species have some work to do.


Edited by Slartibartfast - March 01 2012 at 15:14
Back to Top
JJLehto View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: April 05 2006
Location: New Jersey, US
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 32611
Post Options Post Options   Quote JJLehto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 15:14
Originally posted by Slartibartfast

Originally posted by JJLehto

Originally posted by jammun

Apparently no one remembers My Lai.

It's war my friends. 


Hell, that only got so much press because we didn't win.
WWII had abuses and crimes committed by the Allies but, ya know, we won.



More accurately put it got so much press because our leaders were saying we were winning, which was a lie, and it occurred before we didn't win.


Yes...exactly. Not sure what else to say, that's a slightly more convoluted way of putting it but yesLOL
(I know rare day I'm the brief one!)

I've always been a bit of a..I dont wanna say pacifist, just generally anti war, but it's been increasing over the past few years. I pretty much believe that "war is a crime". Even in the rare case that it's justified, well why rephrase what's been said before?

Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.  Ernest Hemingway


edit: ah! You edited, but yes technically Dresden was a war crime (as horrifying as it was I would personally not say the same for the atomic bombs) but as you pointed out, it was of course the Germans that used civilian bombings first. There's no doubt, war is brutal...



Edited by JJLehto - March 01 2012 at 15:17
Witty Quote
Back to Top
Slartibartfast View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 26021
Post Options Post Options   Quote Slartibartfast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 18:38
We need a kinder gentler form of war. 
Back to Top
Alitare View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 08 2008
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3597
Post Options Post Options   Quote Alitare Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 19:24
That's one more corpse that'll never sit on stools, never get to stand up, never leave the piss pool.

That WAS what you were citing, right? Keep on Pissin' on the Third World?


Edited by Alitare - March 01 2012 at 19:25
He gave her his town house and his racing horses. Each meal she ate was a dozen courses. She had a million dollars worth of nickels and dimes. She sat around and counted them all a million times.
Back to Top
stonebeard View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: May 27 2005
Location: NE Indiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 27907
Post Options Post Options   Quote stonebeard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 23:06
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521

Look everyone, we all get that war is ugly and atrocities always have been committed in war and atrocities always will be committed in war. What's the point of saying that? It's not a justification. Who cares? You're not giving an argument. I'll still condemn those who commit them every time. 

This and really this. People have the tendency to look at war like the cute kid in 80s sitcoms.

"Oh War! Look at what a fine mess you've gotten us into this time! Just look at all those atrocities!"

*cue laugh track*

"I just can't help it! Massacres just seem to follow me around...."

*does signature character gesture*

*cue laugh track*


War is war, but even saying that writes it off a bit.
Back to Top
JJLehto View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: April 05 2006
Location: New Jersey, US
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 32611
Post Options Post Options   Quote JJLehto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2012 at 23:14
Originally posted by Slartibartfast

We need a kinder gentler form of war. 


Yeah whatever happened to that whole "lets bomb Iraq with food" notion?
Did they just attach the food to the tip of missiles?

Witty Quote
Back to Top
CPicard View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 03 2008
Location: The Outer Space
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8206
Post Options Post Options   Quote CPicard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2012 at 03:20
Originally posted by JJLehto

Originally posted by Slartibartfast

We need a kinder gentler form of war. 


Yeah whatever happened to that whole "lets bomb Iraq with food" notion?
Did they just attach the food to the tip of missiles?



I thought it meant that the "bombs" were just big piņatas?
Excuse me, sir, do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior, Neptune, god of the Sea?
Back to Top
Vibrationbaby View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 13 2004
Location: Beyond The Sky
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6505
Post Options Post Options   Quote Vibrationbaby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2012 at 07:50
Originally posted by Slartibartfast

See, here's the thing, I can understand our soldier doing this because they had hostility towards the taliban enemy.  Filming it and letting it get out on youtube was just stupid.


I don't blame the soldiers. They're not fighting an honourable enemy. From time to time footage like this is leaked to the media and now we have youtube. I remember some footage of hazing rituals that were going on for decades in the Canadian Airborne Regiment resulted in their disbandment by the Canadian gov't. I was in the military and I saw some crazy sh*t that reamained in the military. Unless you've served you don't understand this sort of behaviour. But I do think it should have been kept to themselves and who ever posted that was a f**king moron.
Osprey on final IFR approach                       
Back to Top
TheJet View Drop Down
Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie
Avatar

Joined: March 01 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12
Post Options Post Options   Quote TheJet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2012 at 08:08
They had to store the urine somewhere I suppose, maybe the ground was being too disrespectful.
Back to Top
Slartibartfast View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 26021
Post Options Post Options   Quote Slartibartfast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2012 at 08:39
Originally posted by Vibrationbaby

Originally posted by Slartibartfast

See, here's the thing, I can understand our soldier doing this because they had hostility towards the taliban enemy.  Filming it and letting it get out on youtube was just stupid.

Unless you've served you don't understand this sort of behaviour.

What part of I do understand it even though I haven't served do you not get?  You've already killed them, so you peed on them.  Giving the enemy a recruitment tool like that means more of your fellow soldiers will be likely to die.  The last thing you want to do in war is to give your enemies ammunition.

Defeat an enemy by outwitting them not by out outraging them.

But I prefer to look at the bright side.  At least they didn't crap on them or burn their Korans after urinating and defecating on them.


Edited by Slartibartfast - March 02 2012 at 09:01
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 14592
Post Options Post Options   Quote Equality 7-2521 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2012 at 09:35
Originally posted by Vibrationbaby

Originally posted by Slartibartfast

See, here's the thing, I can understand our soldier doing this because they had hostility towards the taliban enemy.  Filming it and letting it get out on youtube was just stupid.


I don't blame the soldiers. They're not fighting an honourable enemy. From time to time footage like this is leaked to the media and now we have youtube. I remember some footage of hazing rituals that were going on for decades in the Canadian Airborne Regiment resulted in their disbandment by the Canadian gov't. I was in the military and I saw some crazy sh*t that reamained in the military. Unless you've served you don't understand this sort of behaviour. But I do think it should have been kept to themselves and who ever posted that was a f**king moron.


Actually as a human being, I believe I understand this behavior very well. It's sickening and perpetuated by weak minded cowards too afraid or too stupid to empathize with other human beings simply because they've been indoctrinated to view their own side as the embodiment of good. They blame their enemy for their present condition rather than themselves for volunteering and their government for starting the war and shipping them overseas under false pretenses. They're not fighting a honorable enemy? Neither are the Taliban. Neither are Hezbollah.

 Don't try to cover this up with some macho bullsh*t about how you served and how nobody else can possibly judge these people unless they were in the same shoes. You know what? I'm in the exact same shoes as these guys. Only I've chosen not to take place in the senseless bloodshed.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
Slartibartfast View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 26021
Post Options Post Options   Quote Slartibartfast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2012 at 10:35
If soldiers were the ones picking the fights there might be a lot less wars in our history.

Edited by Slartibartfast - March 02 2012 at 10:36
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 3456>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.69
Copyright ©2001-2010 Web Wiz

This page was generated in 0.125 seconds.