What an Asshole. (760 hits)
Category: PoliticsRating: -0.43 on 25 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Dave <BigDave265.at.yahoo.com> (View user info) at 2004-05-01 19:54:52 EDT
As many of you have heard, im sure, about the death of Pat Tillman. Personally, I think the guy is a hero, just like every other soldier who is going "overthere," whether or not they choose to. I support my troops, it's the least I can do since they are protecting my freedom and keeping our country still the best place to live in the entire world.
Here's a report written by some asshole at UMass. that I would like you all the read.
"Pat Tillman is not a hero: He got what was coming to him"
By Rene Gonzalez
April 28, 2004
When the death of Pat Tillman occurred, I turned to my friend who was watching the news with me and said, "How much you want to bet they start talking about him as a 'hero' in about two hours?" Of course, my friend did not want to make that bet. He'd lose. In this self-critical incapable nation, nothing but a knee-jerk "He's a hero" response is to be expected.
I've been mystified at the absolute nonsense of being in "awe" of Tillman's "sacrifice" that has been the American response. Mystified, but not surprised. True, it's not everyday that you forgo a $3.6 million contract for joining the military. And, not just the regular army, but the elite Army Rangers. You know he was a real Rambo, who wanted to be in the "real" thick of things. I could tell he was that type of macho guy, from his scowling, beefy face on the CNN pictures. Well, he got his wish. Even Rambo got shot in the third movie, but in real life, you die as a result of being shot. They should call Pat Tillman's army life "Rambo 4: Rambo Attempts to Strike Back at His Former Rambo 3 Taliban Friends, and Gets Killed."
But, does that make him a hero? I guess it's a matter of perspective. For people in the United States, who seem to be unable to admit the stupidity of both the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars, such a trade-off in life standards (if not expectancy) is nothing short of heroic. Obviously, the man must be made of "stronger stuff" to have had decided to "serve" his country rather than take from it. It's the old JFK exhortation to citizen service to the nation, and it seems to strike an emotional chord. So, it's understandable why Americans automatically knee-jerk into hero worship.
However, in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico, Tillman would have been called a "pendejo," an idiot. Tillman, in the absurd belief that he was defending or serving his all-powerful country from a seventh-rate, Third World nation devastated by the previous conflicts it had endured, decided to give up a comfortable life to place himself in a combat situation that cost him his life. This was not "Ramon or Tyrone," who joined the military out of financial necessity, or to have a chance at education. This was a "G.I. Joe" guy who got what was coming to him. That was not heroism, it was prophetic idiocy.
Tillman, probably acting out his nationalist-patriotic fantasies forged in years of exposure to Clint Eastwood and Rambo movies, decided to insert himself into a conflict he didn't need to insert himself into. It wasn't like he was defending the East coast from an invasion of a foreign power. THAT would have been heroic and laudable. What he did was make himself useful to a foreign invading army, and he paid for it. It's hard to say I have any sympathy for his death because I don't feel like his "service" was necessary. He wasn't defending me, nor was he defending the Afghani people. He was acting out his macho, patriotic crap and I guess someone with a bigger gun did him in.
Perhaps it's the old, dreamy American thought process that forces them to put sports greats and "larger than life" sacrificial lambs on the pedestal of heroism, no matter what they've done. After all, the American nation has no other role to play but to be the cheerleaders of the home team; a sad role to have to play during conflicts that suffer from severe legitimacy and credibility problems.
Matters are a little clearer for those living outside the American borders. Tillman got himself killed in a country other than his own without having been forced to go over to that country to kill its people. After all, whether we like them or not, the Taliban is more Afghani than we are. Their resistance is more legitimate than our invasion, regardless of the fact that our social values are probably more enlightened than theirs. For that, he shouldn't be hailed as a hero, he should be used as a poster boy for the dangerous consequences of too much "America is #1," frat boy, propaganda bull. It might just make a regular man irrationally drop $3.6 million to go fight in a conflict that was anything but "self-defense." The same could be said of the unusual belief of 50 percent of the American nation that thinks Saddam Hussein was behind Sept. 11. One must indeed stand in awe of the amazing success of the American propaganda machine. It works wonders.
