War porn tourism: Want to watch the war in Afghanistan in person? Now you can!

[cali]

OK, it's simulated and it takes place at Fort Irwin, an enormous army base in CA with all kinds of fake villages and cities and enactments of battles that tourists can observe- complete with realistic fake blood and blown off limbs and live goats. Hurray!
Lots of gory pics at links along with the surreal story:

<snip>

In the series of set-piece training exercises that take place within the village, the action is coordinated from above by a ring of walkie-talkie connected scenographers, including an extensive internal media presence, who film all of the simulations for later replay in combat analysis. The sense of being on an elaborate, extremely detailed film set is here made explicit. In fact, visitors are openly encouraged to participate in this mediation of the events: We were repeatedly urged to take as many photographs as possible and to share the resulting images on Facebook, Twitter, and more.


<snip>

Loud explosions, smoke, and fairly grisly combat scenes ensued -- and thus, despite their simulated nature, involving Hollywood-style prosthetics and fake blood, please be warned that many of the forthcoming photos could still be quite upsetting for some viewers.

<snip>

In the subsequent chaos, it was hard to tell who was doing what, and why: Gun trucks began rolling down the streets, dodging a live goat and letting off round after round as insurgents fired RPGs (mounted on invisible fishing line that blended in with the electrical wires above our heads) from upstairs windows; blood-covered casualties were loaded into an ambulance while soldiers went door-to-door with their weapons drawn; and, in the episode's climax, a suicide bomber blew himself up directly beneath us, showering our tour group with ashes.

<snip>

As he escorted us back down the market street to our bus, one soldier off-handedly remarked that he'd heard the village might be redesigned soon as a Spanish-speaking environment--before hastily and somewhat nervously adding that he didn't know for sure, and, anyway, it probably wasn't true.

<snip>

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/05/its-artificial-afghanistan-a-simulated-battlefield-in-the-mojave-desert/275983/

Is this a great country or what?

[In_The_Wind]

1. I don't want to watch war anywhere!

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[cali]

2. yes indeed. that's why I posted this. Not.

[In_The_Wind]

5. How did some people get to be so bloodthirsty?

[MADem]

3. The "tourism" aspect is actually a bright spot.

If we were grinding people through that place at a rapid clip, there wouldn't be time to accommodate base tours.

The fact that they're opening the facility up to civilian observers is indicative of a trajectory towards a peacetime military.

This urban training is necessary, and it save lives if service personnel have to use it. It's best if they don't have to use it, of course, but it would be irresponsible to not train for contingencies.

[cali]

4. I suggest reading the entire article. I see nothing positive in this

we are as war mongering nation and this is a stark illustration. How the fuck about saving lives by not engaging in bullshit aggressive wars that serve no one but the military industrial complex?

It's dogshit that this is necessary.

And defending this is sick, sick, sick.

[MADem]

7. I did read the entire article. I looked at every picture too.

I think your opinion--such as it is--that military personnel should somehow NOT be trained to interact in an environment where they will be sent is "sick sick sick" and it's how we lost fifty eight thousand in Vietnam.

I also think YOUR reading skills need work, as you were so eager to excoriate me that you missed this key element of my post:

This urban training is necessary, and it save lives if service personnel have to use it. It's best if they don't have to use it, of course, but it would be irresponsible to not train for contingencies.

But do go on with your bad self. And have one of those nice and insufferable days.

[cali]

8. sorry, your post is still a blithe defense of this practice

and that's just sad.

[MADem]

10. Sorry--you didn't read what I wrote, and that's quite obvious. But have one of those nice, sad days

now, and feel every bit as superior as you feel you must. I think you need that, for whatever reason.

[cali]

11. oh yes I did and aren't you sweet wishing for me to have a bad day and yeah, that's exactly what

you did. Now continue with your shit denials, hon.

[MADem]

12. I said nice, sad days...

Not bad ones. But you've already demonstrated that reading is not your strong suit...over and over, too!

You're running all round this thread calling people who don't agree with you "sad" and "sick," and now you're whining about "shit denials!" Ah, yes, vulgarities--those will seal the deal!

You're getting what you wanted, aren't you?

Does fighting on the internet make you feel cool? Fill those days? Approximate power?

"Hon?"

[Bonobo]

6. It would be hard to think of something more sickening than this. K&R

This lays bare the absolute illness of America today.

[cali]

9. Absolutely. Sadly, there are people right on DU who

have no problem with this and don't see how sick this is.

[Brickbat]

13. What a sad, bizarre story.

I understand the importance of training. All this story did was underline the fact that we are spending a bizarre amount of money and effort on this war and are still getting nowhere with it. The tourism aspect is just the frosting on a very American cake.