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TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

24. Yes. Anyone in the military is in the killing business, either directly or in a supportive role.

Sat Jan 24, 2015, 05:52 PM

Jan 2015

That is the essence of what they do. We break down and then re-program recruits to enter into frightening, fast-moving, unpredictable situations and follow legal orders to kill as necessary--not to stop and ponder the morality of it all. We instruct pilots and weapons officers to drop their bombs on targets, we expect crews in silos to be prepared to turn keys or enter launch codes that could end humanity. We can't complain and judge because some of them really take to it, or become exceptionally skilled (as Kyle was), or are not sufficiently emotionally bothered by the tasks we've given them.

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Bill Maher Blasts ‘American Sniper,’ Calls Chris Kyle A ‘Psychopath Patriot’ [View all] Miles Archer Jan 2015 OP

"They're not like you and me; they're barely even human. RadiationTherapy Jan 2015 #1

+1 rug Jan 2015 #7

k/r Dawson Leery Jan 2015 #2

Good. BlueStater Jan 2015 #3

Its going to hit the 200 million mark on Sunday yeoman6987 Jan 2015 #4

What does that have to do with anything? Kingofalldems Jan 2015 #43

No keep the interest going. I am stunned how yeoman6987 Jan 2015 #52

Any time I see your kind of argument, that popular acclaim proves something is good Demit Jan 2015 #59

So Clint decided love was not the answer - money is? Laura PourMeADrink Jan 2015 #71

I'm sure Hitler's propaganda movies were also very successful. sabrina 1 Jan 2015 #73

The percentage of movie goers are yeoman6987 Jan 2015 #83

Like I said, Hitler's propaganda movies were probably extremely popular. sabrina 1 Jan 2015 #84

Sadly GummyBearz Jan 2015 #85

Watch the clip .The guy on Mahers left shut him down pretty quick glasshouses Jan 2015 #5

He clearly does know though JonLP24 Jan 2015 #12

Did you read his book on why he said that and where it was said? glasshouses Jan 2015 #18

No but countless sources cite it -- page 79 from his book JonLP24 Jan 2015 #21

I could be wrong becuase it was a long while since I read the book but glasshouses Jan 2015 #25

Then maybe you shouldn't speak about things arcane1 Jan 2015 #28

So if I do find the exact quote in the book then you would agree glasshouses Jan 2015 #33

The context is invading a country that was never a threat and never attacked us. arcane1 Jan 2015 #37

They were deployed there to fight a war by our government glasshouses Jan 2015 #44

I'm not fond of people who kill civilians and claim to enjoy it, either. arcane1 Jan 2015 #49

omg you and your repuke talking points Skittles Jan 2015 #78

That actually verifies that he was there when all this indiscriminate killing by snipers was goingon JonLP24 Jan 2015 #30

"strong hold for insurgents" - that language right there pretty much gives you away. Hint: KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #38

Also there is plenty of evidence snipers were indiscriminately picking off civilians JonLP24 Jan 2015 #47

The U.S. military used white phosphorous for anti-personnel operations in Fallujah II. That's KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #48

NO XRAY GLASSES NEEDED TO SEE THROUGH THAT LANGUAGE Skittles Jan 2015 #79

Bill Maher is actually a genius FYI Laura PourMeADrink Jan 2015 #72

It depends on the topic JonLP24 Jan 2015 #75

Please elaborate. You know more than Bill Maher so help us out. nm rhett o rick Jan 2015 #13

For example the word savages glasshouses Jan 2015 #23

"just doing his job" doesn't justify war crimes. nm rhett o rick Jan 2015 #29

Agree but I have seen no evidence of war crimes commited by him glasshouses Jan 2015 #35

The war itself was a war crime. We used to execute people for it. arcane1 Jan 2015 #40

Thank you. nm rhett o rick Jan 2015 #68

oh he's got THAT one covered!!! Skittles Jan 2015 #80

Indeed! arcane1 Jan 2015 #81

I have zero interest in seeing it....they would have to pay me to watch. yourout Jan 2015 #6

