Hearts and Minds, Baby!

David Weigel | December 15, 2006

I don't know the story behind this video, but if anyone does, tell me...

... as I'm having trouble understanding why anyone wants to ship more American troops to Iraq. I mean, besides because they want to save their asses politically.

Comments

Jennifer|12.15.06 @ 11:10AM|#

If you're going to do something on the job that's likely to piss off your boss, don't videotape it. But if you videotape it, then for fuck's sake don't post it on the Internet.

Sammy Franklin|12.15.06 @ 11:16AM|#

Then you need to read the comments sect. at HnR mor often. Kwais was just here saying the dumb things about the Iraq War he usually does. When kwais stops talking like kwais, then, and only then should we stop increasing the troop levels.

Some people learned quicker on Iraq and some learned slower, but kwais is really the appropriate litmus test on this. I say we don't leave til he, and everybody like him cries "uncle."

In kwaises' case, i am pretty sure a draft would do the trick and is therefore the most efficient approach.

|12.15.06 @ 11:17AM|#

Every time you go to McCains exploratory page it loads a different picture. He manages to look like a major deutsch in every one.

|12.15.06 @ 11:17AM|#

Ibriham: "Fuck Iraq! Fuck Iraq! Fuc... Hey! Abdul?"

Abdul: "Yeah Ibriham?"

Ibriham: "Do you have that English-to-Arabic dictionary handy? I need to look up something."

|12.15.06 @ 11:17AM|#

I wonder what LCpl Boudreaux's got to say about this.

Heather Annastasia Siladi|12.15.06 @ 11:26AM|#

Yesterday, someone here asked what the difference was between Bush and Saddam since their methods were so similar.

I said that the difference is that Saddam was an Iraqi and his army was Iraqi.

I think this video proves my point.

The Iraqi's will never be persuaded that the U.S. troops have their best interest at heart, first because they are foreign, and second because they don't.

|12.15.06 @ 11:29AM|#

That is really funny. G-d bless America.

|12.15.06 @ 11:35AM|#

Somewhere, someone is turning that into a ringtone...

|12.15.06 @ 11:55AM|#

Looks like a 25 ID patch on one of those clowns. Fucking jackasses. Not that we tankers haven't been just as mind-bogglingly stupid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT1I95dqrAY&NR

Those grunts are going to be sad when their chain of command tracks them down. I hope for their sake that they only posted the video after their ETS. Either way, the damage is done.

|12.15.06 @ 12:10PM|#

Would someone mind explaining this video to me? I can't figure out whether the kids started to say this on their own, or whether the soldiers led them along. My impression is that people are assuming the latter, but I can't tell.
I have a feeling that the kids know what the f-word means, i.e. they're not being taken advantage of. Also, to my surprise I didn't sense any animosity between the kids and the soldiers.

|12.15.06 @ 12:27PM|#

"I have a feeling that the kids know what the f-word means, i.e., they're not being taken advantage of."
And this matters for what reason? This is posted on the internet for all to see, it doesn't much matter what the original context is (unfortunately).

"Also, to my surprise I didn't sense any animosity between the kids and the soldiers."

Nope, just one-way advantage taking for bemusement.

The War Tapes|12.15.06 @ 1:15PM|#

If you think that video is bad, look at this. It's really disgusting/heartbreaking and could be straight out of Apocalypse Now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeH1TKmYd4c

|12.15.06 @ 1:56PM|#

""" I'm having trouble understanding why anyone wants to ship more American troops to Iraq."""

As if all our troops, or newly arriving troops act like that.

I'll bet this video falls in the 10% screw-up (a nicer word) rule. That's what it was called in the Marines back in the 80's. 10% of your troops will be trouble makers of sorts.

I do hope the kids know what it means and it's only fun and games, or it could end up a motivator to attack us later on when they feel like fools for saying it.

What irony it would be if one of those kids ended up killing that guy at a later date.

But it is kinda funny.

|12.15.06 @ 1:58PM|#

"I can't figure out whether the kids started to say this on their own, or whether the soldiers led them along."

Does the soldier laughing and saying "Aw, this is so wrong." not spell it out for you?

Although the other option -- that a tank just happened to stumble across a group of elementary children chanting "fuck Iraq" -- is just as plausible, I guess.

The Wine Commonsewer|12.15.06 @ 2:32PM|#

That IS kind of funny. Yes it feels like it may be real (I knew guys who would have done exactly this kind of thing) but there is also a fair chance it's faked, but of course, nobody would ever consider that.

Personally, I find it rather doubtful that after four years of American occupation that there are any Iraqui kids who would not know these two English words:

Fuck

and

Iraq

In which case, co-operation with that kind of a chant might not be easily had.

