Standard Operating Procedure

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Standard Operating Procedure
Topic Started: Aug 6 2009, 01:30 AM (58 Views)
panzer the great & terrible	Aug 6 2009, 01:30 AM Post #1
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,325 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	IMO the greatest documentarist of all time and the USA's greatest living filmmaker is Errol Morris. Ebert's been pushing his Gates of Heaven in the Sight and Sound poll for ages, and as far as I'm concerned, that one isn't in the same league with Vernon, Fla. and The Thin Blue Line. But now comes this picture that blows all three away. Many crimes occurred on George W. Bush's watch, primarily because he wasn't watching, but none of them more visible, toxic and permanently damaging to our country than those at Abu Ghraib, and here is the movie that shows that even though the abuses of prisoners there were cruel and unpardonable, the degradation to American soldiers was almost equally severe. The real story is that our troops were thrust into an impossible situation under wretched conditions and given stupid orders by people who wouldn't take responsibility when the hammer fell. It's a tale of cowardice: nobody above the rank of Sergeant went to jail because of Abu Ghraib, even though the orders leading to the abuses there came from the very top. But don't believe me, watch the movie and see what you think. Five stars. One of the greatest American films: no other country would allow such a movie about its own government. You folks all need to see this thing. There's something cleansing about it.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


JazzGuyy	Aug 6 2009, 02:44 AM Post #2
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 2,173 Group: Members Member #110 Joined: June 1, 2006	It has been long tradition in the military to pin the blame for failures on the lowest ranking individuals you can find. It's usually some lowly lieutenant or maybe a captain but sometimes it goes down to the enlisted ranks.



panzer the great & terrible	Aug 6 2009, 12:32 PM Post #3
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,325 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	Yeah, I know, but these particular failures were policies, and policies don't originate with NCOs. Watch the movie and you'll find that most of the prison's abuses were "Standard Operating Procedure" as defined by Pentagon brass who slithered under rocks when the photos came to light, lest they be exposed and tried as war criminals. Another thought: some who were guards in Iraq and at Gitmo are now domestic prison guards deploying the same techniques against Americans and teaching them to young recruits.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


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