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D-bag of the week.

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,525
i knew what it would be about before i opened the thread.

i lulzed.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
It must be amazing to not have a filter on anything you say.

I wonder what it's like, to just open your mouth and words come tumbling out?
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
I think it would be better to have a filter in his case, rather then inflaming a large % of Americans on the day of the year that honors the fallen...
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
I think it would be better to have a filter in his case, rather then inflaming a large % of Americans on the day of the year that honors the fallen...
You mean the day that 200M or so fatties get drunk on terrible beer and eat their own body weight in nitrated lips and assholes? That day?
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
So, every soldier who's fought in every single war, regardless of which side he/she fought on (or which country he/she fought for, or however many atrocities were committed), is a hero? Are Al Qaeda fighters heroes? Nazis? Or is it only those who fought for us who are heroes, and those fighting for *other* countries/terrorist groups are "evildoers, terrorists, cowards, etc"?

By the way, here's his actual quote:

"I think it's interesting because I think it is very difficult to talk about the war dead and the fallen without invoking valor, without invoking the words 'heroes.' Why do I feel so [uncomfortable] about the word 'hero'? I feel comfortable -- uncomfortable -- about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war. Um, and, I don't want to obviously desecrate or disrespect the memory of anyone that's fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism: hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic. But maybe I'm wrong about that."
Right, because the Republicans have never, *ever* used "support our troops" as a tool to push for more (or continued) war... Ever.

Boner said:
House Democrats will undoubtedly attempt to spin away their failure to support the troops on the House floor today after 147 Democrats voted down funding for our men and women in harm’s way.
Then again, we know how the Republicans feel about our troops serving overseas....
 

Kevin

Turbo Monkey
So, every soldier who's fought in every single war, regardless of which side he/she fought on (or which country he/she fought for, or however many atrocities were committed), is a hero? Are Al Qaeda fighters heroes? Nazis? Or is it only those who fought for us who are heroes, and those fighting for *other* countries/terrorist groups are "evildoers, terrorists, cowards, etc"?

By the way, here's his actual quote:



Right, because the Republicans have never, *ever* used "support our troops" as a tool to push for more (or continued) war... Ever.



Then again, we know how the Republicans feel about our troops serving overseas....
Must spread
 

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
So, every soldier who's fought in every single war, regardless of which side he/she fought on (or which country he/she fought for, or however many atrocities were committed), is a hero? Are Al Qaeda fighters heroes? Nazis? Or is it only those who fought for us who are heroes, and those fighting for *other* countries/terrorist groups are "evildoers, terrorists, cowards, etc"?

By the way, here's his actual quote:



Right, because the Republicans have never, *ever* used "support our troops" as a tool to push for more (or continued) war... Ever.



Then again, we know how the Republicans feel about our troops serving overseas....
Take your "words" and "logic" somewhere else. We are being angry and patriotic here!

 
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daisycutter

Turbo Monkey
Apr 8, 2006
1,651
124
New York City
I think it would be better to have a filter in his case, rather then inflaming a large % of Americans on the day of the year that honors the fallen...
\

As a Vet one of the reasons I joined up was to ensure freedom of speach. Let any asshole say what they want. It makes it so much easier to identify who the assholes are.
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
\

As a Vet one of the reasons I joined up was to ensure freedom of speach. Let any asshole say what they want. It makes it so much easier to identify who the assholes are.
I am a vet of 22 years +...I agree with your statement, completely. BUT...Memorial Day is a day set aside for rememberance of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country. Not, as Stank so succinctly put it, for "200M or so fatties get drunk on terrible beer and eat their own body weight in nitrated lips and assholes"...nor for other idiots with podiums to disrespect said sacrifices. I cannot beleive that this wasnt premeditated on his part for shock value, designed to propel his nobody little ass into the spotlight. The timing is too perfect...
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,513
7,056
Colorado
plz define hero for any purposes whatsoever
According to Webster's:
he·ro   /ˈhɪəroʊ/ Show Spelled[heer-oh] Show IPA
noun, plural he·roes; for 5 also he·ros.
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
By calling all men who join the military (a personal election and a job/career) hero's, it absolutely undermines those who have exhibited "distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities/". The man who jumps on a grenade to save the lives of 10 others qualifies as such. The guy who puts himself into a locale where he might be blown up (sorry Brett, but I think you know where I am going here), made a decision as to be in that situation. It is not heroic to be assigned to an unfriendly location based on your career.

