PHOTOS...American Soldiers in Iraq....ghastly and horrifying crusade!

[diamond14]

it hurts to look at this....bush* CRUSADES....jerry falwell: "blow them all to pieces, in the name of the Lord"....bush* CRUSADES....



US Marines of the 1st Division dressed as gladiators stage a chariot race reminiscent of the Charlton Heston movie-complete with confiscated Iraqi horses at their base outside Fallujah, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 6 , 2004. For U.S. Marines tapped to lead an expected attack on insurgent-held Fallujah, the bags have been packed, trucks have been loaded and final letters have been sent, leaving one final task - the 'Ben-Hur.' (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)



US Marines of the 1st Division try to control a horse as they stage a chariot race reminiscent of the Charlton Heston movie, complete with confiscated Iraqi horses at their base outside Fallujah, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 6 , 2004



US Marines of the 1st Division stage a chariot race reminiscent of the Charlton Heston movie-complete with confiscated Iraqi horses at their base outside Fallujah, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 6 , 2004.



US Marines of the 1st Division line up prior to a prayer at their base outside Fallujah, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 6 , 2004. More than 10,000 U.S. troops have taken positions around the rebel-controlled city of Fallujah, bolstering the U.S. Marine units expected to lead a joint Army-Marine assault on the city. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

[leftyandproud]

1. oh come on..

I think it's funny. Let them havea little recreation in between battles.

[bowens43]

4. this isn't a game.

They are preparing to slaughter human beings. These guys are a disgarce to our nation and to the human race.

[SudieJD]

34. I Agree!

What do these idiots think that they're doing??? I'm so disgusted I could scream! These bastards are ready to kill people and they're making a game out of it! UGH! I'm beginning to hate this country! I'm so ashamed,

Sudie in MN

[berner59]

5. It's the horse looking in distress...

That gets me... I don't care if the soldiers are having fun - they deserve something...but leave the horse out of it...ok??

[ET Awful]

7. Line up prior to a prayer? That'll go over big.

Here's a little hint . . . if you want to make progress in the Middle East, don't shove Christianity in anyones face.

[bowens43]

2. what a buch of of f*cking idiots.

no wonder the US is the most hated country on the planet.

[Mika]

3. Support out troops? Bring 'em on?

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[alevensalor]

6. I have to go with the idiot comment on this one

This is harmless fun, sure enough, in that they are unwinding and having a good time, but these pictures are being seen all over the world, and other countries already think we're the most dangerous hyper-religious superpower on the planet. Oops, make that the ONLY dangerous hyper-religious superpower on the planet.

It's not ok, because we're going to face decades of war because of things like this. Ridiculous.

~A!

[bowens43]

9. There is nothing harmless about what they are doing.

They are trivializing the impending murder of hundreds if not thousands of Iraqis whose only crime is defending their nation from an invading army.

[bowens43]

10. There is nothing harmless about what they are doing.

They are trivializing the impending murder of hundreds if not thousands of Iraqis whose only crime is defending their nation from an invading army.

[Redleg]

12. You are using trivia to attack the troops.

Pictures of a chariot race are not illustrative of the crusades, and do not indicate bloodthirstyness on the part of the troops or their desire to destroy the unbelievers. Get a sense of perspective.

[phasev]

17. It's from Ben Hur of course there's a big significance n/t

[Redleg]

19. Care to explain?

EOM

[Dhalgren]

20. "Ben Hur" is a religious movie espousing Christianity.

Also, the allusion to being Roman conquerors may be missed by ill-educated Americans, but the rest of the world will "get it"...

[Rush1184]

42. You are giving them way too much credit.

How many 18yo enlisties would make this refrence, let alone know about the movie. While this is not the most tactful thing for them to be doing, it has no real significance than to show the soldiers fucking around on their time off. But I agree, leave the poor horse out of it.

[Heyo]

33. Sense of perspective...

....is hard to come by around here.

[Redleg]

8. What's the problem with having a chariot race?

Activities like that help to relieve boredom and take people's minds off of what they will be called to do in battle. They are not using Iraqis as the chariot horses so what's the big deal?

Sometimes I wonder if some of you like to talk shit on the troops just to stir up some shit here. You pick up on trivial things and turn them into major issues. Abu Ghraib was a major issue- this chariot race is trivial. I am also bothered with your connecting Jerry Falwell to these troops.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

11. i agree that it is good for them to relax and have fun, but...

this war is basically just as much a PR battle as it is physical combat.
images like these do not help the cause. the iraqi's perception of U.S. forces manifests in reality, no matter if that perception seems to be accurate or not.

basically, not a good PR move.

[Redleg]

14. This admin clearly doesn't care about being sensitive to the views

of other nations. I suspect these pictures were meant as PR for Americans.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

30. that is what has bothered my about this whole approach since the beginning

they don't seem determined to "win the hearts and minds" by what ever means neccesary, if that means having military leaders address the public of Iraq via Al Jazeera than so be it. this whole thing has really been handled horribly from a PR standpoint.

