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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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Oil is another commodity just like food. The middle east can choose not to sell their oil but note that they would not have the abundance of food and other luxuries that their oil wealth affords. I am sick of bleeding heart liberals like the idiot above who only see America as the problem. The problem is liberalism, it IS a mental disease. Liberals mean well but there is Zero accountability for the results of their experiments and ideas. There are countless programs instituted with good intent but have failed miserably and liberals take no responsibility for their failures.
America was founded as a liberal republic with personal liberties enshrined in the Constitution...which was written by liberals. Were the founders and earlier implementers of the Republic suffering from a mental disease? Perhaps you're projecting your own illness on them.
America was founded as a "representational republic", not a liberal rebublic, with a constitution that attempted to limit government. They believed personal liberties were God given. The key here is that pesky "representational" word thrown in before "republic."
Our system was meant to require participation of the citiizens of the republic. Those who have chosen not to particpate thru out our history also have to take blame for what this country has become. We get what we deserve no matter which way your leanings are. In other words, we let big .gov overtake our local .gov and this is where we are now at. You shut ins who chose to let this happen instead of standing for your principals and trying to affect change are just as guilty.
you guys seem to be confusing todays liberals with what is now known as 'classical liberal'. Our founding fathers were known as liberals back in the day, which used to mean that you could do pretty much whatever you wanted without govt interference, and is now called 'libertarian'. Hearing people call the founding fathers liberals is true in the sense that yes, they were considered liberals back then, but the term today means that one is a welfare statist and believes govt should have total control over its citizens, and it is the modern use of the term most people are familiar with
"but the term today means that one is a welfare statist and believes govt should have total control over its citizens" -by this definition every congress creature and all Republicrats are "liberals"... the military industrial complex after all is the ultimate expression of the welfare state.
And the modern usage of the term (if your definition is accurate) is really an epithet used by Americans to describe each other.
I agree with your assessment GC...just pointing out that liberal, no matter the meaning or in which timeframe it is used, does not really describe the republic that was founded, which is representational. My way of saying that by giving up our rights by letting the Fed trump the States, etc., we are all responsible for the mess that is now the US of A.
Those that wish to always bemoan the choices that others have made or make, need to get their side of the story heard by voicing their opinions / beliefs and hopefully change others way of thinking. If you just sit back and b!tch then you are just as much at fault.
Freewill bitchez.....choices, no matter what they are, have consequences.
"Liberals mean well but there is Zero accountability for the results of their experiments and ideas. There are countless programs instituted with good intent but have failed miserably and liberals take no responsibility for their failures."
Well, as long as you include zionist chickenhawks, neocons, the U.S. military and the CIA in your definition of "well-meaning liberals," we agree!
However, they cannot choose to sell their oil in currency other than the USD, or else they will end up dead like Hussein, Qaddafi, and Chavez, and their nation will be invaded. Although, like the KSA or Bahrain, we may still occupy their nation, even if they do only sell oil in USD.
If you truly believe in Life, Liberty, and Wealth/Property, but only for yourself, and not, "them," then what does that say about your philosophy?
"If you truly believe in Life, Liberty, and Wealth/Property, but only for yourself, and not, "them," then what does that say about your philosophy?"
Kill shot!
"However, they cannot choose to sell their oil in currency other than the USD, or else they will end up dead like Hussein, Qaddafi, and Chavez, and their nation will be invaded."
You mean OUR oil, don't you? :-)
Morality of a nation?????
Damn, HH, you're starting to sound like a Kool-Aid drinker.
Are you really trying to argue against the fact that the world is run by the mafia?
No, I am trying to help explain to the mafia members one of the reasons why they must hire security guards to keep their own children from jumping in front of a train, and why their kids are over dosing on drugs, cutting themselves with razors, and choking to death on their own vomit while passed out drunk in their parents' Mercedes.
Well, I'm guessing that the evil fucks are well aware of the cognitive dissonance that they spew (whether they acknowledge it or not).
All in all I like your article, though the "morality" of a collective abstraction seems to fly in the face of your Bastiat quote. A quote which is specifically directed at individuals as to their rights in regards to the collective known as "The Law."
Support of collective abstractions are some of the most inhumane 'things' in the lives of real people. As long as you frame reality in those terms, all you do is to further help empower those individuals who seek to use them as a tool of control.
does it matter? HH is writing about his nation, and how people think and feel about it. and this includes this movie, it's message, and HH's commentary on it
His nation doesn't exist. It's a fairy-tale. A mass-indoctrinated belief system. A "fan-club" if you will, where some believe that others' have special rights over the monopoly of force.