The guy who works on an oil rig in the North Atlantic is not a hero, but puts himself at massive risk for the benefit of others (us oil users). Hero used for a large population absolutely degrades the value of that merit.

To put it into context, I have absolute respect for those willing to join the military and put themselves into those situations to protect our rights. However, not all are heroes... And can anybody explain exactly what rights/freedoms we are fighting for in Iraq and Afghanistan? Sure as hell aren't any rights of Americans.
 
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$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
By calling all men who join the military (a personal election and a job/career) hero's, it absolutely undermines those who have exhibited "distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities/". The man who jumps on a grenade to save the lives of 10 others qualifies as such.
what about a directionless, undisciplined, immature, broke, undereducated, substance-abusing, unindicted felon who has no other option but to enlist?

b/c those were most of my co-workers.



ok, that was me.
 

X3pilot

Texans fan - LOL
Aug 13, 2007
5,860
1
SoMD
Ask most vets, and I bet most are like me, very uncomfortable with the word hero and how it's used, especially when it's used by people to cover their guilt for putting their fellow humans in harms way for whatever cause. On the other hand, I feel comfortable dishing out that label, having personally observed the values and actions that define a hero, just like most of you have. Was my military career a choice? You bet. Was my cousin's choice his own to go to Vietnam, even with a deferral from the draft, because he couldn't stand to see his friends go and him not and died saving his fellow soldiers? Yep. Hero? To me.

Hero is in the eye of the beholder, as it should be.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
Ask most vets, and I bet most are like me, very uncomfortable with the word hero and how it's used, especially when it's used by people to cover their guilt for putting their fellow humans in harms way for whatever cause. On the other hand, I feel comfortable dishing out that label, having personally observed the values and actions that define a hero, just like most of you have. Was my military career a choice? You bet. Was my cousin's choice his own to go to Vietnam, even with a deferral from the draft, because he couldn't stand to see his friends go and him not and died saving his fellow soldiers? Yep. Hero? To me.

Hero is in the eye of the beholder, as it should be.
This.

I have served with many I proudly call a hero. I have met many others I also call a hero. But there are many who serve who are not heroes and many heroes who may have never served (firemen, police, medics, etc). It's not a word I throw around easily and shouldn't be used other than to identify an individual or group.

But it was still a douche comment.
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
Well, we cant go around calling it "Victims Day" now can we?

At the local Memorial Day ceremnoy I attended, the emcee/narrator guy from the VFW seemed to have Memorial Day confused with Veterans Day. Veterans Day I will hoop and holler for, either way you cut it, Memorial Day is a somber occasion. Especially this year. Kid from my home town, Mom was pals with my big sister. RIP Sam...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-wheaton-soldier-funeral-20120531,0,4919924.story
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
Well, we cant go around calling it "Victims Day" now can we?
Like I said earlier, Memorial Day is a long weekend where you get drunk and stuff your face. Sure, you might chant USA! USA! at some point before you pass out.

If I'm in Canada in late October I pick up a poppy. I can't tell you how many Americans I've had to educate at hockey games on why the coaches are wearing those red things on their lapels. That's one thing the Brits and Canucks do much better. Remembrance Day is serious business. Why are we standing out here in the freezing cold at 11 am? And why is everyone so quiet? There's no cheering. And every year, there's less and less of the really old men at the cenotaph.

The flipside of that is Don Cherry upping the jingoism every Saturday night so people can't criticize him for being a senile bigot. It's not all good...

20 goddamn years old. Fvck.
 
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sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
I don't like to discuss this topic because I wasn't in the military and a close friend and a relative are months away to deploying to Afghanistan.

