USMC general Mattis' comments re: killing
Feb. 5th, 2005 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tagrynAdventures of Chester has a good ongoing roundup of the latest flak over something a Marine general by the name of Mattis said recently on killing his opponents in Afghanistan:
"Actually it's quite fun to fight 'em, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up front with you, I like brawling," said Mattis.
"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said during a panel discussion. "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."
My initial reaction was "Good for him. Sounds like a guy I'd want pulling guard while I'm sleeping in the field." I mean, we're not talking about a guy who's job is to be a diplomat; it's to make sure the mission is accomplished, which in his line of work sometimes involves killing people.
Upon second thought, I'd say:
1. He probably shouldn't have said it in the format he did (at a San Diego convention), given his relatively high-profile position as a general. As a comment to the troops, though, it would have been fine. Good for morale, even: I daresay that anyone who doesn't think a soldier hearing this from his higher-up wouldn't get a little fired up doesn't understand the military culture. At all.
2. In all, as one commentor in the discussion Chester links to says, it really is a "tempest in a teapot."
3. Finally, I'm reminded of something Lincoln said during the Civil War when some politicos wanted Grant removed because of rumors he was a drunk: "I can't spare this man. He fights."
"Actually it's quite fun to fight 'em, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up front with you, I like brawling," said Mattis.
"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said during a panel discussion. "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."
My initial reaction was "Good for him. Sounds like a guy I'd want pulling guard while I'm sleeping in the field." I mean, we're not talking about a guy who's job is to be a diplomat; it's to make sure the mission is accomplished, which in his line of work sometimes involves killing people.
Upon second thought, I'd say:
1. He probably shouldn't have said it in the format he did (at a San Diego convention), given his relatively high-profile position as a general. As a comment to the troops, though, it would have been fine. Good for morale, even: I daresay that anyone who doesn't think a soldier hearing this from his higher-up wouldn't get a little fired up doesn't understand the military culture. At all.
2. In all, as one commentor in the discussion Chester links to says, it really is a "tempest in a teapot."
3. Finally, I'm reminded of something Lincoln said during the Civil War when some politicos wanted Grant removed because of rumors he was a drunk: "I can't spare this man. He fights."
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Date: 2005-02-09 12:27 am (UTC)