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Tuesday, December 26, 2006
A Tree With a Massive Knife On Top
Is it just me or is this one of the most profoundly disturbing statements to come out of the war zone of late? If this represents the mindset of a significant number of our troops in Iraq, where do we go from here? From an AP article:
At an Army outpost in Ramadi, the most-dangerous city in insurgent-dominated Anbar province west of Baghdad, soldiers decorated a full-size artificial Christmas tree with mines, smoke grenades and machine gun rounds and stuck a massive knife on the top.
"You can go anywhere in Iraq," grinned Staff Sgt. Jeremy Gann, a 24-year-old from Dallas, Georgia, who is part of the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment. "You won't find another Christmas tree like it."
Meanwhile, in the world outside The Decider's fake ranchette of denial, at least 2,978 members of the U.S. military have been killed in Iraq, at least 89 of them so far in December. And audits are revealing that Defense Department war contracting has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in fraud, abuse and waste and "routinely violated rules designed to protect U.S. Government interests." We all know this is just the tip of the iceberg and that the captain of today's version of the Titanic ship of state could care less. Full steam ahead.
December 26, 2006 at 10:33 AM in Iraq War | Permalink
Comments
Why would someone be surprised that Military personnel, (trained killers) are using some of the tools of their trade as Christmas decor, and are proud of it. Un-like playing a character in a movie, they can't slip in and out of character just because the calendar shows it's Christmas, they are soldiers 24/7, and they can't ever forget there is no "joy, and good will to men" in a gun fight during war. Dealing with the reality of war on a daily basis and being EFFECTIVE soldiers requires a mindset that turns off "normal emotions and feelings" it's a coping mechanism and may not be pleasant to contemplate, but that's how it is. Using their war toys as Christmas decor my seem odd or strange but it's probably easier to get machine gun clips and grenades than tree ornaments in a Muslim country war zone.
Posted by: VP | Dec 26, 2006 11:17:38 AM
I don't agree with you at all this time VP. We've had several wars in my lifetime and nothing like this was going on. I think whoever put up this tree should be court martialed before they do what the murderous troops in Haditha did. I think it's a sign of deteriorating mental health.
Posted by: > | Dec 26, 2006 11:39:20 AM
"I think it's a sign of deteriorating mental health."
Mental health? Mentality.
What can we expect from people that are serving term of duty after another? These are young impressionable people making permanent neural connections that will last a life time.
It plays into the American ideal of violence as entertainment.
Being a lover of violence, I find the tree very musing.
Expect to see a replica at ToyRUs next Christmas.
The USA creed is to stimulate the reptilian brain constantly for the sake of creating endless desire of more...stuff.
What can be more reptilian than violence? Violence sells.
Posted by: qofdisks | Dec 26, 2006 12:18:58 PM
I blame the war machine not the soldiers as much. Of course if someone has a grounding in healthy emotions they are less likely to sink to the depths of that tree but it is the killing machine programming these people to be unthinking death machines.
I am not suprised but I am disgusted and with the reporter too for registering no criticism about the tree.
Posted by: JLC | Dec 26, 2006 12:28:54 PM
Get real folks. Many of these comments show as much ignorance of military life as a our great "decider" has from all of real life. Get some perspective. Unknown thousands have died and continue to die and I should worry over tree decorations?
Posted by: Pdesert | Dec 26, 2006 3:05:27 PM
Pdesert assumes nobody writing here has served in the military. Wrong. In my life I've seen people I knew get completely twisted mentally, emotionally and spiritually by service in Viet Nam and the same thing is happening with many of our military now serving in the senseless mess we created in Iraq. The decorations are symbolic of that twisted way of being that happens more and more as wars like this become unwinnable and without any meaning except more killing for the sake of more killing.
Posted by: Old Dem | Dec 27, 2006 9:49:35 AM
Wasting minds, wasting money, wasting lives, wasting limbs, wasting our future with debt. Don't you feel safer?
Posted by: roadrunner | Dec 27, 2006 12:50:24 PM
Good comments. Is anybody interested in stopping the American involvement? I have a plan. Go to www.vfp-abq.com You will find a simple explanation of how to use the web site. There are pre-written letters to your senators and congressional representatives. Change the return address info, print them, sign them, and mail them - often! This is what will change the minds of our government. BTW tell everybody that you know to go to this web site. When we are generating enough letters even Pete Domenici will pay attention. Please, join me!
Terry Riley
Posted by: Terry Riley | Dec 27, 2006 6:49:18 PM
