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FairWinds

(1,717 posts)

24. There is one more REALLY big lie . .

Fri Jan 23, 2015, 03:27 PM

Jan 2015

which is that the kid in the film had to die because (as another DU poster wrote) ". .the enemy has used kids before. they did it in Vietnam as well. You have to take out the threat. Its war, and thats the way it goes."

The myth of the terrorist Vietnamese kid was burned into our brains during basic training before we were sent to Vietnam.
We were told endlessly that, "Any eight year old kid could be trying to kill you."
So of course, when we got to Vietnam we were ready to kill children because they MIGHT be a threat.

That training was part of a deliberate programming effort to dehumanize the Vietnamese, and make it easier to kill any or all of them. So is it any wonder that so many children and civilian Vietnamese were killed?

I was in Vietnam for a year, and have studied the war in detail - never heard of a single verified case of a kid sapper attacking US troops.

It was all a lie - and now with respect to Iraq, it still is.

Veterans For Peace

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Highlight:

7 big lies �American Sniper� is telling America about Iraq and Chris Kyle. Raw Story [View all] Quixote1818 Jan 2015 OP

I have no interest in seeing American Sniper - it's just not the sort of movie that interests me el_bryanto Jan 2015 #1

defenders think snipers are "beloved" & kyle a hero. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #32

I'm sorry - i was talking about the two film critics i heard who sort of defended it. el_bryanto Jan 2015 #44

R#5 & K for, seems like the empty chair would've put an end to Clint's working n/t UTUSN Jan 2015 #2

I wonder what would have happened Kelvin Mace Jan 2015 #3

Exactly. It would have gone over like a ton of bricks unless they focused on looking at what made Quixote1818 Jan 2015 #4

It would have been fascinating to watch Fox News have a melt down Kelvin Mace Jan 2015 #16

+1 Johonny Jan 2015 #31

It would have been a second-rate imitation of "Taxi Driver" Tom Ripley Jan 2015 #40

... n2doc Jan 2015 #5

Excellent selection. Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #19

Why would the Army use sailors for it's recruitment posters? braddy Jan 2015 #26

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #35

Actually some of those lies aren't in the movie. progressoid Jan 2015 #6

I think you make a valid point. nt Quixote1818 Jan 2015 #7

Defense Department Films, Inc jalan48 Jan 2015 #8

+ swilton Jan 2015 #15

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #36

Question about Bradley Cooper -- Myrina Jan 2015 #9

He is an actor ... his politics are not an issue kwolf68 Jan 2015 #29

Re-Read my post. I didn't *say* his politics were an issue. Myrina Jan 2015 #63

Then there�s Bradley Cooper, who gave Hillary Clinton $750 in 2008 bigwillq Jan 2015 #34

"The Film Suggests the Iraq War Was In Response To 9/11: MadDAsHell Jan 2015 #10

It would have been easy to handle this and solve the problem Quixote1818 Jan 2015 #12

It is just a movie telling a story so a studio can make money hack89 Jan 2015 #21

My premise? So you think Iraq attacked us on 9/11? Quixote1818 Jan 2015 #30

No. I opposed the war and think Bush lied to get us into it. hack89 Jan 2015 #33

It's not a 'point of view'. Eastwood presents lies dressed up as reality. The film pretends to be ND-Dem Jan 2015 #37

It is still just a movie. Just entertainment. nt hack89 Jan 2015 #38

for those who find war propaganda entertaining ND-Dem Jan 2015 #39

I am for the most part anti-war. Serving in combat does that to a person. hack89 Jan 2015 #42

But this is not about you, this is about gullible people that believe what they see in this movie Rex Jan 2015 #47

Gullibility is a universal bipartisan trait. hack89 Jan 2015 #48

True. That is a good point. Rex Jan 2015 #51

Like I said; if you think watching people get killed is entertaining. It's the raison d'etre of ND-Dem Jan 2015 #55

You are right - the only reason to watch a war movie is to revel in death hack89 Jan 2015 #57

it's the main reason to watch a pro-war movie where a lot of people get killed; either that, or ND-Dem Jan 2015 #58

You are really putting a lot of effort into getting outraged over this film hack89 Jan 2015 #59

ok. i'm actually amused, though ND-Dem Jan 2015 #60

ok. nt hack89 Jan 2015 #61

There are STILL people who refuse to admit Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #20

I think you went too far about Kyle's reason for going to Iraq. A Simple Game Jan 2015 #23

was just reading about Jesse Ventura's story yesterday NewJeffCT Jan 2015 #11

K&R. Re: #3 - I think Eastwood tried to conflate Pat Tillman's expressed feelings bullwinkle428 Jan 2015 #13

maybe Eastwood brought some things in from other sources uhnope Jan 2015 #18

Sounds like they left out the scene where he dies rocktivity Jan 2015 #14

That is the real paradox in Kyle's life. Everything else seems rather shallow, mrdmk Jan 2015 #62

the film is both anti-war and pro-war uhnope Jan 2015 #17

What did anybody expect from Clint Eastwood? tabasco Jan 2015 #22

That's the best dam point I've read all day! Rex Jan 2015 #46

There is one more REALLY big lie . . FairWinds Jan 2015 #24

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #41

LOL! The truth about the movie has some particular RW people all pissed off! Rex Jan 2015 #45

What a ridiculous article. Dreamer Tatum Jan 2015 #25

Have to disagree FairWinds Jan 2015 #27

HOW many movies were made about other wars? Dreamer Tatum Jan 2015 #28

And those movies should be looked at as well and are often criticized. However.... Quixote1818 Jan 2015 #43

I couldn't care less. The real history of Selma is known. Dreamer Tatum Jan 2015 #49

Vanilla Ice read for LBJ in Selma. bigwillq Jan 2015 #50

Just so you know I dropped the part about Selma in my post for a link about inaccurate war films Quixote1818 Jan 2015 #56

....I believe a number of these were made long before 1995. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #52

Then you agree with me. Thanks. nt Dreamer Tatum Jan 2015 #53

no i obviously don't. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #54

Dirty Harry for the youngens. GeorgeGist Jan 2015 #64