Kill people for fun

[lord of the mark]

I guess we cant honor Bull Halsey or Patton, either.

[Boris Godunov]

@ the apologists for this guy. Come on, he enjoys killing people. That's what his comment was conveying. Arguing over the semantics of "shoot" is just naive. He likes to kill. I've met several military types who feel the same way. It's a power trip for them when they can snuff out a life. We need look no further than Abu Ghraib as evidence that a segment of military personel certainly do get a kick out of causing misery and death to their opponents.

The article I read included a wonderfully lame "excuse" from a Marines spokesperson saying that Mattis was "trying to convey the true horrors of war." Yeah, sure! No, he was trying to convey that he got a kick out of shooting people. He was pretty clear. So don't feed us lies to try and get around it.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
:. We need look no further than Abu Ghraib as evidence that a segment of military personel certainly do get a kick out of causing misery and death to their opponents.

None of the perps whp commited abuse at abu graib were combat soldiers, BTW. The attempt to connect the two just wont stand.

Look, I dont want to be like this guy. But I dont see that the comment is such a big deal. And quite frankly, never having been in that position, of actually killing someone, I dont really know how I would react, and I would suggest you dont either. Ever read "Unto this Hour" by Tom Wicker? Lots of people react differently in the gut to combat, and its not necessarily a moral differentiator, I dont think. Just as I wont judge someone who runs away in combat, I wont judge those who get there jollies from it.

[Chemical Ollie]

I very much doubt that this guy personally fired a weapon in combat since Vietnam, so he's probably talking about the guys he ordered to do so.

When I think about it, even the Swedish military recruit personnel to some branches based on personality. The air force classify candidates into "Lion", "Chicken" and "St. Bernard". You would believe that Lions are the best fighter jocks, but research has shown that close to 100% of the training deaths involved Lions - a real waste of life and tax money. What they really want for that job are St Bernards, who stay calm during the most extreme situations that may occur.

But our equivalent of the Marines gets the most aggressive types. One of my buddies applied for the Paratroopers. He easily passed the physical and intelligence tests, but then the psychologist provoked him into loosing his temper, which made him fail. The officers said he was too aggressive, but that he could apply for the Coastal Rangers (our marines) instead, if he still wanted to join a special forces unit.

He went to the Coastal Rangers School to make the tests, but when he saw how brain-washed these guys were, he changed his mind. He was finally assigned as an officer in the Mechanised Infantry .

[Dis]

and isn't what this general saying the same thing that we get out of games such as civ2, civ3, and smac?

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Dissident
and isn't what this general saying the same thing that we get out of games such as civ2, civ3, and smac?

As I said in the OP, he should stick to paintball

[GePap]

It was a fundamentally stupid thing to say- I don;t give a **** if he believes it, nor that he is some gun-ho marine. When you are at symposium, you watch what you say- each time has its appropriate way of speaking, and this was not it.

Someone should teach this general how to either keep his trap shut (if he likes shooting, stick to it, not talking) or know how to convey his notions better.

[Kropotkin]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
I wouldn't call them ignorant and stupid, I believe the IQ needed to qualify is above average. Brain washed would be a more appropriate term.

I didn't call them ignorant and stupid. I pointed out that they actually - from my point of view at least - seemed to want to be portrayed as such.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Kropotkin
The Marine Corps of the united states is the only modern military unit I know about that seems to take pride in building up a reputation about themselves as a bunch of ignorant and stupid brutes.

You haven't met any Australian soldiers then.

I was chatting with a naval officer recently, a lt. commander on a frigate, about shore visits. He said his men had 2 priorities on shore leave - sex and brawling - and then he added, thank God they still have some mongrel in them, that they like to fight, you need troops like that. I had to agree.

This general was foolish to speak publicly like that but most fighting troops are in it to kill and blow things up. Most successful generals are blood thirsty, cold blooded characters.

[MRT144]

i change my mind on this. im glad he likes his job, and enjoys doing his job which is killing people. but i do not like how we send him to another nation, to kill, while we claim to be peace loving

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse


You haven't met any Australian soldiers then.

I was chatting with a naval officer recently, a lt. commander on a frigate, about shore visits. He said his men had 2 priorities on shore leave - sex and brawling - and then he added, thank God they still have some mongrel in them, that they like to fight, you need troops like that. I had to agree.

This general was foolish to speak publicly like that but most fighting troops are in it to kill and blow things up. Most successful generals are blood thirsty, cold blooded characters.

Yeah. The best soldiers I knew were the biggest **** disturbers in garrison.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
its good to enjoy your job.

I never thought you would defend a psyhcotic murderer.

[DinoDoc]

It never stopped you.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by DanS
The man likes his job. His job is to take part in violent competition on the orders of the president.

The same can be said about the people who caused 9/11. So instead of denouncing them, you should praise them for liking their jobs.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
It never stopped you.

Weak.