Got this while I was on my vacation:
Seems some US Marines were guarding the perimeter of their base when a car pulled up a few hundred yards out with its horn honking and lights flashing, making all kinds of racket and drawing the Marines attention with several rifles and a couple of .50 calibre machine guns….the two occupants of the vehicle then launched a mortar round that luckily fell as a dud 10 feet from the nearest marine…needing no further incentive to keep these guys from lobbing ANOTHER round at the Marines, they opened up with small arms fire and the .50’s, killing both men and riddling the car. After coming off watch, the Marines were informed that they had fired their weapons without authorization and were going to be written up as having done so, and for not going through proper military channels to request permission to fire, something that would have taken a few minutes to get and would certainly have allowed the insurgents to launch a few more mortar rounds at the Marines. Given the chance to explain the whole incident to their company commander, the Marines involved did so….and the company commander told them all that he did not believe them and that paperwork for write ups and possibly even courts martial would continue. It was not until 6 days later when a Marine patrol came across the wreck of the car, the dead bodies of the insurgents, the guns and mortar rounds and other bits that the whole story was confirmed (I keep wondering what was done with the dud mortar round that landed ten feet away)…the Marine higher ups never thought to verify the story, just proceeded with the paperwork to chastise the Marines involved, until the whole story was verified by the patrol who discovered the car….and then, no one told these poor guys that charges had been dropped against them, they just ‘caught wind’ of it through military channels and the whole thing sort of ‘dissappeared’….
Incidentally, the reason I know about this is because one of the Marines involved is my brother, back fresh from his deployment to Iraq….and NOT thrilled to go back with that kind of crap going on. Great way to support the troops, huh?
Mark
By: Grey Area - 16th June 2005 at 21:21
But modern democracies are based on manipulation of public opinion via the news media, Viper.
By: ink - 16th June 2005 at 20:00
Mass media outlets earn a lot more from corporate sponsorship than they do from ratings or readership and it is, therefore, more in their interests as profit making institutions to convince the ‘public’ that what corporations want is the way forward and not to publish the ‘truth’ in order to increase readership or ratings. Corporate America (and this applies to the private sector in the UK and other allies just as much) was very much in support of the war.
By: cinciboy - 16th June 2005 at 19:46
I think my second post in this thread covers a bit of what’s going on.
Long live ABC news and O’reilly clown 😀 .
By: Grey Area - 16th June 2005 at 16:53
Errrr – because they’d prefer to stay in business, cinciboy? 🙂
By: cinciboy - 16th June 2005 at 16:32
Media has a part in it. Remember when Iraq war started they we so -ve in reporting … after Bush got reelected they are imposing self sensorship… crazy US media.. I dont know why they dont report the news as such.. so called ‘Free-media’… 😮
By: kev35 - 16th June 2005 at 12:54
Perhaps if the US ever decide to go and ‘liberate’ Iran or Syria the US Government could seek sponsorship so you could then have adverts like
‘Welcome to a free Iran – Sponsored by McDonalds.’
‘Syria, a free Muslim Country brought to you by Miller Lite.’
There must be endless possibilities. Soldiers with Stars and stripes on one sleeve and McDonalds logo on the other.
Barnowl.
“Suddenly you hear one person start to clap, which turns into several, and then even more until its a massive crowd clapping at these desert combat troops, who are walking through the airport presumably coming home from iraq. There are hand shakes and kisses all round, and as hey walk through you see the diversity of combatants (white men/women, afro-carribbean males/females etc). As they leave, there screen fades to black and in simple type “Thank You” appears. Simply beautiful IMHO.”
A slightly different welcome than the one given to those returning from Vietnam. I wonder why?
Regards,
kev35
By: Grey Area - 16th June 2005 at 12:24
As they leave, there screen fades to black and in simple type “Thank You” appears.
Followed by the Anheuser-Busch logo.
However you care to dress it up, it’s still a Budweiser advert.
By: Barnowl - 16th June 2005 at 10:08
For those who can’t view it, its essentially an airport scene, people going about their business, eating in the cafes, looking at the announcement board. Suddenly you hear one person start to clap, which turns into several, and then even more until its a massive crowd clapping at these desert combat troops, who are walking through the airport presumably coming home from iraq. There are hand shakes and kisses all round, and as hey walk through you see the diversity of combatants (white men/women, afro-carribbean males/females etc). As they leave, there screen fades to black and in simple type “Thank You” appears. Simply beautiful IMHO.
BARNOWL
By: Corsair166b - 15th June 2005 at 21:07
I can’t view it (damn dial up) but I do recall a ber ad tribute to those returning from the Gulf and Iraq, so I assume this is it…
M
By: Flood - 15th June 2005 at 19:24
Much as we love and admire our servicemen and women – and we do – a British audience would scratch their heads in bemusement at an equivalent TV ad on British TV.
And the service men and women would be amongst the first to complain how cheesy and degrading it was.
Flood
By: cinciboy - 15th June 2005 at 18:35
Now there’s a real illustration of the difference in culture between the US and the UK.
Much as we love and admire our servicemen and women – and we do – a British audience would scratch their heads in bemusement at an equivalent TV ad on British TV.
And then start demanding the heads of the idiots who thought that was a fit and proper way to advertise a beer company.
Not right or wrong……… just different.
I agree.. Anything goes here as long as you got some good (Attorney) company.
By: Grey Area - 15th June 2005 at 16:38
Now there’s a real illustration of the difference in culture between the US and the UK.
Much as we love and admire our servicemen and women – and we do – a British audience would scratch their heads in bemusement at an equivalent TV ad on British TV.
And then start demanding the heads of the idiots who thought that was a fit and proper way to advertise a beer company.
Not right or wrong……… just different.
By: Ben. - 15th June 2005 at 14:35
http://www.big-boys.com/articles/superbowl30.html
I think this is probably the best advert of all time. It made me cry.
BARNOWL
great great great :LOL:
By: cinciboy - 15th June 2005 at 14:09
Guys.. I have a question regarding this whole Iraq war coverage.. when I visit any news website or watching TV news (US) most of the Iraq news is about insurgents killing civilians and police.. But daily we hear about fire fight between troops and insurgents also. But no one reports the civilian deaths in these ones.. Also no photos.. What is going on… For god’s sake… War is going on… are we blinded by patriotism..
By: Barnowl - 14th June 2005 at 23:53
http://www.big-boys.com/articles/superbowl30.html
I think this is probably the best advert of all time. It made me cry.
BARNOWL
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June 14, 2005 at 11:10 pm