On that note, I won't write about heroism and the military.

But what I feel comfortable talking about is liberals and their knowledge of soldiers.

Sadly, Hayes and I both grew up in the Bronx, although thankfully he lived in Riverdale (put it this way, kids from Riverdale say they are from Riverdale. I tell people I am from the Bronx). We both went to magnet schools, and while he went to an Ivy and I went to a state university, we both have plenty of smart liberal friends.

But if you don't know someone in the military, then you don't think about, "Man today was tough, but no one is shooting at me, the drive home was IED-free, everyone speaks English, and I get to sleep in my own bed".

My people going to Afghanistan made the choice to leave their lives in America behind for reasons which I won't be able to understand because I didn't make the choices they did, I can say unequivocally they are heroes to me.
 
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JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
...I sit on my porch, and I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march, reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore, he forgotten heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, "What are they marching for?"...and I ask myself the same question
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda...and the old men answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer...some day no one will march there at all...


FTR Stink, I for one, did not get drunk, and the last time I went 'round chanting USAUSAUSA was 1980, after the gold medal hockey game...

Now, next weekend I will be drunk. Very drunk. And George Bush is still an asshole.
 

X3pilot

Texans fan - LOL
Aug 13, 2007
5,860
1
SoMD
People get Memorial Day and Veteran's Day confused a lot. And I really like the poppies. A very classy tribute and done very well.
 

valve bouncer

Master Dildoist
Feb 11, 2002
7,843
114
Japan
...I sit on my porch, and I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march, reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore, he forgotten heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, "What are they marching for?"...and I ask myself the same question
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda...and the old men answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer...some day no one will march there at all...


FTR Stink, I for one, did not get drunk, and the last time I went 'round chanting USAUSAUSA was 1980, after the gold medal hockey game...

Now, next weekend I will be drunk. Very drunk. And George Bush is still an asshole.
Must spread, great minds and all that. Using the extremely useful Tunein app I've been listening to lots of radio from back home recently. One forgettable product was spruiking "a trip to Gallipoli" as a prize. Tacky. According to the BBC this is called "dark tourism".
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Chris Hayes has a response, and I am unsatisfied with it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/02/chris-hayes-heroes-apology_n_1565071.html

We have a society that on the one hand has become comfortable with war and on the other hand wants to distance itself from it as much as possible, to outsource it to contractors, to robots and to the 2.3 million volunteer men and women who have been asked to serve for longer durations than at any time in recent history. Our political culture sometimes seems engineered entirely to make us hate each other. What we're trying to do here on this show, and obviously we don't always succeed, is to talk about sometimes quite sensitive topics in good faith ... we tried to do that last week, but I felt short in a crucial moment.
It is funny he mentions robots, like choosing to use drones and bomb-disposal robots is the coward's way, not an effective way to combat the enemy and save our soldiers' lives.

I also read several defenses of his initial comments, and they criticize war, soldiers who fought dishonorably or for dishonorable causes, and the manipulation of heroism for less-than-patriotic purposes. Most of it I agree with.

But none of these opinions offer what they consider heroism, who they consider heroes.

To be frank, one reason why Hayes has received so much criticism is that he seems like a liberal mamby-pamby who wouldn't stand up to a schoolyard bully while he was defending the bully's 1st Amendment rights to tease him.

I suppose that's why Hayes bothers me so much, the similarity to myself. We are both fairly liberal, living in a world which others defend and protect my rights and safety.

But I acknowledge the soldiers who fight for these things, even if I don't always agree with the politics behind the fight.
 

X3pilot

Texans fan - LOL
Aug 13, 2007
5,860
1
SoMD
I suppose that's why Hayes bothers me so much, the similarity to myself. We are both fairly liberal, living in a world which others defend and protect my rights and safety.

But I acknowledge the soldiers who fight for these things, even if I don't always agree with the politics behind the fight.
Careful there, you're starting to sound patriotic and we'll label you a patriot.

You, my friend, get it.