The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
$200 million in box office receipts is a measure of how messed up this country is. By Chris Hedges / Truthdig | January 26, 2015
The culture of war banishes the capacity for pity. It glorifies self-sacrifice and death. It sees pain, ritual humiliation and violence as part of an initiation into manhood. Brutal hazing, as Kyle noted in his book, was an integral part of becoming a Navy SEAL. New SEALs would be held down and choked by senior members of the platoon until they passed out. The culture of war idealizes only the warrior. It belittles those who do not exhibit the warrior’s “manly” virtues. It places a premium on obedience and loyalty. It punishes those who engage in independent thought and demands total conformity. It elevates cruelty and killing to a virtue. This culture, once it infects wider society, destroys all that makes the heights of human civilization and democracy possible. The capacity for empathy, the cultivation of wisdom and understanding, the tolerance and respect for difference and even love are ruthlessly crushed. The innate barbarity that war and violence breed is justified by a saccharine sentimentality about the nation, the flag and a perverted Christianity that blesses its armed crusaders. This sentimentality, as Baldwin wrote, masks a terrifying numbness. It fosters an unchecked narcissism. Facts and historical truths, when they do not fit into the mythic vision of the nation and the tribe, are discarded. Dissent becomes treason. All opponents are godless and subhuman. “American Sniper” caters to a deep sickness rippling through our society. It holds up the dangerous belief that we can recover our equilibrium and our lost glory by embracing an American fascism.
The culture of war banishes the capacity for pity. It glorifies self-sacrifice and death. It sees pain, ritual humiliation and violence as part of an initiation into manhood.
it has a familiar ring to it.....hhhhmmmm.....so familiar.......I GOT IT-----it sounds like religion, you know, bringing out the 'best' in mankind......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
This is Clint Eastwood's view..............................
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Left-Wing ‘American Sniper’ Critics (You’ll Love This!)
By Editor | 29,057 views
The popular ‘American Sniper’ movie – which had the 2nd biggest weekend opening of any R-rated move in history – is causing heated discussions throughout America. It has been labeled a pro-war, pro-Republican propaganda film by left-wing movie critics. And don’t forget that Michael Moore and Seth Rogen have been under heavy criticism for saying Chris Kyle was a “coward” and comparing the movie to Nazi propaganda.
Clint Eastwood is a conservative, and there is no doubt that he takes the subject of war seriously. His response to critics may surprise you.
Clint notes that ‘American Sniper’ is actually anti-war, as it shows just how devastating war is on our soldiers and their families:
The biggest antiwar statement any film [can make is to show] the fact of what [war] does to the family and the people who have to go back into civilian life like Chris Kyle did.”
“One of my favorite war movies that I’ve been involved with is Letters from Iwo Jima. And that was are about family, about being taken away from life, being sent someplace.” In World War II, everybody just sort of went home and got over it.
Now there is some effort to help people through it. In Chris Kyle’s case, no good deed went unpunished.”
In addition, Clint went to Texas with actor Bradley Cooper to meet with Kyle’s family:
“I thought I’d better meet the rest of the family and see what they looked like and that would probably dictate the casting and to see what Mrs. Kyle was like.
It was of great value to [Bradley] because he could get into the history of the family and their feelings about the whole situation.”
Well said, Clint! Conservatives don’t want war, and no one wants to send our brave men and women into harms way. War is hellish and miserable… And it’s worth avoiding if possible.
But there is evil in the world, and Chris Kyle dedicated his short life to eliminating as much of that evil as possible. And that’s why we honor his memory.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
But there is evil in the world, and Chris Kyle dedicated his short life to eliminating as much of that evil as possible. And that’s why we honor his memory.
Evil is based on perspective. I have to assume that the american invaders were considered evil to those protecting themselves from the death and destruction they brought to their homeland.
But there is evil in the world, and Chris Kyle dedicated his short life to eliminating as much of that evil as possible. And that’s why we honor his memory.
Evil is based on perspective. I have to assume that the american invaders were considered evil to those protecting themselves from the death and destruction they brought to their homeland.
So your opinion is that the terrorists are not evil? Remember, we did not invade to attack and kill civilian populations, but to find and eliminate the terrorists that threaten our existence and that of all people in the free world. (PS - I am still not in favor of what we did, and we should not have invaded Iraq or Afghanistan...there were other options on how to manage the situation and find UBL)
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE OIL!!!!!! If it weren't....we wouldn't have been there. Our American soldiers DIED for OIL and GREED!!! There are enough 'evil doers' out there....including the great U.S.of A.!!!!! Why didn't we just mind our own business and let 'them' work it out in their own way? BECAUSE IT WAS ALL ABOUT OIL!!!!
