Iraq

[gerbie]

I haven't commented very often on what happens in Iraq at the moment, though I am as disgusted as many well thinking citizens everywhere around the world.

The following post still managed to shock me, after I've seen so many tragic events being reported before.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/insomnia/475252.html

Thank you insomnia for pointing this out.

Comments

[aquariusmama.livejournal.com]

It's disgusting...the whole mess is disgusting.

What I don't understand is this...
Do you think jumping around a burning Bradley, chanting and throwing stones is the smartest thing to be doing in that situation??? It's not the first time it's happened and it certainly won't be the last. It's impossible to know enemy from civilian and I refuse to blame the soldiers. How are they supposed to know (from the sky) if the equipment and weapons on board are useless, I would think destroying the vehicle would be the way to go as well. It seems to be protocol from what I've seen...maybe the "God is great" dance should be held a street over from it or something. I mean it's just like shooting your guns into the air in celebration while there are fighter pilots in the sky. If there were children out there...what the hell were they doing there? Clearly there was a battle, clearly there was gunfire and bombs going off...just because the vehicle was burning doesn't mean it's suddenly a playground.

And still...so sad, frustrating and disgusting. How and when will it end?

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

It is ununderstandable what is happening. I agree with you when you say that this wasn't a playground. But the need to actually shoot/bomb the Bradley seems weird as well. These looters weren't exactly trying to discover what was iside. 20 minutes later the thing would have been inrecognisable anyway. Now a dozen people at least lost their lives.

I'm afraid your last question is the one that really gets the pessimist in me out: I doubt if it will ever end.

[aquariusmama.livejournal.com]

It's possible that the people weren't trying to get anything out of it, but what if they were? You know?? I'm sure it happens all the time...what if they did walk away with weapons or something. It has to be hard to make that call. If I were an Iraqi civilian I would be doing everything I could to avoid mistaken identity or putting myself in a more dangerous situation. Dancing around a burning tank while enemy aircraft is up above?? You have to wonder about the logic there. Of course, you could always have that whole "dying as a martyr" thing going too, that's logical as well.

It's just a mess.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

Strange isn't it. I don't think the world has become a better place since we started discussing it three years ago. And I seriously think that both of us, in our own little way, have done what we could. How will the world ever change?

[aquariusmama.livejournal.com]

I just don't know.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

We wouldn't be discussing it here if we had a solution ;-)

Peanut Butter With Bread viewing

[tamaraland.livejournal.com]

One of the feeds that we have on all the time in the crisis room is Al Jazeera. All the docs call it peanut butter with bread news.

Peanut butter with bread is a mnemonic device for remembering the vital body fluids- phlegm, blood, water and bile. And that's Al Jazeera, all the time.

I forget seeing and hearing so much of that side of the commentary that this kind of stuff, while happening all the time, doesn't hit the western news too often.

Re: Peanut Butter With Bread viewing

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

It is weird that one can easily get immune for pcitures/movies like this one. Yet if we didn't have that ability just watching the world news would drive one insane within a week.