Ah hell, it must be real, fer crissakes, it's on U Tube. Like the IBC Root Beer video Sometimes the best beer is a root beer I still wonder if he ever found the rest of the body.

|12.15.06 @ 2:32PM|#

But what about the purple fingers? For Christ's sake, the purple fingers! Purple fingers, guys! C'mon!

The Wine Commonsewer|12.15.06 @ 2:36PM|#

The video of the kids running after the water was awful, but, obviously those kids have been treated kindly by most American troops or they wouldn't bother chasing after the fuckheads. They're not stupid.

The Wine Commonsewer|12.15.06 @ 2:39PM|#

Yeah Chris, we all get purple fingers too. That didn't stop the fire fight at Ruby Ridge, the deportation of Elian Gonzalez, the firestorm at Waco, or the drug war.

For what it's worth, the purple fingers didn't exist just a few short years ago.

The Wine Commonsewer|12.15.06 @ 2:40PM|#

Oh and for the record, IMO the water gag is a whole lot more shitty than teaching the kids to chant fuck Iraq.

wingnutx|12.15.06 @ 3:06PM|#

This is just Monty Python's "Tobacconist Sketch" with a change of scenery.

wingnutx|12.15.06 @ 3:09PM|#

Good thing nobody has ever tricked an American GI into saying something embarrassing in Arabic.

|12.15.06 @ 3:21PM|#

Well I suppose I should comment on this as I have been called out.

It is stupid. There are a lot of people on our side here doing stupid stuff. Some much more than others, and they hand the enemy their propaganda victories.

And I don't think it dawns on them the possible effects of their actions. They think "fuck them, let them try something against me"

But it doesn't go back and bith them, it bites some other soldier, some other soldier takes a blast from an IED, or some interpreter, or salesman dies for their association with us.

Having all the little kids chant "fuck Iraq" doesn't seem that big a deal in the grand scheme of things, but it certainly doesn't help much. (I assume from the comments that is what they are saying, I have no sound on this computer).

This might indicate that there are some serious flaws in Army leadership. But it says nothing about the bigger picture of the necessity or the winnability of this war.

|12.15.06 @ 3:23PM|#

Heather Anastacia,
I answered some of your comments on the other Iraq thread, and my comments aren't there anymore. I'll try to post them again.

|12.15.06 @ 4:37PM|#

Abdul: "So What does the dictionary say?"

Ibriham: "It says that they want to have sex with our whole country!"

Abdul: "What perverts!"

Ibriham: "Maybe that's why their government made up the BS about WMD"

|12.15.06 @ 4:53PM|#

This is what happens when you send trained killers to be social workers. Soldiers aren't trained to be "nice", they are trained first and foremost to kill the enemy as quickly and efficently as possible, right?

It is not really the soldiers fault, it is the fault of the people who sent them to Iraq in the first place. If you lock your kid in a cage with a grizzly bear, it is not the grizzly bear's fault if it eats the kid. Grizzly bears are just big an ornary, and you make decisions about grizzly bears with that fact in mind.

|12.15.06 @ 5:57PM|#

There are plenty of things going on in Iraq to be upset about. Teaching kids bad words -- like I did to my little brother before he knew any better -- does not register high on that list, for me.

The Wine Commonsewer|12.15.06 @ 6:19PM|#

Rex, good point. That's why I expressed on another thread that I don't think we have the will to win. On a civilian or military level. Your comment is a perfect illustration. Soldiers are not social workers.

|12.15.06 @ 7:02PM|#

OK, I don't have sound on my computer, but I can infer what happened. Its arguably inappropriate, but I'm sure any english speaking Iraqis who see it will have a sense of humor about it, no?

I wonder if there's a way of getting any of those particular soldiers to say or carry around a sign saying something embarrassing in arabic. Fair is fair.

While the first video seemed like at worst an immature prank, the water video struck me as worse (especially since the kid who ran the longest didn't even get the water in the end). I won't have any objection if someone eggs and teepees that guy's house next holloween or something.

|12.15.06 @ 7:27PM|#

I guess they figured they had to fuck the country in order to save it...

|12.15.06 @ 9:58PM|#

American troops are monsters!

To get a bunch of Iraqi children to utter obscenities in foreign languages! The horrors!

Back when Saddam was running Iraq, nobody threw rocks at his troops. It was obviously because they were nicer and did a much better job of winning hearts and minds.

Yesterday, someone here asked what the difference was between Bush and Saddam since their methods were so similar.

I said that the difference is that Saddam was an Iraqi and his army was Iraqi.

I think this video proves my point.

Yes, the Iraqi army used to rape women, torture people to death and try to exterminate minorities which is exactly the same as teaching kids swear words. Thank you for opening our eyes to the moral equivalence, Ms. Annastasia Siladi.

|12.16.06 @ 1:32AM|#

He manages to look like a major deutsch in every one

A major German? Or do you mean a major douche?

|12.17.06 @ 7:44PM|#

Should be interesting to see how Hannity, et al spin this tomorrow.