Worst Political Cartoons

[Nemo]

One of my liberal friends (and one who is actually very into politics no less) saw American Sniper and enjoyed it. Plenty of conservatives probably enjoyed Brokeback Mountain too, as being opposed to public spending doesn't instantly make you opposed to gay rights. If they're complaining about a few public loudmouths, well I can pull up some stupid stuff Rush Limbaugh has said.

[Id82]

I haven't seen the movie so I have no opinion on it and war movies don't really interest me all that much. But from what I heard of some of the passages in the book American Sniper they do seem a little disturbing.

[Eiki-mun]

I have seen posts on Tumblr comparing it to Nazi propaganda. Then again, it is Tumblr, and they're full of crazies.

[I am lizard]

I have seen posts on Tumblr comparing it to Nazi propaganda. Then again, it is Tumblr, and they're full of crazies.

I haven't heard that comparison, but I definitely haven't heard good things about it.

[Second Coming of Madman]

It files away the character of a rather (even if I remove his bragging, since confirmed sniper kills generally require a witness) competent, if remarkably psychotic, soldier. Even without the virulent racism on Kyle's part, I doubt it would be considered a classic.

 

[Canadian Mojo]

Not to speak ill of the dead, but the man was also a proven liar which is understandably adding a lot of fuel to the fire.

[Cloud3514]

General conservative military worship doesn't help matters. I was called a terrorist sympathizer and told that I should go get shot at by ISIS for pointing the flaws with people defending Kyle's sociopathic, at best, statements and writings with "you can't judge if you haven't had his experiences."

[I am lizard]

Wow, you're against witch trials, you must want the withes to win.

[Cloud3514]

Wow, you're against witch trials, you must want the withes to win.

You can't criticize the tactics of the witch hunters unless you've been a witch hunter.

[niam2023]

I'd gladly speak ill of that disgusting psychotic cretin.

The only reason he's viewed as a hero and not as a serial killer is because he just so happened to murder people for the government.

[Canadian Mojo]

I'd gladly speak ill of that disgusting psychotic cretin.

The only reason he's viewed as a hero and not as a serial killer is because he just so happened to murder people for the government.

So Dexter basically?

I've known a few people who were in the military, they were all at best slightly fucked in the head. At least a couple of them would be in jail if they hadn't had a proper focus to guide them. That's not to say they were drooling psychos, just not well suited for mainstream boring old society and destined to butt heads with it.

[RavynousHunter]

I'd gladly speak ill of that disgusting psychotic cretin.

The only reason he's viewed as a hero and not as a serial killer is because he just so happened to murder people for the government.

So Dexter basically?

I've known a few people who were in the military, they were all at best slightly fucked in the head. At least a couple of them would be in jail if they hadn't had a proper focus to guide them. That's not to say they were drooling psychos, just not well suited for mainstream boring old society and destined to butt heads with it.

Part of that has to do with the general trauma of being in war.  You start to think in a certain way, and when its a matter of life and death, it sticks for quite a while.  Coming back to normal, civilian life after that is an incredible shock, and given the rather alarming lack of adequate psychological care for veterans, it only stands to reason that quite a few of them are unstable.

That said, some people ARE generally fucked in the head BEFORE joining the military, soooooo...yeah.

[guizonde]

i saw the movie, and you know what? it is disturbing. if you'll let me indulge in armchair psychology for a minute, it's a clear-cut case of ptsd mixed in with jingoism (texas, y'all), and by the end of the movie, psychotically tinted emotional attachment (aka savior syndrome). the man was a wreck. it's not meant as a patriotic movie. it's a dark tale of the dychotomy between what people perceive as their heroes and what they actually do and what they become. it's a tough movie.

[SpaceProg]

^ Have to agree there.  I'm reminded of a movie several years ago, (but I can't remember its name) that told the story of a unit of military grunt guys who were all prepared and psyched up into the mindset of killing the enemy and when it came down to it, they weren't able to do anything.  There was no order to kill/attack,  and it was devastating to their minds.

[R. U. Sirius]

It's probably worth noting that many ancient societies had mystical/religious rituals to separate a soldier's identity in combat from his identity at home. It wouldn't have solved every problem, of course, and it probably came with a host of its own, but I can't help wondering if something similar would help our returning vets.

On the other end of the scale, you have societies like the Spartans, who (so I've heard) approached war the way a laborer approached work...messy and often unpleasant, but necessary. I've heard that they even used farming terms to describe combat, to help reduce the emotional impact...the front line of their phalanx engaging an enemy was called "reaping", for example, particularly when they got close enough that they had to rely on their short swords rather than spears.