I’m an Asshole (745 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.92 on 16 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by TMA (View user info) at 2004-05-05 15:40:11 EDT
Or why I've become desensitized.
As I'm watching the news about the Abu Ghraib prison incident, I have found myself rather indifferent as to what happened to the prisoners. The problem with my indifference is that I do not want to feel indifferent. I KNOW what happened to those prisoners was wrong and disgusting. I KNOW that I would not wish what happened to the prisoners on anyone. With that said, I feel perplexed that I could have an indifferent attitude to what happened to them. Therefore, in an excuse-driven society, I will try to lay out why I may feel this way.
One) Violence in Hollywood.
Okay, so I loved Kill Bill, saw the Passion, watched Fight Club, History X, Saving Ryan, Pulp Fiction and Natural B-Killers - maybe 20 times each. I guess a few small incidents in a prison don't hail in comparison to the violence in these movies. It leaves me thinking, how come Rambo didn't come in and slice these prisoners' throats with an eight inch knife?
Two) The sitcom-ethics society.
Come on now. Hasn't television taught you that everything will have a happy ending? Full house - Okay so we abused some prisoners, isn't Michelle (the Olsen twins) or that middle one suppose to say, "How Rude!" and then everybody laughs and it's all over? The Simpsons - The whole prison thing is Homer's fault for being so stupid. Marge et al. forgive him and we all learn a lesson. South Park - Okay so the prisoner beating/torture thing is actually a metaphor for the overabundance of weed in Holland and we all learn that weed in moderation is a good thing, "Sweeeeeet." Saved by the Bell - Okay so we find out after 4 years that the prisoners and the prison guards are actually in love and staged this whole thing for attention.
Three) Real Torture.
So I've read a lot of history books (or watched a lot of Chuck Norris movies) and I remember some hardcore torture that makes this Abu Ghraib prison stuff look like childs-play. Hmmm, remember the shotgun torture thing, where you have to stand on your tippy-toes or your buddy gets shot in the head. Or Chinese water torture, or the spikes under the finger nails. Or remember all the stories you've heard (possibly exaggerated) that happened in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo. Remember that shit that happened to John McCain? We're not talking a few months here, we're talking years man!
Four) Real life.
Maybe I'm desensitized because there were no deaths, no action, a few isolated events if you will. I mean we come from the generation that has read about every atrocity known to man, we have lived through 9/11, school shootings, babies killed by their parents, riots, quite a few wars, hostages, the cold war, cults that kill themselves, race murders, love murders, homosexual murders, child murders, child murderers, rapes, molestations, old people that drive. Yeah okay, so some Iraqis got tortured a little bit but at least they kept their lives.
Five) Police Brutality in the States.
Shit man we cant even treat our own people right. You expect us to treat our enemy right? How many times have you seen the Rodney King video? The plunger incident, the fat-man, the black kid in L.A., the black kid in Cincinnati, the black kid in NYC, the kid that was shot like 60 times, all the rapes in prison.
Six) Reality T.V.
Couldn't the prisoners and prison guards have just got in an argument, talked in out, and made love in the next episode? Or maybe they could have voted off their least favorite people off the island? Maybe it was just a hidden-camera prank gone too far? Maybe the Wild-Army-Boys confused the prisoners with animals? I don't know, maybe reality T.V. doesn't mimic real life.
Final Conclusion.
What we did was wrong but for some reason I don't care and I still wish I did (yeah I'm a PRICK). The reasons I gave don't justify anything and all I can say is that humans are fucked-up creatures regardless of nationality, race, gender, or even age.
User Reviews
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2007-12-05 13:45:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I find myself on edge with this. On hand you bring valid points but 4 out of 6 points are centered around TV, Hollywood, or Media in general. Using them as a scapegoat is hardly enough to explain why you don't give a shit. Perhaps I'm wrong, perhaps this is old and moot now...who gives a fuck? It's all subjective. 1.5 but I'll round up.
Submitted by Scott_James (user info) at 2004-05-06 02:04:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This was good, although doesn't the fact that you are bothered by your own indifference prove that you are *not* indifferent? Just a thought.
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2004-05-06 01:58:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by mystiamoon (user info) at 2004-05-06 01:37:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Asshole!
:-)
Submitted by someone (user info) at 2004-05-06 01:19:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
when did you stop being another KoolMang/fingerbang/squattail and start to kick some ass?
+2, i like.
Submitted by Razor (user info) at 2004-05-05 16:47:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I disagree with your overall sentiment, but the post itself was well written and funny.
I agree, TMA for most improved user.
Submitted by Maleficent1 (user info) at 2004-05-05 16:38:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for that last line----Yah there are good people and bad people, some of the good people may be Islamic and (gasp) some of the bad people may even be American--Human nature being what it is anyone is ignorant who may be astounded by the things people do. File that under "Sad but True".
Submitted by Melany (user info) at 2004-05-05 16:37:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by reallybored (user info) at 2004-05-05 16:19:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
TMA wins the most improved user award.
Submitted by youarsoghey (user info) at 2004-05-05 16:03:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I likes.
Submitted by The.Masked.Assailant (user info) at 2004-05-05 16:01:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
posthumouslaughter,
For what it's worth, i think you missed my point. there is a difference between indifference and condoning. I do not condone/support what happened, i merely dont feel outraged.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2004-05-05 15:52:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2
Submitted by posthumouslaughter (user info) at 2004-05-05 15:51:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I am with you totally. I find those pictures to be very humorous. Especially the one of the stack of naked guys and the smiling G.I. behind them. Fucking hillarious. If this is torture, than Ryan Seacrest is Satan. I think that this kind of thing is and should be looked down upon because of the Geneva conventions, but I just think that the stupid G.I.s who took photos and showed them to the wrong people are dumb. If you are going to torture people, do it right, and don't go braggin around town, or you'll get your ass court-marshalled.
Submitted by lojope (user info) at 2004-05-05 15:49:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by itchy (user info) at 2004-05-05 15:48:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hate to say it but I feel kind of the same way. Last night I was even thinking something like: yeah, this can go down one of two ways: either this will cause all the Islamic people who didn't hate us already to rise up against us; OR, IF the methods of torture these fucknuts devized are SO humiliating according to Islamic culture (I guess being made to jerk off in front of a woman is a big no-no) and the "humiliation factor" is such a big motivator over there, then EVERYONE over there is just going to be terrified to fight us because they don't want to end up in a prison with female guards who might see them naked (yikes!).
Submitted by Rixes (user info) at 2004-05-05 15:47:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
C:\start\desktop\torture.jpg
Nice.