Al-Qaeda won't be defeated in Afghanistan, even if we did kill all their operatives there. Only through careful and logical changing of the underlying conditions that allow for the ideology to foster will Al-Qaeda be defeated. Ask the Israelis if 50 years of blunt force have eradicated the Palestinian resistance. For that reason, Tillman's service, along with that of thousands of American soldiers, has been wrongly utilized. He did die in vain, because in the years to come, we will realize the irrationality of the War on Terror and the American reaction to Sept. 11. The sad part is that we won't realize it before we send more people like Pat Tillman over to their deaths.
Rene Gonzalez is a UMass graduate student. "
-BongZilla
http://www.ehowa.com/home.shtml
I got the transcript from this website, plus he gives out this dudes, personal information, which I proceeded to write and flame him. I encourage you all to do the same.
BTW, would you guys like to know what this guy's bachelor's is in? African-American Music. What a fucking asshole.
User Reviews
Submitted by comicbookguy (user info) at 2004-07-30 13:48:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
CBG Trivia
Submitted by Herpes (user info) at 2004-05-02 20:40:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Didn't I see this a few days ago?
Submitted by BongZilla (user info) at 2004-05-02 20:37:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
loren is hot.
Submitted by BongZilla (user info) at 2004-05-02 20:29:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
i rule, and im drunk.
Submitted by BongZilla (user info) at 2004-05-02 18:04:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I don't blindly support my govt', i support our troops there's a fucking difference. Our troops don't have a fucking choice and they are risking their lives to keep mine fortunate. and yes America is #1 fucker, why do you think every hates us? because theyre fucking jealous. america is the greatest country to live in and Im grateful I have the freddoms that i do. go to hell.
Submitted by Jesus_Loves_TwEE (user info) at 2004-05-02 17:24:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Oh my dod, sweet bujeesus he died? The fact that he was rich and famous, makes it even more of a tragedy. We should all erect large Paper machie statues of Pat Tillman on our front lawns to show our solidarity for Bush and his war on EEE-VAAAL. Its irresponsible of this Rene Gonzalez to doubt war, especial in a time of war. How dare he? A true patriot would be out there placing cute little American flag bumper stickers on any flat surface he could find (now that's patriotism)..
Rene Gonzalez made some good points BongZilla, know of which you even tried to argue or disprove, All you really said is that any American who becomes a solider is an automatic hero and that America is 1#, and anybody who disagrees or sees things from a different viewpoint is un-American and should be intimidated with annoying emails so they know their role and stop disagreeing with the popular majority. Where you one of those people who went out and bought french wine (or would that be freedom wine?) just to pour it out, or bought dixie chicks cd's just to destroy them?
You should find comfort in the fact that there are people like Rene Gonzalez out their who don't blindly support their Government, because once their all gone who will be left too point out the bullshit and hypocrisy? Sure as hell not GOP supporters.
Whats up with hard-core GOP supporters anyway?
They don't wont the names of fallen soldiers to be aired on television, or pictures of flag draped coffins to be shown, then they turn around and try to turn this football player into some kinda martyr for freedom. Hmmm, seems to me to be a bit hypocritical, read a list of average dead americans, or show pictures of their coffins and public support for the war might slip a little, devote a shit load of air time to a dead celebrity, or mercenaries mutilated corpses and you stir the base emotions of the public and gain support for the war.(revenge revenge revenge)
"The ABC Television network announced on Tuesday that the Friday, April 30th edition of "Nightline" will consist entirely of Ted Koppel reading aloud the names of U.S. servicemen and women killed in action in Iraq. Despite the denials by a spokeswoman for the show the action appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq.
While the Sinclair Broadcast Group honors the memory of the brave members of the military who have sacrificed their lives in the service of our country, we do not believe such political statements should be disguised as news content. As a result, we have decided to preempt the broadcast of "Nightline" this Friday on each of our stations which air ABC programming."
Submitted by tuesdaydelay (user info) at 2004-05-02 14:15:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
http://www.zen33652.zen.co.uk/important.htm
Submitted by BongZilla (user info) at 2004-05-02 14:04:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I don't see you doing anything about it Apple Sauce. Fuck the Arabs, fuck all the people who are waging war on America with Terrorism. Terrorism is the pussiest way there is. Tillman and every other American solider are risking their lives for ours. thats fuckin herois. Apple Sauce I hope you get hit by a bus you fucking dirty hippy.
