Wednesday, January 25, 2006

What Life Is Like For Troops In Iraq

Here are a couple of good documentaries and photos showing what is really happening on the ground in Iraq. These are videos and photos that you won't see in Americas sanitized corporate news. Some of the photos are disturbing, but it's important for Americans to see what is actually happening. Americans need to see what their government is doing with their tax money and in their name.
(Best to use the RealPlayer option to view the videos)
The first documentary is called "A Company of Soldiers". One part of this documentary that really caught my attention was the Sgt. from Georgia in Chapter one who indicated that he was upset about people protesting here at home. He was automatically under the belief that the war in Iraq was somehow a war fighting for his country or defending his country. Secondly, if you notice, he was under the mistaken belief that the protesters were protesting the soldiers, rather than the policy. In his mind, he did not understand the difference between support for the troops and protesting the policy. This seems to be the case for a lot of soldiers there. What is the reason for this? I can tell the reason. The reason primarily has to do with a T.V. and radio news media dominated overwhelmingly by pro-war conservatives. These pro-war conservative talk show hosts and politicians (most of whom have never served in combat) have been able to dominate the debate and have tricked Americans by saying that anyone protesting the war, or the President doesn't support the troops. That message has been able to resonate because they control so much of the media, including about 80-90% of radio talk stations. Rush Limbaugh alone is syndicated around the world on about 600 outlets. Limbaugh and several other Conservative radio shows and news writers are piped into Iraq and to the Soldiers via Armed Forced Radio. Of course this brainwashing of our soldiers is done at taxpayer expense. Any middle of the road, independent, or more liberal opinions are typically blocked from reaching U.S. soldiers or their families in far flung bases. They tend to be conservatives anyway, but there should still be alternative views available. If other opinions are allowed they are usually allowed on a small token basis.

This next video is called "A Soldiers Heart".


Recent photos:
December 2005

Video of American contractors randomly shooting at civilians, November 2005.

Photos from October 2005

See additional recent photos here, and also here.

Here are a few peaceful photos of the Iraqi people when bombs are not going off or when someone is not being shot, cut, raped or kidnapped. More here.

And here are photos from 2003 and 2004, the early portion of the conflict that the government called operation “Iraqi Freedom”, a “shock and awe” campaign that would liberate the Iraqi people. Just start at page 1 and work your way through. Photos that many Americans did not get to see.

There are several more locations on the internet where you can find real uncencored photos that the corporate T.V. news, and the American newspapers won't show. Most won't even show the flagged draped American coffins returning home, because they have been ordered not to by the government (a government concerned about keeping public opinion in favor of the war, and more wars to come). In China, the old Soviet Union, and a few other countries, Americans call that a State Run media system. Yet, we have the same thing right here in the United States.

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