US 'war is fun' general rebuked

[paulrg]

This kind of shit, when coming from a General no-less, does not help America's cause much. In my opinion guy shouild have been discharged. Sounds like a Nazi, frightens me and angers me...

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4234751.stm

By Adam Brookes
BBC News Pentagon correspondent

The US Marine Corps has publicly upbraided one of its generals for his comments describing shooting people in Iraq as "fun".

Discussing fighting in Iraq, the General said he liked brawling and enjoyed shooting people.

The Marine Corps said Lt Gen James Mattis had been "counselled" concerning his remarks, made during a panel discussion in California.

The general had agreed he should have chosen his words more carefully.

Gen Mattis is a hardened veteran of combat and appears to have developed a taste for it.

During the discussion, he spoke of his experience fighting in Iraq as commander of the 1st Marine Division.

Public gaffe

Caught on tape, he said: "Actually, it's quite a lot of fun to fight; you know, it's a hell of a hoot. I like brawling; it's fun to shoot some people."

In the context of Afghanistan, he said men who slapped around women for not wearing a veil had no manhood and it was fun to shoot them.

The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen Mike Hagee, later issued a statement saying he had counselled Gen Mattis on his remarks.

The statement praised Gen Mattis as a brave and brilliant military leader and it seems there will be no disciplinary action.

 

[PrimaDonna]

The statement praised Gen Mattis as a brave and brilliant military leader and it seems there will be no disciplinary action.

Yeah, I heard Mattis' speech on the radio today. Can't say it really surprises me as I'm sure many soldiers feel this way about their enemies....but for a General to say it out loud in an open forum with a reporter present is utterly thoughtless and should not go unpunished (and I'm not talking about just being "counselled").

 

[drhark]

It is the job of the military to kill the enemy. If dehumanizing the enemy helps them do their job, more power to them.
And no, it doesn't help America's cause much when the press makes a mountain out of this molehill, I agree.

 

[knox]

Read the whole thing, it's not so horrible in context (he's talking about it being fun to kill people who deserve it). It's a little on the sick side, but it isn't quite as bad as the media wants you to think.

 

[deep]

Re: Re: US 'war is fun' general rebuked

Yeah, I heard Mattis' speech on the radio today. Can't say it really surprises me as I'm sure many soldiers feel this way about their enemies....but for a General to say it out loud in an open forum with a reporter present is utterly thoughtless and should not go unpunished (and I'm not talking about just being "counselled").

yeah,

he should have just said he wanted to give them an "extreem makeover".

 

[Sherry Darling]

Rebuked. Oh goodie.

 

[paulrg]

Read the whole thing, it's not so horrible in context (he's talking about it being fun to kill people who deserve it). It's a little on the sick side, but it isn't quite as bad as the media wants you to think.

I don't know quite what you mean by "deserve it". I am totally against men slapping women but to punish a man in his own country following his own culture with death is outrageous.