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And the wealthy men were enthralled by Chris Kyle...The American Sniper
I was reading Tim Knight's post on ZH about Perfect Palo Alto, and teen suicide in America.
The heart of the issue isn't the fact that this one railroad crossing is or isn't guarded by someone. It has to do with what the kids think they have to "achieve" to be worthwhile.
This made me think about the movie, American Sniper, and the article I read in D Magazine about the subject of the movie, Chris Kyle.
There is hope. Those kids can always join the military and kill some men, women, and children that are just trying to defend their homeland from foreign invaders. This may delay suicide by a couple years, not to mention the 10% discount at Home Depot.
Who knows? If they kill enough, there may even be a book or movie deal and good times at NFL games with hedge fund managers.
I suspect that Tall Tom was referring to another ZH article in his reply:
Is 1628 the magic number? I gotta know...I gotta know.
That way they can feign remorse while bragging about the body count...
Makes for a great book and TeeVee time too.
Below is my response to Tall Tom, which I have now moved to the ZH Contributors blog in the hope it may spur some conversation on this sad matter.

Bass invited Kyle to live at his house with him while Taya finished selling their place in San Diego. He introduced Kyle to as many “big money” people as he could. And the wealthy men were enthralled by Chris Kyle. They loved being around the legend. They loved hearing his stories and invited him to go hunting on their ranches. Bass would hold an economic summit every year at his ranch in East Texas. He would kick off the festivities by introducing his sniper friends.
“I’d have Chris and other SEALs come out and do exhibition shoots,” Bass says. “They would take 600-yard shots at binary explosives, so when they hit them it’s this giant explosion that shakes the ground.” He smiles as he tells the story. “For all the people that manage money all over the world and on Wall Street to come to Texas and see a Navy SEAL sniper shoot a bomb, it’s about as cool as it gets.”
I wish I could get Kyle Bass and all the people that manage money all over the world and on Wall Street to watch this 18-minute video by Sam Richards. Maybe then they might begin to understand why Chris Kyle was killed by another veteran, and why more US soldiers are dying from suicide than are killed by the enemy.
And maybe then Wall Street and The City might decide to direct their whores in Washington and London to get our sons and daughters out of Afghanistan, which is the longest war in American history.
Now, that would be about as cool as it gets, in my opinion.
For those that think this is a derailing of the Palo Alto suicide thread, just think for a moment about Tim's point in the article on Palo Alto.
"It has to do with what the kids think they have to "achieve" to be worthwhile."
What American Sniper Chris Kyle "achieved" to become a hero is not so vastly different than what Russian Sniper Vasily Zaytsev "achieved" to become a hero.
Read these two books if you want to better understand.
http://www.amazon.com/Stalingrad-The-Fateful-Siege-1942-1943/dp/01402845...
http://www.amazon.com/American-Sniper-Autobiography-Military-History/dp/...
However, the morality of a nation matters.
The morality of a fight matters, as was taught to a young Chris Kyle by his father, and to me by my father.
It always has.
It always will.
As Bastiat says in, The Law:
Each of us has a natural right — from God — to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two.
We do not have the natural right to attack others, imprison others, and to take or destroy others property...even if it is profitable to do so...and even if not doing so may endanger our nation's ability to enforce the petrol dollar.
Get us out of Afghanistan.
Get us out of Iraq.
Get us out of Syria.
Get us out of Bahrain.
Get us out of Saudi Arabia.
Get us out of Yemen.
Get us out of Ukraine.
Stop the drone war.
Peace be with you.
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Ahhh - international treaties are supposed to have the same force as the Constitution.
WRONG! The Supreme Court has ruled that a treaty CANNOT supersede any provision of the US Constitution. The fact that the terms of the Constitution are being violated by .gov on a regular basis is a separate issue . . . .
They can't OVERRIDE the Constitution - but they can EXPAND federal jurisction - what other laws can do that besides Constitutional amendment?