If he's going to quote Bastiat's message to individuals in reference to it, then yes, it absolutely does matter.
His point was normative rather than positive.
Everything is a perspective. We can barely ascertain the facts of history and have no idea for certain what the future holds and definitely have no proof of how things might be if done differently.
It is a simple thing to suggest we all live a moral life and quite another to actually do it. For all the bitching and complaining of our corrupt world, we have all benefitted from it in some ways, if nothing else than having fuel that we can afford. Of course it is all contrived so who can say for sure?
I do still sy though, if you are truly upset and pissed off over the war for oil, then the ONLY thing to do is walk to work and turn off your heat if it is electric or gas. Yes it may have come form our lands, but you just can't be sure, and regardless, if we had none of the foreign oil, we surly wouldn't be living in this world in the same way.
HH
your article touches at the core matrix of the American psyche, freedom, liberty and guns. These are all fine and admirable pursuits but only if they are accompanied by peace, morality and empathy. Which we all know they are not. The discussion has become so skewed that the latter three are no longer even in the arena of discussion. American Sniper as propoganda simply proves that point without need for rebuttal. We're lost and adrift in a world where "full spectrum dominance" is the reality we have to live in. All we can do of any real consequence is teach our kids and the one or two others who may listen what is really happening and hope they don't succumb.
Peace.
+1 The Chris Kyle story is full of lies and propaganda. He is no hero.
http://mpmacting.com/blog/2014/7/19/truth-justice-and-the-curious-case-o...
Based on that - Chris Kyle is not a hero, but rather is a prime candidate to be Presisident of the USSA! Seems that is the only qualification to hold that job now days.
Wow....lots o words to attempt to take this guy down in peoples eyes.
Oh wow, Jesse Ventura is on ZH!
Good writeup. Thanks
He is a hero. And you are just another lefty that chooses to ignore reality.
You're a 'lefty' if you think it's wrong to take part in the cynical invasion of other people's countries, and kill anyone who resists?
Sociopath.
Lefties are people that benefit from the militaries protection but then want to second guess and micro manage how they are protected. Believe me...I would rather the military not protect Lefties. Sort of the same way I wish our Police officers would let the inner city police itself. Oh the crying and nashing of teeth that would occur.
Gee, I never realized Dick Cheney and his insular little band of chicken hawks were lefties.
"Lefties are people that benefit from the militaries protection but then want to second guess and micro manage how they are protected."
WHO ARE THEY PROTECTING US FROM? The United States has killed approximately 8,000,000 people around the world since WWII in covert, overt but ALWAYS NON-DEFENSIVE actions. As far as I can tell, the U.S. hasn't had a hostile foreign soldier step foot on its soil since the War of 1812, unless you count the Japanese in the Aleutians and the Mexican army entering disputed territory on the Texas border in 1846...
About 10 million people have been butchered In the Congo and not by America since the year 2000. What point were you trying to make?
Oh, okay...so I guess that means the Congo leads the United States in number of people killed, 10,000,000 to 8,000,000. PHEW...thanks for clearing that up...I feel better already!
+1 It's getting almost impossible to reach the average American these days beause he is so brainwashed and ignorant of the world in which he lives, let alone providing some historical perspective as you did above.
thats why the Goebbels quote i mentioned above is so apt today. The people of most countries have to be prodded along in the direction their govt wants them to take, since most people don't want themselves or their families being slaughtered on the battlefield. A key proponent of this propaganda is painting anyone and everyone who is against the war or questions the govts motives as unpatriotic. Probably the most successful version of that today is the "freedom isn't free" mantra you see posted all over everything. Also, "if you won't stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them". Both of those things imply that our freedoms were under some kind of threat from abroad, which has been proven to be patently false. No other country or entity is capable of taking any freedom away from the average American except the american govt, which has, and continues to take away our rights. Try telling this to your average person wearing a freedom isn't free hat and see how far that gets you. Goebbels was a piker compared to those who are running things now. This movie is just the latest example
Are you complaining because we ARE sheep or because they treat us like sheep...and it works. AS far as I can tell we have to be "prodded" to do just about everything but eat and possibly fuck (they spend a lot of money marketing sex to us so I can't be sure that fucking comes natural).
