on a (more) serious note:
YOU tell me, what's wrong with THIS -
"... Shortly after the invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003, Lt. Gen. James Mattis, then commander of the First Marine Division, realized that his men needed to take a more measured, creative approach in dealing with the Iraqi citizenry under occupation... ordered to get out into the street and interact with the locals. The Marines played soccer with kids, helped rebuild houses and schools, and—a small detail, but important—took off the sunglasses that made them look like invading aliens..."
"... And yet, Mattis sent unforgivably mixed signals to his troops... Mattis said, "Actually, it's quite fun to fight them. You know, it's a hell of a hoot ... I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them..."
"... Mattis was scolded by the top brass for his remarks, but not too harshly, for he had just been nominated by President George W. Bush to become commander of the First Marine Expeditionary Force and head of Marine Forces Central Command. The impact of Mattis's remarks on an average 19-year-old jarhead can be imagined: killing is fun, like videogames..."
"... cause enormous mental strain... NEWSWEEK interviewed some Army soldiers going home as conscientious objectors. To fight boredom and disgust... soldiers popped Benzhexol, five pills at time. Normally used to treat Parkinson's disease, the drug is a strong hallucinogenic when abused. "People were taking steroids, Valium, hooked on painkillers, drinking. They'd go on raids and patrols totally stoned. We're killing the wrong people all the time, and mostly by accident. One guy in my squadron ran over a family with his tank..."
- Probing A Bloodbath~Newsweek Int'l Edition
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