See: State of Missouri v. Holland
Valid treaties, of course, "are as binding within the territorial limits of the States as they are elsewhere throughout the dominion of the United States." Baldwin v. Franks, 120 U.S. 678, 683. No doubt the great body of private relations usually fall within the control of the State, but a treaty may override its power. We do not have to invoke the later developments of constitutional law for this proposition; it was recognized as early as Hopkirk v. Bell, 3 Cranch 454, with regard to statutes[p435] of limitation, and even earlier, as to confiscation, in Ware v. Hylton, 3 Dall.199. It was assumed by Chief Justice Marshall with regard to the escheat of land to the State in Chirac v. Chirac, 2 Wheat. 259, 275. Haguenstein v. Lynham, 100 U.S. 483. Geofroy v. Riggs, 133 U.S. 258. Blythe v. Hinckley, 180 U.S. 333, 340. So as to a limited jurisdiction of foreign consuls within a State. Wildenhus' Case, 120 U.S. 1. See Ross v. McIntyre,140 U.S. 453. Further illustration seems unnecessary, and it only remains to consider the application of established rules to the present case.
Here, a national interest of very nearly the first magnitude is involved. It can be protected only by national action in concert with that of another power. The subject matter is only transitorily within the State, and has no permanent habitat therein. But for the treaty and the statute, there soon might be no birds for any powers to deal with. We see nothing in the Constitution that compels the Government to sit by while a food supply is cut off and the protectors of our forests and our crops are destroyed. It is not sufficient to rely upon the States. The reliance is vain, and were it otherwise, the question is whether the United States is forbidden to act. We are of opinion that the treaty and statute must be upheld. Carey v. South Dakota, 250 U.S. 118.
Not to nit-pick, but the Geneva convention only applies to uniformed soldiers of nations who have agreed to it. Hence why police can shoot you with hollow point bullets in a domestic life or death situation, but a French soldier couldn't shoot a Russian soldier with hollow point bullets during a war (just as a hypothetical example).
That's a valid point - although Geneva does have sections regarding civilian casualties and property damage.
Perhaps better support for my position would be under precedent set by Nuremberg. Regardless, declaring war against a civilian population without regard for their combatant status would clearly be a war crime/crime against humanity and seems to fit the definition of genocide.
You aren't supposed to DO anything. What you shouldn't DO is assume because you disagree with the war that he is not an honorable man. Maybe he was wrong in joining, I don't know. But to then say when he had the ability to protect his friends that were waliking into an ambush that he shouldn't have; is just stupid.
Sorry, but I disagree with WAY more than just this war or that war--I disagree with the characterization of the United States as anything other than a crime syndicate. Which means that as far as I'm concerned, Chris Kyle signed up to be a killer for a crime syndicate. And in my book, that makes him no different than Joe Gallo, or Tommy DeSimone, or Richard Kuklinski, or Sammy Gravano or any of a hundred other Mafia enforcers. Just to make things clear...
Never forget. Freedom don't come free. *as tears flow down my face*
What amazing propaganda. Being a musician or singer or sports hero takes skills you don't have, but killing without remorse is easier and just as rewarding. Join the military. Kill for the glory of your masters and get rich too.
"get rich"
Are you fucking high? Most GIs back in my day qualified for food stamps the 1st 4 years. It likely has not changed in the 20 yrs I have been out. Come back when you have some experience before opening your cock holster again.
Food stamps are just another form of money from the same employer. Part of the salary, could be said.
Why the down arrows? Both fiat money and food stamps are but paper issued by the state. It all comes from the same source.
The military provides everything an unemployed man needs: Enough money to live, a place to live and a feel good life story.
Sure is - Plus some perverted thinking by some posters here. Killing - oh yeah, that's the way to solve things...
Speaking of musicians, I recall this song:
The Beat Of Black Wingsby Joni Mitchell
I met a young soldier
He said his name was Killer Kyle
He was shakin' all over
Like a night-frightened child
This is his story
It's a tough one for me to sing
Hard as the squawk and the flap
And the beat of the beat of black wings
"They gave me a gun" he said
"They gave me a mission
For the power and the glory
Propaganda piss on 'em
There's a war zone inside me
I can feel things exploding
I can't even hear the fucking music playing
For the beat of the beat of black wings"
He said "I never had nothin'
Nothin' I could believe in
My girl killed our unborn child
Without even grievin
I put my hands on her belly
To feel the kid kickin' damn!
