# Fox News show mocks soldiers in Afghanistan... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 24, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548 "2009-03-24T03:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/81 "2009-03-24T18:11:03Z")
And loud. Don’t forget loud, and boorish. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/82 "2009-03-24T18:14:54Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > The Canadian media has picked up the story. Canadians reading the transcript of viewing the clip won’t be focusing on the fact that it’s a 3am filler show. And it should be noted that our news didn’t play it at 3 am–it played on the morning news, noon news, evening news, and late news shows. Right alongside news of the deaths of more Canadian soldiers. > [@Gorsnak](#): > > Anyways, I would be highly amused if a bunch of burly Princess Patricias (see, even our unit names are all girly) show up at this guy’s Edmonton show wearing white capri pants. I think we’d all be amused if that happened. But I don’t think Gutfeld would be amused–I think he’d be hurtin’ bad! ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/83 "2009-03-24T18:17:39Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > It’s because the guy is an asshole. The nether eye? The eye that don’t wink, but only stinks? You know, the browneye? You know, I don’t think I’ve ever come across that euphemism. Color me formerly naive, now well informed. Ignorance fought! (No props for heckuva job, Browneye?) ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/84 "2009-03-24T18:17:50Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > Lousy timing. Canadian soldiers are presently fighting in one of the most violent regions, and the clip of Gutfeld’s aired right after four more Canadian soldiers were killed in action. So yeah, plenty of people are pissed. So it’s more because this Fox host poured salt on a national wound, than what he actually said? I can understand that, death’s of soldiers will absolutely make things more sensitive, and it definitely makes more sense in that context. If those 4 soldiers hadn’t just been KIA and he said the same things, am I correct in thinking would there be much less reaction from Canadians and their gov’t? > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The network was glutted with thousands of emails and phone calls complaing, so I guess they did. It’s more than just this one guy saying it, it’s Fox News saying it. If an obscure columnist in the NY Times were to call US soldiers “baby killers,” do you think conservatives (not mention Fox News) would blow it off because the particular writer was a nobody? You’re posing the wrong question there, because of course US conservatives would take whatever chance they get to blast what they percieve to be a bastion of Liberal Media in the US. The more relevant question is something like: Would SecDef Robert Gates bother to harp about a Canadian broadcaster who hired some nobody Canadian to have a bad TV show at 3 AM, after that dude made stupid insults against the US military in a lame attempt at being funny? > [@Gorsnak](#): > > But it’s worth understanding that this guy’s (see, I can’t even remember his name without scrolling down and I’m not about to go to the effort) attitude is illustrative of a sentiment that some Canadians see as widespread among Americans. That is, a significant number of Canadians are convinced that many Americans are arrogant boastful pricks who are utterly ignorant and unappreciative of any of the efforts we make to assist the US internationally. This has an impact on popular political support for the mission in Afghanistan - why should we send our troops over to fight and die only to have their efforts ignored or ridiculed? > > The Canadian media has picked up the story. Canadians reading the transcript of viewing the clip won’t be focusing on the fact that it’s a 3am filler show. They’ll just be hearing a tasteless stupid joke immediately after hearing a story about more casualties in Afghanistan. If Canadians really think that this Greg dude’s comments are illustrative of American sentiment yet ignore the fact that this dude is shunted to a 3 AM time slot for a reason…Well, that just leads me to think that Canadians are just as much sheeple led around the nose by their media as Americans are, sadly enough. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/85 "2009-03-24T18:20:39Z")
Has nothing to do with being led around by the nose by the media. It has to do with having a giant national inferiority complex. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/86 "2009-03-24T18:21:39Z")
> [@Monster104](#): > > If Canadians really think that this Greg dude’s comments are illustrative of American sentiment yet ignore the fact that this dude is shunted to a 3 AM time slot for a reason…Well, that just leads me to think that Canadians are just as much sheeple led around the nose by their media as Americans are, sadly enough. ☹ I would be wondering why this schmuck has a TV show at _all_. Even at 3 am, FOX isn’t exactly public-access. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/87 "2009-03-24T18:22:28Z")
Doug Benson decided to cancell his show in Edmonton for safety reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/88 "2009-03-24T18:23:01Z")
> [@MoodIndigo1](#): > > Doug Benson decided to cancell his show in Edmonton for safety reasons. But, but, it’s the perfect time to invade! ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/89 "2009-03-24T18:23:43Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > The Canadian media has picked up the story. Canadians reading the transcript of viewing the clip won’t be focusing on the fact that it’s a 3am filler show. They’ll just be hearing a tasteless stupid joke immediately after hearing a story about more casualties in Afghanistan. Yup, so yesterday there was the [Highway of Heroes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrIrRCLye70&feature=related) ritual occurring as thousands lined the overpasses on a 100 mile stretch of highway as the fallen return home. Link goes to an NBC report of it or you can see one iconic snapshot from [2008 over here](http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/842/heroes13dv0.jpg), and picture the same scene, bridge after bridge after bridge no matter what the weather, to get the idea. So yesterday’s newspaper had a young widow holding her baby and howling in grief, sharing the front page with the story about Gutfeld et al. > [@Gorsnak](#): > > Anyways, I would be highly amused if a bunch of burly Princess Patricias (see, even our unit names are all girly) show up at this guy’s Edmonton show wearing white capri pants. The show was cancelled, the venue owners got too many calls and considered it to be unsafe to allow the show to take place because some of the calls were “threatening”. ETA: > [@Monster104](#): > > So it’s more because this Fox host poured salt on a national wound, than what he actually said? I can understand that, death’s of soldiers will absolutely make things more sensitive, and it definitely makes more sense in that context. Yes, that’s about right. I don’t think anyone with half a brain in their head gives a rat’s ass about Fox News, but yesterday’s headline photos side by side with the panelists’ comments was extra-hurtful. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/90 "2009-03-24T18:58:29Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > You know, I don’t think I’ve ever come across that euphemism. Color me formerly naive, now well informed. Ignorance fought! Today I consider myself as finally being worthy of being here at the SDMB. > [@](#): > > (No props for heckuva job, Browneye?) I think that’s a thing of beauty. Well done, good sir. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/91 "2009-03-24T19:15:36Z")