Submitted by Apple_Sauce (user info) at 2004-05-02 13:31:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
He wanted to go and kill people for the Rangers, so he joined the military. But oh well, instead of him killing arabs, they killed him first.
What about the arabs that he killed? Are they heroes? The guy was a fucking asshole, instead of sitting home and playing football. He decided to go and kill other people. Fuck him and fuck you too.
Submitted by Rixes (user info) at 2004-05-02 13:13:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fuck all the morons who thinks hes not a hero because he is. He gave up millions of dollars, plenty of pussy, fame, and god knows what else to fight for something he believed in. The fact that anyone can see him as stupid is idiotic. If I remember right he had a 3.8 GPA, he fought and died for his country, that was the most important thing for him in the world. Anyone who doesn't appreciate that is a obviously riding the short bus.
Submitted by arniahah (user info) at 2004-05-01 22:35:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
tillman=more balls then brains
Submitted by BongZilla (user info) at 2004-05-01 21:22:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Im interested in why you gave this a -2?
Submitted by mrsmsg (user info) at 2004-05-01 21:22:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I wonder if "Rene Gonzalez" has the balls to go to Iraq like Tilman did. Something tells me Gonzales snuck across the Rio Grande to become a professional parasite just like so many before him. I'd be interested to know how many hard earned American tax dollars are invested in this waste of perfectly good skin...
Submitted by KoolWang (user info) at 2004-05-01 21:17:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
More please
Submitted by Tom (user info) at 2004-05-01 21:15:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Anyone who says that so-and-so isn't worthy or talks smack about a dead soldier is an asshole. I get your point, and I agree.
Submitted by BongZilla (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:58:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
youre missing the fucking point.
Submitted by Socially_Distorted (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:55:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Submitted by Tom (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:17:00 (#)
Ranking: 0
I don't think he's a hero. I think it's retarded that he is getting the attention he is. What makes the ex NFL more of a hero than my friend's Fiance who also died there? See, I think all this hubub over a person I've never even heard of is for ratings.
It was a brave thing to do on his part, but he isn't more of a hero than the next person.
==============================================================
I agree with Tom. The graveyards are full of irreplaceable people, many of them are known only by their family, but they are no less a hero than someone who is known by the world.
Submitted by BongZilla (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:50:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
if you notice I said they are all heroes, not just tillman. I think it is wrong that Tillman is a poster boy and everyone else that we lose is a statistic. Im syaing this guy in an asshole because thats really fucking insensitive to ANY victims family.
-BongZilla
Submitted by slowlyrotting (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:36:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
fucking uber messin up my big nuts dude...
Submitted by slowlyrotting (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:35:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
he was a hero.
everyone else there is a hero.
i'm a hero too because i have big hairy balls
but this has already been posted...
fuck those punk ass teenage bitches that say he's not a hero, they're just mad because they will never have nuts like mine...
O
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Submitted by FATMANTPK (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:31:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I think the "big deal" is because he gave up a $3.6 Million - 3 year salary, to make less than $15,000 a year in an environment that was hostile.
He did what so many rich people haven't done, he put his ass on the line instead of making doantions and sending care packages. How many other athletes Are there that are National Guard or in the Reserves that haven't gone to war with their units?
He chose to join one of the most elite groups, the US Army Rangers. That required not only physical toughness, but intelligence as well.
Its true, we may never catch or kill all of the terrorists; but if the only thing we are doing in Afghanistan is making the terrorists stay on the run, that may hamper their ability to plan more attacks.
Submitted by DraconianKing (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:28:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
A minus 2 because this deserves a negative rating.
Submitted by DJMattB241 (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:25:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
fuck that letter writing asshole.
anyone that serves this country is a hero.
ANYONE.
dead or not.
Submitted by Tom (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:17:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I don't think he's a hero. I think it's retarded that he is getting the attention he is. What makes the ex NFL more of a hero than my friend's Fiance who also died there? See, I think all this hubub over a person I've never even heard of is for ratings.
It was a brave thing to do on his part, but he isn't more of a hero than the next person.
Submitted by DraconianKing (user info) at 2004-05-01 20:04:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
I agree with this guy. If some guy wants to go over there and get killed, he's not a hero, he's goddamn stupid. We need to build robots to fight for us. 0 casualties every war. And why the hell is a death of a person in a war "casual"? I think it's pretty serious.