[CrunchyCripple]

If what he wrote was true,

I can see how after awhile the whole uber patriotism wears off, when your "brothers" are acting like animals and encouraged to do so by your leaders.

When the people you're supposed to disrespect are acting more human than your "brothers" - it can cause a change of heart.

Thinking of others as less, makes it easier to do them harm, but it makes you a feral animal.

They are different, not less. Different can be dangerous and comes down to life or death, but it makes them no less human.

If I saw my "brother" running down someone in the street, I'd be too tempted to put a bullet in his head, especially if it was a child.

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Originally Posted by CrunchyCripple ↗

If what he wrote was true,

I can see how after awhile the whole uber patriotism wears off, when your "brothers" are acting like animals and encouraged to do so by your leaders.

When the people you're supposed to disrespect are acting more human than your "brothers" - it can cause a change of heart.

Thinking of others as less, makes it easier to do them harm, but it makes you a feral animal.

They are different, not less. Different can be dangerous and comes down to life or death, but it makes them no less human.

If I saw my "brother" running down someone in the street, I'd be too tempted to put a bullet in his head, especially if it was a child.

As I understand it, the most common reason the natives -- including children -- get run down is because a lot of American units are instructed to not stop for anyone or anything, as doing so can mean setting yourself up for an ambush. The Viet Cong and the NVA were not above handing little Vietnamese children live grenades and then instructing them to mosey on over to the nearest Americans and drop it right at their feet; and the militant hadjis are not above instructing little Afghani and Iraqi children to step into the road in front of an American convoy in the hopes that the lead vehicle will bring the convoy to a halt right inside the kill zone for an ambush.

Hell, even the Germans in WWII were fond of sending a few unarmed soldiers out of a bunker or pillbox with their hands up and then opening up on Allied soldiers that were merciful enough to accept their supposed surrender. That's why it wasn't uncommon for Allied soldiers to simply shoot the "surrendering" Germans if they were encountered in small numbers near fortifications.

And that's so say nothing of wounded enemies in Afghanistan or Iraq lying there on their backs with their hands up in surrender and then triggering their suicide vests once an American infidel or three have entered the blast radius. The same threat potential exists when some hadji in civilian clothes decide to fiddle with his cell phone when an American convoy rolls by -- the hadji could just be sending a text message to his wife or any one of his 20 kids, or he could be triggering a buried IED.

Even the best soldiers are trained to not take chances with their lives or the lives alongside whom they serve. When a person is put in harm's way day-in and day-out and ordered to engage an enemy that doesn't bother with traditional concepts such as uniforms or honor, that person will go to considerable lengths to ensure that they survive the experience and avoid harm as frequently as humanly possible.

And if that person were you, you wouldn't be as tempted as you think you would; because you would understand that it could've just as easily been you at the wheel, fearing for your life and not wanting to make a decision -- humane or otherwise -- that may wind up ending the lives of you or your brothers-in-arms.

Better to be dirty and alive, than clean and dead.

[CrunchyCripple]

I wasn't even thinking of "Booby trapping".
That does change the perspective. I hope that was the case in what he witnessed.

[Shadedwill]

Originally Posted by Metal Mike ↗

As I understand it, the most common reason the natives -- including children -- get run down is because a lot of American units are instructed to not stop for anyone or anything, as doing so can mean setting yourself up for an ambush.

Exactly. You nailed it, buddy.

[Pyramid_Head]

Why would they make an exception to him? They seem to love their beheadings.

[rapeWhistle]

Originally Posted by CrunchyCripple ↗

If what he wrote was true,

I can see how after awhile the whole uber patriotism wears off, when your "brothers" are acting like animals and encouraged to do so by your leaders.

When the people you're supposed to disrespect are acting more human than your "brothers" - it can cause a change of heart.

Thinking of others as less, makes it easier to do them harm, but it makes you a feral animal.

They are different, not less. Different can be dangerous and comes down to life or death, but it makes them no less human.

If I saw my "brother" running down someone in the street, I'd be too tempted to put a bullet in his head, especially if it was a child.

Like it or not, children are cannon fodder and the preferred candidate for suicide bombers over there. They love packing IEDs into backpacks and sending their little martyrs strolling up to Soldiers or into the path of a passing convoy in their school uniforms.

Unless you've had your boots on the ground over there you really have no idea what you're talking about... i've gotten some pretty disheartening 1st hand accounts from my cousin and the whole situation over there is pretty sickening.

The idea of letting 5 high-level Al Queda go free seems insane.

They're going to go back and whip-up thousands more martyrs to aid them in their continued struggle against anyone and anything that doesn't bow to the will of Militant Islam. Anyone in our government involved in this 'exchange' should be hanged for treason.

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Originally Posted by Pyramid_Head ↗

Why would they make an exception to him? They seem to love their beheadings.

That's what I was wondering when I heard about him being released. I noticed his name and picture in a USA Today by-line a few weeks ago, and thought to myself, "Well, if they're providing proof of life all of these years after the fact, then I guess we'll be seeing his head come off on DR pretty soon." Obviously, that didn't happen.

My guess is that it's one of two or even both of two things: 1.) he was providing the enemy with useful information about American forces in Afghanistan (either because it was intention all along to do so, or because he wanted to avoid execution); and/or 2.) the prisoners the Haqqani wanted released are of very high value to the Taliban.

Honestly, I think the second point is the overwhelming factor between the two, for two reasons: after so many years in captivity, Bergdahl would have run out of current and thus useful information regarding the Americans; and the Haqqani lowered their ransom demands from the release of 21 prisoners to the release of just 5. In other words: an American soldier for a prisoner was a rare and valuable card to play, and the enemy didn't want to fuck up such a singular opportunity.

[CrunchyCripple]

Did they get a trade for him?
Even if he was highly useful with information, most would still kill him after he was used up.

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Originally Posted by CrunchyCripple ↗

Did they get a trade for him?
Even if he was highly useful with information, most would still kill him after he was used up.

Uhm...yes. Yes, they did.

[CrunchyCripple]

Excuse me for my "Tardness"
That's what happens when I read stuff in the middle of the night . . . I miss the first damn sentence.