Jesus H. Christ...

[wi3dzmin]

CNN on the brave keepers of the world piece and upholders of the democracy

I for one am fucking disgusted... Politics aside, I have a lot of respect for people who are risking their lives in the army, but I hope these guys get their death penalties right there with Saddam. Let them burn...

[HaoXianJhao]

I agree, have heard alot of disturbing things from friends coming back from Iraq.

The pictures taken are alarming.

Worth noting:

It is impossible to understand what they are going through with the daily stress and chaos, impossible to figure out how the military warps.... "changes" their mindset.

[Blashyrkh]

Imagine the shit that went on before the media got so much access...

[Will]

What access?

Embedded journalists get a great "troops eye" perspective but are hardly going to be directed towards the skeletons in the closet. Until the army conducts their own investigation and decides to make the investigation and results public, the journalists have got nothing. That's how Abu Ghraib went public, reporters got their hands on the Army's own internal investigation.

Those operating independently are in even worse shape when it comes to reporting on the military. They're still locked into the green zone, and perhaps those areas of Baghdad their security detail is comfortable taking them, but as they're not playing ball with the military embed program they have no access

[Dantheman]

Imagine the shit that went on before the media got so much access...

Or imagine what went on in Vietnam. Same situation with plainclothes enemy fighters mixed in with a civilian population, major language barrier, even less media/human rights groups watching, occurring out in the jungle instead of urban areas...I seriously doubt Kerry embellished or made anything up when he was testifying before congress.

[Tippster]

War is hell.

[PNWbrit]

Imagine the shit that went on before the media got so much access...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=6422782

"It became very difficult to objectively assess the role of U.S. soldiers who were housing, feeding, befriending and protecting me. After three weeks in a platoon, I came dangerously close to adopting the mindset and mission of a soldier. Their danger became my danger, their desensitizing forms of recreation -- war movies and heavy metal music -- became mine. Part of my job as a reporter is to get the "other side." How could I get the Iraqi perspective from the bench of a U. S. Army Humvee?"

[Tippster]

^^^That's what our embedded reporters said as well, but we also had guys moving and reporting independently. Several of those were killed - by Americans.

[Blashyrkh]

Yeah, yeah, we all know that imbedded journalism doesn't equal a free press and the military largely controls access to information, that's not my point.

With the advent of a 24hour news cycle on the networks and the gossip mill that is the Internet, reports of attrocities by the military are getting much more facetime with the public—and to much greater effect. Look at the disbanding of the Canadian Airborne Regiment after they killed that Somalian boy as an example.

The way that our society and media is set up today makes it harder, and less desirable, to cover up and ignore attrocities that used to be status quo for the military. How many rapes and murders were there in Vietnam? WWII? The Spanish Inquisition?

We'll never know for sure, but I'm willing to bet that the military is better behaved now than they ever have been in the past. I'm also willing to bet that this largely due to an increase in the general public's access to information through the many forms of media available to them.

[Cornholio]

Maybe, but don't forget: Nobody expected the Spanish Inquisition.

sorry.

[warthog]

(see avatar)

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.