She'd been to some clinic
Oh the beat of black wings"
"They want you they need you
They train you to kill
To be a pin on some map
Some vicarious thrill
The old hate the young
That's the whole heartless thing
The old pick the wars
We die in 'em
To the beat of the beat of black wings"
There's a man drawing pictures
On the sidewalk with chalk
Just as fast as he draws 'em
Rain come down and wash 'em off
"Keep the drinks comin' girl
'Til I can't feel anything
I'm just a chalk mark in a rainstorm
I'm just the beat of black wings
© 1988; Crazy Crow Music
The American Sniper is the big lie. We must fight them over there or fight them at home. Really? For sure otherwise what is the mission?
It's complete propaganda. it's a giant recruiting poster. And Clint Eastwood is a sick fuck. Which was news to me, but hey youi learn new things all the time.
You must not remember this.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mystery-missile-launched-missile-off-cali...
I for one remember China's message in the sky from back then. I'd like to know the rational behind the down arrows to your comment though. Off topic maybe? Tough titties . . . . .
Meanwhile, far more have died and/or been dismembered than were ever killed in 911. Not to mention the 10s, if not 100s of thousands of guys coming back all fucked up from war. Many of these guys can't contribute to society anymore because of the demons they bring back. Just like fucking Vietnam.
Well, I believe the modern US Armed forces are volunteer. As you know, in Vietnam, there was forced participation. I have empathy for the wounded volunteer vets of modern wars. But up to a point.
I hear you, but most of these guys don't get it. I was in the Navy. Joined in 2000, and thought the same thing that most of these 18 YO kids do when they join--that they are going to be protecting freedom and democracy, yadayada. I didn't know that it's all about 90% bull shit until I was 30. Further, I think a lot of these kids are in a position where they not only have been hoodwinked into thinking they're being patriotic and protecting their family's freedom, but they're also relatively poor compaired to the 60s when Vietnam started, which makes the military all the more appealing.
I hear you, but most of these guys don't get it. I was in the Navy. Joined in 2000, and thought the same thing that most of these 18 YO kids do when they join--that they are going to be protecting freedom and democracy, yadayada. I didn't know that it's all about 90% bull shit until I was 30. Further, I think a lot of these kids are in a position where they not only have been hoodwinked into thinking they're being patriotic and protecting their family's freedom, but they're also relatively poor compaired to the 60s when Vietnam started.
Get us out of ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM THIEVERY AND DEMOCRACY CORRUPTION !!!!!!!!!!
We are the resurrection of Rome, sociologically speaking. At the end of the day, the aristocracy has nothing to talk about but the praise or derision of the 'help/plebs/slaves'. The suicides referred to is another matter entirely.
HH only tells how horrible America is and how we have become immoral because we kill people far away. Never tells you what those far away are trying to do to us even before this Middle East defending of oil and so forth.
You are a shill with posting privileges.
Piss off.
The U.S. and the U.K. have been shitting on the Middle East for a century...did you and the other troglodytes out there REALLY think there wouldn't be any blowback??? Do you really think that the "terrorists" out there put blindfolds on, opened a world atlas, put their finger down on the page, landed on the United States, and said, "Okay, we're going to attack THOSE people"? If there are people out there who are attacking us, they're doing it for a reason...and it's NOT because they're jealous of our fucking "freedom." LOL...that would certainly be a CONVENIENT explanation (and hey, "convenience" is America's middle name!), but it would also be a STUPID, FACILE explanation...
Please tell me again who are allies of Russia's in the Middle East?
Iran, Syria, Iraq under saddam Hussein. Where did those scud missles come from during the first gulf war that saddam lobbed into Israel?
That's right, soviet made. Oh and the French gave weapons to saddam during the ban on Iraq from the UN. Our "allies" also corrupted the oil for food program that went to France Russia Germany and China.
Let's not forget A.Q. Khan who gave Pakistan the Islamic nuclear bomb. He then wet on to create an interbational walmart for uranium centrifuges that somehow the norks and Syria got ahold of. Gee that's wired America had nothing to do with those yet it's our fault?