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Discovery of oil
In 1937, the 15-year trade blockades against Kuwait were lifted and Kuwait's large oil reserves were discovered by the US-British Kuwait Oil Company. Exploration was delayed until after World War II, the exportation of oil only began in 1951. Between World War II and 1948, Kuwait's inhabitants were still largely impoverished. A few years after the end of World War II, oil exploration finally began. In 1951, a major public-work programme began to enable Kuwaitis to enjoy a better standard of living. By 1952, the country became the largest exporter of oil in the Persian Gulf region. This massive growth attracted many foreign workers, especially from India.
Main article: Gulf War
In 1983, Kuwait supported Iraq in the Iran–Iraq War. As a consequence of this, Iran attacked Kuwait's oil tankers and Kuwait was forced to seek protection from Soviet Union and United States. The invasion of Kuwait and annexation by Iraq took place on 2 August 1990. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's primary justifications included a charge that Kuwaiti territory was in fact an Iraqi province, and that annexation was retaliation for "economic warfare" Kuwait had waged through slant drilling into Iraq's oil supplies. However, the initial casus belli was claimed to be support for a Kuwaiti rebellion.[77] An Iraqi-backed puppet leader named Alaa Hussein Ali was installed as head of the "Provisional Government of Free Kuwait." Iraq annexed Kuwait on 8 August. The war was traumatic to the Kuwaiti population. The underground resistance was punished by summary executions and torture. Almost all Kuwaitis at the time lost some family member. In addition, half the population, both native and foreign-born fled.[79]
George H.W. Bush condemned the invasion, and led efforts to drive out the Iraqi forces. Authorized by the United Nations Security Council, an American-led coalition of 34 nations fought the Gulf War to reinstate the Kuwaiti Emir. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a U.S.-led United Nations (UN) coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that completely removed Iraqi forces from Kuwait in four days. After liberation, the UN, under Security Council Resolution 687, demarcated the Iraq-Kuwait boundary on the basis of the 1932 and the 1963 agreements between the two states. In November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait, which had been further spelled out in Security Council Resolutions 773 (1992) and 833 (1993).[80]
A Palestinian exodus from Kuwait took place during and after the Gulf War. During the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait,[81] 200,000 Palestinians voluntarily fled Kuwait due to various reasons (fear or persecution,[81] food shortages, medical care difficulties, financial shortages, fear of arrest and mistreatment at roadblocks by Iraqis).[82][81][83] After the Gulf War in 1991, nearly 200,000 Palestinians fled Kuwait, partly due to economic burdens, regulations on residence and fear of abuse by Kuwaiti security forces.[84][85][86]
Prior to the exodus, Palestinians numbered 400,000 of Kuwait's population of 2.2 million.[87] The Palestinians who fled Kuwait were Jordanian citizens.[88] In 2012, 80,000 Palestinians resided in Kuwait.[89]
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE OIL!!!!!! If it weren't....we wouldn't have been there. Our American soldiers DIED for OIL and GREED!!! There are enough 'evil doers' out there....including the great U.S.of A.!!!!! Why didn't we just mind our own business and let 'them' work it out in their own way? BECAUSE IT WAS ALL ABOUT OIL!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kuwait
Obviously you have not been paying attention to oil pries and oil production.... Guess Middle East should invade us because of our oil, right!!!
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
Depends on what Lame Stream Media outlet you favor.....if any.
Lower prices may eventually kill some very costly shale drilling projects in the U.S.....could that be the goal?
Nobody knows for sure.
But you can bet that it is STILL all about the OIL!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
So your opinion is that the terrorists are not evil? Remember, we did not invade to attack and kill civilian populations, but to find and eliminate the terrorists that threaten our existence and that of all people in the free world. (PS - I am still not in favor of what we did, and we should not have invaded Iraq or Afghanistan...there were other options on how to manage the situation and find UBL)
I never said terrorists aren't evil. As a matter of fact, the US definition of terrorism(to paraphrase) is threats of violence used to change government policy. The U.S. wasn't hunting terrorists in Iraq, they destroyed their entire military and leveled entire cities, established military bases and built their biggest embassy. So if that's the case, what do Iraqis call the marauding troops destroying an entire country to change the entire government and propping up a U.S. supported government and building an embassy in their capital - liberators?
How many Iraqis were responsible for 9-11 or any other attacks against the U.S.? How many Saudis?
So your opinion is that most of the Iraqis killed over the past 10 years were terrorists plotting to attack the U.S.? Not men, women and children protecting themselves against foreign invaders?
ter·ror·ism noun \ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm\ : the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal : the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
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