[Redleg]

37. Yes, their pretext is to "bring freedom" to the Iraqis. Their actions

suggest otherwise. Once again, "moran Americans" are too damned stupid to see this.

[stellanoir]

13. it's reminiscent of the Roman Empire. . .

see Crusades for reference.

Not a very a warm and fuzzy time in Arabic history.

[Redleg]

15. What does the Roman empire have to do with the crusades?

By the time of the crusades, the western Roman empire had been gone for 700 years and the eastern Roman empire consisted of Byzantium (Constantinople, Istanbul) and the lands immediately surrounding it.

[stellanoir]

22. they emerged from the same culture

and were sponsored largely by the Roman Catholic Church. Though you're right about the timeline. I can't imagine these misguided charioteers aren't triggering those memories and associations.

[Redleg]

26. How can you know what they are thinking?

Why do some people always have to see the worst in our troops?

[stellanoir]

31. I doubt that they were purposely trying to have that effect

Clearly they look like they're just screwing around.

I don't blame them for not being well versed in cultural history.

I could just see it as a very strong potential association which could be an unfortunate result of this behavior.

I've studied Jungian symbolism for ages and have been reading blogs of Iraqi's for almost two years. That is what I was basing my concerns on.

[puddycat]

27. No democracy has ever survived this kind of pro-militarization

and by propping up these troops, about to commit genocide against a people we illegally invaded, we are doing ourselves no favor. We must fight against this ultra-uber-pro military stance that has infested our culture. Or else it will be too late. We must get back to a moral standing in the world, and the only way to do that is to stand down, and change the way we think about violence and the military.

[tuckessee]

28. What's wrong with playing.....

....football, baseball, softball, soccer or any one of the myriad of sports and activities that have been used by American troops in the past?

Also, don't you think it's kind of a waste of time, effort and resources to fashion chariots when there are Humvees that need to armored?

It's going to be hard to feel sorry for the next group of Occupation soldiers mangled when an IED rips through their unarmored vehicle since they obviously prefer chariot races to upgrading their equipment.

[dpt223]

38. exactly

The troops are mainly young men. Young men in groups tends to do stupid things. I know this being that I am a young man.

[Malva Zebrina]

16. I don't think it funny

Charlton Heston eh? Gives me some insight into why most of them voted for Bush. They could have dressed up like Vikings, or other warriors--how about the Spartans. To choose the crusade motif says a lot. But hey, it's only a little entertainment for the troops--combine that with the remark that the enemy is Satan--I forgot which General said that but it was posted on DU.

AS if they were going into battle against a well trained, well equipped and established enemy army--they are NOT. They are pummelling a city that has only rag tag resistors with a few arms, that has already been pummelled with bombs for days.

[Redleg]

18. How is a chariot race from Ben Hur about the crusades?

You are off by almost a thousand years.

[Dhalgren]

23. See post #20 above...

[Redleg]

24. Yes, but that's not the crusades- the crusades came much later.

EOM

[Dhalgren]

45. You, of course, are correct.

The Crusades were much later than the Western Roman Empire, but it is the confluence of Christian imagery from "Ben Hur" and this Crusade, today, that is causing this sloppiness in historical references. The posters, here, are probably not trying to allude to the actual historical record, but are trying to make comparisons of motive, intent, and perception. It is the "flavor" of the Conquest of Iraq that lends it its "Crusade-like" air.

[Malva Zebrina]

25. my bad

:-( thank you for the correction.

It's the Jew against the Roman.

[Minstrel Boy]

41. How is an occupation force staging Roman games

in the Middle East, on the eve of a genocidal campaign, just harmless fun?

I can't fucking believe some of these responses.

on edit: Sadly, actually, I can.

[htuttle]

21. Jon Stewart speculated last year...

...that we are auditioning for the part of Rome in the new Bible.

[Az_lefty]

29. Lighten up, this is harmless.

[alevensalor]

32. Bullshit

You may see it as harmless, but it has political ramifications. When it's done here, on our soil, at a state fair, it's harmless. When the other country already sees us as trying to conquer them, not harmless at all.

~A!

[el_gato]

35. it's the mentality behind it that is disgusting

[RobinA]

40. You Know A Lot

about the mentality of combat troops in a war zone, do ya? Learn a little.

[el_gato]

43. I know more than you do that's for damn sure

[el_gato]

36. committing genocide and having fun are not mutually exclusive

[Redleg]

39. LOL!

Now that is funny is a sort of deranged way. The problem is that the troops probably do not believe they are committing genocide.

[el_gato]

44. but they are all the same

[pdx_prog]

46. I don't think much about it

they are just blowing off steam.

[wovenpaint]

47. As bad as I try to feel for those kids

Stuck over there, I sure hope that horse got a good kick in, because like so many humans there, she was being mistreated also! :-(