Such logic.
I'm happy to include Russia, France, and Israel in the group of nations that have shit on the Middle East...I'm sure there are others we could include, too. And why shouldn't Pakistan and Iran have nuclear capability? We do--and we've killed hundreds of thousands of people with it. The Russians do. The Chinese do. The French do. The English do. The North Koreans do. Israel does--and they're even allowed to openly lie about it, over and over and over again. If all of those countries have nuclear capabilities, why shouldn't everyone else? Are we better than those people or something?
Did we not stop a war that if continued would've killed millions? We didn't use nukes on people who didn't go along with some trade proposal. We used it against a brutal enemy who would stop at nothing. If it wasn't for us what would've happened to china? We didn't use nukes to tell people to be subservient. We sure as shit didn't use them to force people to be free.
You think Pakistan, Iran, NK, Russia, or even Germany under Hitler would've used them for peaceful purposes? If oil for energy was no longer needed, wars would continue to happen because something else will replace the boot on the neck of the people.
You seem to hve absorbed every piece of dis-information ever created to control the masses of the American Herd. I suppose yoiu deserve some sort of prize for your perfect brainwashing.
We used them on a people wanting to surrender. We rejected their surrender under the pretense that it was not unconditional because they wanted to maintain the figurehead of the emperer. We delayed until we could demonstrate nukes to the Russians and then allowed the emperer anyway. We are great humanitarians.
just doesn't have to read made in the usa on it(the boot). i could give two shits whether the sunnis or kurds want to fight over beliefs...
world has plenty of source of oil to supply demand if left to market unmanipulated-oh shit, once again back to those fucking bankers/crime syndicate, just always ends up there...
Here is your opportunity to tell us.
I would love to know.
Here I am, ready to read anything that you write.
You bet and I'll give you one that everyone here loves to suck the dick of, Russia.
In December of 1943 Britain, Russia and the USA signed the Tehran declaration that they would leave Itan and help the country recover. Russia, suprise suprise, did not leave. The Russians under Stalin tried to annex Iran and created a communist party in Iran called the Tudeh Party that tried to stir separatist activity among the Kurdish and Azeri peoples of Iran.
It wasn't until May of 1946 that president Truman threatened to use force against Russian unless they withdrew as promised. The soviets withdrew.
All people hear about America and Iran is 1953 and how we installed our government when we were trying to fights the Russians who were busy subverting various aspects of the the Middle East for OIL.
To leave the Russians alone would've been the biggest mistake we could've made and probably would've ended up with more major wars with massive lose of life.
When you are honest in your discussions about Americas role in the Middle East being more than just oil than I'll retract my claim.
I'm waiting for your response to the other bad actors in the world who actively work to suppress their people while undermining democracies that just want to be free.
And no a picture from your garden will not suffice as an answer.
Didn't think so. Put down the propaganda and go post more fat people pics.
Aaannnddd now we have the personal attacks. Me thinks he lost the argument and knows it. As someone else said earlier, it is difficult to defend the indefensible.
Like Saudi Arabia? Right?
How do you feel about the USA and our military defending the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia Sentences 3 Lawyers to Jail for Tweets
Record Beheadings and the Mass Arrest of Christians – Is it ISIS? No it’s Saudi Arabia
Saudi Man Receives 3 Year Prison Sentence and 450 Lashes for Being Gay
Saudi Human Rights Lawyer and Activist Jailed for 15 Years for Free Speech Under New “Anti-Terror” Law
Saudi Arabia Passes New Law that Declares Atheists “Terrorists”
Meet the U.S. Allies – Saudi Arabia Passes Draconian, Medieval Laws to Crush Dissent
Saudi Religious Police Chief Goes on the Attack…Against Twitter
ht: www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-01-26/chairman-joint-chiefs-honors-dead-saud...
I don't like the fact that our government turned our dollar into the petro dollar, but that happened after the time I am referring to. Even then Russia as well as other enemies of the USA actively worked against their neighbors. When we sign treaties to assist allies who need help the. Free people should help.
