i just got finished watching the seven episodes

of generation kill on hbo on demand

A TRUE STORY
AN AMAZING STORY
A STORY THAT HURTS TO WATCH


it's a seven episode series which takes place at the beginning of our (illegal and immoral) invasion of iraq. evan wright was a reporter with rolling stone magazine. he was embedded with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion‎ of the United States Marine Corps. i don't believe he ever would have been accepted by the men (at least as much as he was) if in the past he had not written for hustler magazine. that won 'em over as you can imagine.

it's not a story about heroes and villians (although i personally did think some were one or the other). just men who had a job to do and most of them tried their best to do it.

if you have hbo, i highly recommend watching it (it was on about a year ago, but it's on demand right now). if you don't, rent or buy the dvd. i certainly am going to buy the book.

Alexander Skarsgård (who played sgt brad 'iceman' colbert) and James Ransone (who played cpl. josh ray person) were the focus of the series. althought it did feature the entire unit. as i said, some were noble and moral, others were assholes.

imdb entry for generation kill
wiki entry for generation kill
generation kill the book
an npr report with evan wright from 2004

not only is this scary

it's NOT right

(oh i think it's a good idea to take drunks off of the road, i do NOT think it's a good idea to HAVE MILITARY CHECK POINTS IN THE UNITED STATES IN TIMES OF PEACE ON CIVILIAN LAND. what would YOU do if you were stopped by a marine police officer on YOUR local highway? i would personally freak out)

if you think this is a good idea, i don't want you on my christmas card list
Domestic Militarization Comes to San Bernardino County

Update: Marine “Military Presence” Confirmed in San Bernardino County
Marine Corps Air and Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) Provost Marshal (head of a unit of military police) and the local California Highway Patrol office will begin working together 12/12 — and through the holiday season — in a joint effort to reduce accidents and drinking and driving. The combined mutual cooperation between the Marine Corps Military Police and State enforcement officers will begin somewhere along Highway 62. The CHP will set up DUI roadblocks with the presence of Military Police. A violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.............

..........Gary Daigneault discussed the ramifications of this joint effort today on his 107.7 F.M. Talk Back show. Mr. Daigneault and his callers seemed to be very concerned. On its face, one may think this is a good idea. But it’s not. I agree with Mr. Daigneault and his callers. Most of which seemed to think this is a very bad idea. Mr. Daigneault contacted a Constitutional Law expert, and the attorney informed him this is absolutely unconstitutional. It’s NOT permitted under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, 8 U.S.C. § 1385. It’s my understanding that the Constitutional Law expert said CHP officers could be arrested out there working with the Military Police because it’s a “felony.”..................

he's NOT 'soft on terror'

but he (and his WHOLE F**KING COURT) doesn't (DON'T) give a flying f**k about our men and women in the armed forces. that's fo' sho'. not just because of this article. sure, this is bad enough in itself. but what about the TREATMENT of veterans once they're home? the wounded mentally and physically? they (king george and his court) just don't F**KING CARE

DOD Study: 100s of Marines dead and wounded because Bush admin dropped the ball on armor
by
John Aravosis (DC)
Gee, our president is once again calling Democrats soft on national security and at the same time an internal Defense Department study says that the Bush administration's malfeasance killed and injured 100s of Marines unnecessarily. Will the Democrats finally turn this issue around on Bush?
Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles, an internal military study concludes.The study, written by a civilian Marine Corps official and obtained by The Associated Press, accuses the service of "gross mismanagement" that delayed deliveries of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected trucks for more than two years.Cost was a driving factor in the decision to turn down the request for the so-called MRAPs, according to the study. Stateside authorities saw the hulking vehicles, which can cost as much as a $1 million each, as a financial threat to programs aimed at developing lighter vehicles that were years from being fielded.........