And just so you know...freedom isn't free. We have to fight to remain free every fucking day. If it isn't our government it is another or simply some asshole with a weapon and an urge in a parking lot. Freedom will never be paid in advance, its a pay as you go thing. We save money thinking it will provide some security in the future and are now finding that to be false as well.
Exactly correct.
It just fucking kills me that something so patently bloody obvious is apparent to so few.
I'd be safer if you and your ilk cease sniping civilians in a foreign country.
The constant wars make the US govt look bad. The amount of people apparently flocking to see this movie make the citizens look bad.
It makes the citizens look like what they are; sick fucks. face it.
Your comment is a perfect example of a Knee Jerk /bumper sticker comment of someone who disagrees with the war (as I do) but also doesn't know what hes talking about.
Sniping civilians is not war, it is murder.
If you can show he killed randomly then yes. But if the "civilians" were planting roadside bombs and shooting AKs at him, then I don't know why you would get so self-righteous about it - uniform or not a threat is a threat. Compared to the carpet bombing of WWII, you'd think people would appreciate the military taking the time to pick individual targets.
Appreciate, like in throwing Roses at them?
Since all the justification for the war was false or fabricated, they were all random killings.
They were all murders. Just say it. It has a name and you know what it is. Murder. And Madeline Albright said the death of 300,000, or whatever children, was 'worth it'. Worth What ?? It's very sad, but we live in the Fourth Reich; and that's not a joke.
Reality? And why don't you dig down more than a quarter of an inch on his life story. Did you actually read the article? Yeah, I didn't think so. Keep drinking the MSM Kool Aid pal.
Calling me a "lefty" is pretty rich. Been an independent for over 30 years...leaning to the libertarian view on many issues. I despise the GOP and Democratic parties.
Yes douchebag I read the article. I also despise the blue and red team. However REALITY is what I live my life by and you seem to ignore it. My hope is that someday someone tries to drill a hole in YOUR head and a sniper that COULD prevent it with a well placed shot chooses not to. THAT is reality.
Do you even see the gaping holes and self-contradictions in your statement?
My hope is that someday someone tries to drill a hole in YOUR head and a sniper that COULD prevent it with a well placed shot chooses not to
1. Rrright, when my life is on the line, a good guy sniper will be watching over me and save me. How fucking likely is that?
2. As that is a government-paid or -trained sniper, it logically implies everybody needs to want MOAR government. Do you have shit for brains?
3. And as all the cases where any (good guy) sniper killed someone clearly belonged into the category exemplified by #1, they are heros!!1! Absolutely, dumbass, because life is never ever ambiguous!
Calm down. This conversation actually has very little to do with snipers per se. We can argue until the cows come home about the "hero" status of Kyle, Mawhwinny, Hathcock, Waldron, etc. (or their prospective value as sales tools) the fact is that they were all exceptionally effective tools employed to an end defined for them by the MIC. The validity and moral status of that end is the greater question.
peel back the layers, one at a time til you get to hhs' point(cog dis/empathy). ok now let us peel another layer- petro dollar with force applied. another layer-money system/bankers/mic-"folks" we are at the root problem. so. i shall announce to anyone that want to argue sympoms(have a nice red/blue tyme), THE BANKERS, THE BANKERS, THE BANKERS, THE BANKERS. HEY, IT IS THE BANKERS AND THEIR CRIME SYNDICATE...
Or it could be all those fucking assholes who have continued to buy this tainted evil oil, all while this shit has been going down...oh fuck, that's us!
I want to see all you fuckers walking to work tomorrow. I insist!
Or was it like date rape...they gave you a roofie and you had no idea what you were doing???
Your right. But as it relates to CK when deciding to shoot or not he had to ask himself a question. Protect my frends or not? The article and many commenters coveniently ignore this.
My hope is that someday someone tries to drill a hole in YOUR head and a sniper that COULD prevent it with a well placed shot chooses not to. THAT is reality.
Your hope imples that one day B.O.P. here is going to be invading another country for no reason, attempting to kill the natives. Thats highly unlikely. And that whole 'protecting his friends' is another fallacy. His friends would have been prefectly safe in their own country, they chose to put their lives at risk for NOTHING, no one made them. The reason why so many don;t comment on your last point is because it is irrelevant. NONE of them had any business being there in the first place. Since no Iraqi attacked US forces prior to our invasion of that country, that makes US troops foreign invaders, who are initiating violence against those who live there, and THAT is why no one bothers with the 'protecting his friends' BS you keep harping on. Thats becasue most of us on here are familiar with the non-aggression principle. I suggest you take a look at it sometime.