I don't like the fact that we are allies of Saudi Arabia who have us under their thumb but we do as well. If we as a country could stop relying on people who don't adhere to our true values then fuckem. Until we unpeg from the current monetary nothing will change.
Even with the new system we will still have to deal with bad actors who try to subvert and oppress their friendly neighbors. It's the same as it ever was. Those that want to be king vs those that want to be free. Here's one from before all of this shit started but is at the core of the problem we face today.
http://www.no-debts.com/anti-federalist/files/ownmoney.txt
Please consider the possibility that you may have this relationship backwards, as well as many other things. Start by asking yourself how many military bases the Saudis have in the USA.
Please consider that the Saudis have been using the greed aspect of our government to weaken it from within to then crush it. That also appears to be the strategy of the communists against the capitalist.
Our government was broke after Vietnam and was forced to go onto the petro dollar. From that point on is where we really got fucked. Before that but after WWII there was relative peace in the Middle East until 1971 and the creation of OPEC, and the Iran hostage crisis.
Besides the Saudis wouldn't have the wealth they have without us so it was a mutual benefit for both sides. Never should've happened if we went back on the gold standard in 1980 we we had the ability to.
I also think that all the financial dealings now and then are all war games.
You're completely deluded.
He's only been here 9 weeks 6 days and is probably one of the people I referred to a few months back who found ZH after Drudge began posting occasional links to this site.
Give him time and he might come around. Or not, in which case the rah-rah neocon brainwashing he underwent will be proven effective. Plenty of people on ZH used to think Uncle Sam could do no wrong, but most woke up from that illusion before coming here. Jumping straight into ZH with the blinders still on is probably a lot like undergoing life-saving surgery without any kind of anesthetic.
Supporting democracy? Haha. So I suppose the Shah of Iran was okay to you? I gues you forget the continued US support for brutal regimes like the Saudis too? How about the US support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980's?
Well, brutal is ok as long as it was not Commie brutal.
There's a difference...
I guess.
At least it wasn't Commie oil.
It was good, clean, All-American British Petroleum oil.
Brutal mooslime or brutal commie doesn't really matter when the game is the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I didn't pick the game I'm just dealing with it. If you're in a fight and you can only use hands but your opponent is kicking you in the balls, knees and head while the ref does nothing then you do what you got to do.
It's global fight club so stop your bitchin.
BoP- " So I suppose the Shah of Iran was okay to you? I gues you forget the continued US support for brutal regimes like the Saudis too? How about the US support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980's?"
I suppose you enjoy the regime that they have now thanks to jimmy carter undermining the shah. Yes I'm sure those guests over there weren't hostages. They could leave anytime they'd like. Just like saddam Hussein and the guests in the hotel Baghdad.
BTW our support for saddam was to deal with Iran because now they were a bunch of peace loving mooslimes who want nothing but the best for the rest of us.. Especially women.
I have to listen to baffoons like HH who show propaganda pictures of a burnt kid by a hellfire missle the us fired but he doesn't go on to give balance as to why we had to use missles on people who hide behind their children whe firing a RPG AT YOU AND SCRWAMING ALLA HU AKBAR.
WTF? What a bunch of twisted and illogical arguments. Not accurate in any way, shape of form either.
Shitgum pretty well describes your level of intelligence on geopolitical issues.
what if we bellied up to the world oil bar and ordered our oil without a mic base anywhere but at home? what if we minded our own business and bought our daily shortage just like china? what if? could half or more of the mic budget be put to better use? what if? banker/mic crime syndicate-so fucking simply complicated. you will end up at this point every time, ha...
did china set up a military base and invade australlia for iron ore explotation?
numerous examples of fair trade vs trade with threat of violence.
When the UN has as it's major memberships the dictators of the world expect them to stand up to one of their own. And Bop what illogic are you referring to. The shah of Iran was more westernized and allowed Muslims to be freer to live than the lovely customs of the current leaders of Iran.
Free? Fuckan aye bro...learn some actual history on the Shah. He was a brutal dictator for 26 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAVAK
How do you defend the indefensible? Answer: you cant. Don't expect a historically valid, logical or rational response.