Travis Bickle was a far more eloquent writer Tom Ripley Jan 2015 #8

Bill Maher is telling the truth JonLP24 Jan 2015 #9

The Psychopathic Patriots by the way added to night number one of Coachella. Initech Jan 2015 #10

I don't know that he was a psychopath. He did seem to have issues TwilightGardener Jan 2015 #11

Something bizarre, and Maher does this as well, is the idea that our top level snipers are braddy Jan 2015 #17

Yes. Anyone in the military is in the killing business, either directly or in a supportive role. TwilightGardener Jan 2015 #24

It appears he was given plenty of unlawful orders and likely did a lot of the killing for sport JonLP24 Jan 2015 #41

I can't comment to whether or not he received and acted on orders that he TwilightGardener Jan 2015 #50

Though the indiscriminate killing of civilians is reported by countless different number of a people JonLP24 Jan 2015 #57

There are many collaborated claims of this JonLP24 Jan 2015 #26

Even if someone shot at them, there is no reason to think it is our top, school trained snipers, braddy Jan 2015 #34

The sniper that killed the most people happened to be there JonLP24 Jan 2015 #42

I know they are making that mistake about a soldier being a sharpshooter, which is why I described braddy Jan 2015 #46

but dozens of collaborated claims from aid workers, journalists from US, Europe, and Iraq, andreside JonLP24 Jan 2015 #56

There is no reason to think they are not confused about what a sniper is, especially braddy Jan 2015 #60

They mention those things as well as the snipers JonLP24 Jan 2015 #62

They mention soldiers shooting, and you can dig up all kinds of claims, but none of them braddy Jan 2015 #63

The SEAL sniper says he was there when all these people make claims JonLP24 Jan 2015 #64

LOL, He was in that area of the war? So were 100s of thousands of people, and many braddy Jan 2015 #65

I prefer to rephrase that as "They are trained to kill upon orders to do so" arcane1 Jan 2015 #31

So we like Maher again? He seems to go in and out of favor here. DemocratSinceBirth Jan 2015 #14

Me, personally JonLP24 Jan 2015 #16

I don't know about "we," but as the person who posted it... Miles Archer Jan 2015 #19

Not to anybody in particular DemocratSinceBirth Jan 2015 #20

Like any other person Alittleliberal Jan 2015 #55

You mean we all don't have the same opinions?? >gasp< Demit Jan 2015 #61

Arguing over whether Chris Kyle was a psychopath is ridiculous. We are responsible for rhett o rick Jan 2015 #15

Maher's comments on "American Sniper" were the saving grace of last night's show. Paladin Jan 2015 #22

Agree. Why does Maher have those RW hacks? I don't pay extra for HBO to hear bullshit. Auggie Jan 2015 #27

I don't know, but it's happening more often than it used to. (nt) Paladin Jan 2015 #67

Sorry, Maher, but "Psychopath Patriot" should be used to describe... Mike Nelson Jan 2015 #32

Yup. TwilightGardener Jan 2015 #36

What about Wolfowitz, Feith and John Yoo? They weren't 'haplessly sucked into the vortex' - nt KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #45

They played their roles. Malevolent/amoral, but couldn't have done what they did TwilightGardener Jan 2015 #54

All due respect, 'amoral' is pretty much a proxy or synonym for 'psychopath'. It's funny, KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #58

I agree. Though Dawson Leery Jan 2015 #39

Ted Nugent is the textbook definition of a psychopath patriot. Initech Jan 2015 #66

not a patriot. nugent has always been about #1. summer soldier, sunshine patriot. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #77

A verse from a Vietnam era song Hoyt Jan 2015 #51

Seems to be the new favorite movie of GOP chickenhawks. Kingofalldems Jan 2015 #53

McCain being the only exception to the rule Reter Jan 2015 #69

I imagine that's why it's plastered all over the movie headliner features... MrMickeysMom Jan 2015 #74

Bill Maher gets one right for once. eom MohRokTah Jan 2015 #70

I agree ann--- Jan 2015 #76

At 2'25", Maher says "That's the thing: we're in a country..." KansDem Jan 2015 #82