May God Bless aid America; are we winning the Hearts and Minds?
Op/Ed
I seldom offer up an sentiment piece to my readers, but after seeing this video I felt compelled to address this issue.
Our government has lead us to believe that a huge portion of the war on terror, now called something else, is at least in part, to win the hearts and minds of the humans we are there to help.
“Hearts and Minds” is a euphuism for a venture started by the Bush Administration and United States military, intended to warrant and win the ordinary help by Americans for the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.
When an oppressed people live in fear of local warlords or thugs, liberating forces like the U.S. Army are sent to undertake to protect and help them in order to direct their allegiance away from dangerous extremist groups such as the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda.
An primary portion of the U.S. military action in the Middle East is to undertake and win the hearts and minds of it is people, so when I saw the attached video I was not only shocked and dismayed but was very disappointed in our troops’ actions. The video depicts our troops in Iraq taunting and mocking Iraqi children in the public streets. Having these kids repeat degrading and derogatory chants versus their own country and religion just so they may get a lot of treats is not amusing. Encouraging Iraqi street kids to chase our military armored vehicles down dangerous streets, risking life and limb, by running behind these vehicles for long distances just to have bottles of water chucked at them by American GIs who are laughing the entire time, is not the effigy most Americans have of a US soldier sent to liberate and serve.
Another American GI, video tapes and makes fun of a disfigured Iraqi boy and calls him, “the ugliest kid” he had ever seen while laughing and pointing at the boy who was in apparent need of a great deal of sort of assistance.
In still another scene recorded by the GIs, sheep herders were resting along a highway with their sheep, while an armored US caravan drove by and mercilessly attacked the defenseless group with an explosive device maiming and killing some of the sheep but even more sickening, perhaps a great deal of of the sheep herders. The attack appears altogether unprovoked and received deafening cheers and laughter from the GIs that just continued driving down the road not at all concerned when it comes to the harm and potential unnecessary an unprovoked death they may have caused.
The video ends with an American GI keeping a scared, defenseless, loudly whimpering puppy by it is neck. Then, for no apparent reason other than for fun, throws the puppy 30 or 40 yards in the air throughout the desert. The defenseless puppy comes down in thud and lands hard on the ground. No other sound is heard from the puppy as it is surely injured and left to fend for itself while the soldier just laughs.
One American mother of a serving GI in theater said after she saw the video it made her sick at her stomach.
This video demonstrates abhorrent conduct by our troops resulting in an exceedingly negative affect on the very people we are attempting to help. Behavior like this undermines all of the positive acts that our military does in theater, and may be as damaging to our international image, as the so called “humanitarian bombing” missions, using our Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) resulting in numerous deaths of innocents, or collateral harm as it is more commonly known, while targeting the enemy. Currently, military UAVs, or drones controlled by US Military here at home, carry out galore successful reconnaissance and attack missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan; they have likewise been prone to collateral harm and/or erroneous targeting. It is reported that the U.S. has upwards of 3000 UAVs in the war on terror. However, even even though there may be situations beyond their control, the soldiers manning these drones are not subject to the same effects war has as those soldiers on the ground.
I don’t agree that the deplorable actions by these young Americans on this video rise to the level of the Nazis in WWII Germany, as the video suggests. This conduct may be a venting procedure due to the perils of war endured by our soldiers. To them, these actions may seem trivial equated to what they have seen and experienced, particularly after extended and multiple tours. However, I do think their actions are sickening to most Americans. Our soldiers will have to be held to the most eminent ordinary and will have to lead by example. We, as citizens, have a responsibility and obligation to protect our men and women from suffering negative aftermaths affiliated with their action in this war. If these actions are a result of the frustration, mental anguish, and fatigue from fighting this war, we need to fetch them home immediately. However, if these are the activenesses of a few rogue, infernal soldiers, they will have to be kept accountable for their conduct.
These actions are counter-productive and do not show what America is when it comes to or what our nation stands for. It is this type of conduct that hurts America’s effigy among the peoples of the world and fosters hate towards America and it is citizens. It only fuels the hatred purposed at the US and fosters an surroundings where it is posing no difficulty to recruit more terrorists and oppositions of the United States. It also puts our troops and American civilians in even more danger. Not to mention, it actually highlights and causes me to question whether the billions of dollars being expended on this war are in truth necessary.
Apparently this video is not an anomaly but an intermediate day in the life of a great deal of of our troops serving, in this police action, called a war. It is this type of conduct we need to put an end to, NOW!
Would God bless America..????
Some cold blooded Americans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9YpeauieL0
To see finish video go to: www.lagunajournal.com
Michael Webster’s Syndicated Investigative Reports are read worldwide, in 100 or more U.S. outlets and in at least 136 countries and territories. He publishes articles in association with international news agencies and media info services with more than 350 news affiliates in 136 countries. Many of Mr. Webster’s articles are printed in six working languages: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish. With ten more languages planed in the near future.
Mr. Webster is America's leading authority on Venture Capital/Equity Funding. He served as a trustee on galore of the nation’s biggest trade Union funds. A brought up Author, Lecturer, Educator, Emergency Manager, Counter-Terrorist, War on Drugs and War on Terrorist Specialist, Business Consultant, Newspaper Publisher. Radio News caster. Labor Law generalist, Teamster Union Business Agent, General Organizer, Union Rank and File Member Grievances Representative, NLRB Union Representative, Union Contract Negotiator, Workers Compensation Appeals Board Hearing Representative. Mr. Webster represented management on that side of the table as the former Director of Federated of Nevada.
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Christians: What are your views with regards to saying 'God Bless' to others....?
Some humans I have known believe only an ordained Minister of the Word may say 'God Bless'.
Is it used to ofttimes with not much of an intended meaning.
Has it turned into a mutual Goodbye Phrase for some.
What prompts a person say God Bless to another.
What are your thoughts, opinions...?
Elder Greg, That pic just makes you want to cuddle her, she is to cherished for words..... And thank you for the Blessing Elder Greg.....:))
That is a good question, but I think that to bless an individual is a form of kindness, and a sense of wanting to share, but the truth of saying God Bless You, needs be thought in regards to a little deeper, perchance even with a prayer, but still, GOD BLESSED YOU. God works through people, and likewise to a few directly, not that it matters one way or the other, as long as it is the same. But if one is a good example of the fruits, then they are Blessed.
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