> [@bup](#): > > A significant number of Americans are convinced of that, too. > > We’re also overweight. The world should be glad we’re not wearing the white capri pants. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/92 "2009-03-24T19:16:28Z")
[QUOTE=Monster104] The more relevant question is something like: Would SecDef Robert Gates bother to harp about a Canadian broadcaster who hired some nobody Canadian to have a bad TV show at 3 AM, after that dude made stupid insults against the US military in a lame attempt at being funny? [/QUOTE] No. And it’s certainly true that some of that has to do with the louder voice of the U.S. media and and ineferiority complex your smaller neighbour has. But here’s the really critical thing, which I haven’t seen mentioned: Canadian soliders are fighting and dying in Afghanistan _ **to protect the United States.** _ We didn’t get into Afghanistan for shits and giggles; we got into it because the USA was attacked on 9/11/01, and because Canada’s government ascertained that its obligation as an ally was to go to war against those who’d attacked the United States. Of course there’s the matter of the perception of national self-interest and of course Canadians died on 9/11. But for all the blather about how the USA protects us, the truth is that what’s really happening is exactly the reverse; we’re spending billions of dollars and suffering casualties to protect you. Canada chose to fight to defend the USA; we did not elect to sort of avoid the fighting, as some NATO countries did and as we could have. And that is a situation in which an insult isn’t going to be taken well. Do Canadians think Greg Gutfield’s representative of American opinion? No. The most common assumption is that Americans don’t appreciate that we ran to defend the USA when the time came, and that for a variety of geopolitical reasons and events that have transpired since then, they’re starting to wonder if maybe we aren’t wasting our time helping someone too selfish to appreciate it. That’s not necessarily my point of view, but surely you can see why a lot of people would think that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/93 "2009-03-24T19:22:59Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > If Greg Gutfeld wants to invade Canada, then, by all means, let Greg Gutfeld invade Canada! 🙂 > > (Is there a clause in the Geneva Conventions that would allow us to bribe an enemy to detain our POWs indefinitely?) I was thinking forced exile to Canada so they can start a draft, just for him. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/94 "2009-03-24T19:23:46Z")
This is the kind of incident that causes me to lose all respect for Fox News. Wait a tick, I never _had_ any respect for Fox News… ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/95 "2009-03-24T19:24:25Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > No. And it’s certainly true that some of that has to do with the louder voice of the U.S. media and and ineferiority complex your smaller neighbour has. But here’s the really critical thing, which I haven’t seen mentioned: > > Canadian soliders are fighting and dying in Afghanistan _ **to protect the United States.** _ > > We didn’t get into Afghanistan for shits and giggles; we got into it because the USA was attacked on 9/11/01, and because Canada’s government ascertained that its obligation as an ally was to go to war against those who’d attacked the United States. Of course there’s the matter of the perception of national self-interest and of course Canadians died on 9/11. But for all the blather about how the USA protects us, the truth is that what’s really happening is exactly the reverse; we’re spending billions of dollars and suffering casualties to protect you. Canada chose to fight to defend the USA; we did not elect to sort of avoid the fighting, as some NATO countries did and as we could have. And that is a situation in which an insult isn’t going to be taken well. > > Do Canadians think Greg Gutfield’s representative of American opinion? No. The most common assumption is that Americans don’t appreciate that we ran to defend the USA when the time came, and that for a variety of geopolitical reasons and events that have transpired since then, they’re starting to wonder if maybe we aren’t wasting our time helping someone too selfish to appreciate it. That’s not necessarily my point of view, but surely you can see why a lot of people would think that. This. Good allies are hard to come by. Canada could have easily told us “sorry, not interested”. I think they deserve some respect. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/96 "2009-03-24T19:43:33Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > This. > > Good allies are hard to come by. Canada could have easily told us “sorry, not interested”. I think they deserve some respect. Oh come on. Even _France_ joined in with us on Afghanistan. It’s not all that impressive. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/97 "2009-03-24T19:49:19Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] Oh come on. Even France joined in with us on Afghanistan. It’s not all that impressive. [/QUOTE] I’m sure this was tongue in, um, cheek (not the one with the Browneye) but just in case…it WAS pretty impressive that Canada joined us, and they have done a really spectacular job, especially considering the limited scope of their own military abilities. I wish more American’s were aware of the scope of what Canada has done in Afghanistan…unfortunately in many cases they seem ignorant of what ANY of our allies have done, with the exception of the Brits. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/98 "2009-03-24T19:50:36Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I wish more American’s were aware of the scope of what Canada has done in Afghanistan…unfortunately in many cases they seem ignorant of what ANY of our allies have done, with the exception of the Brits. And Poland. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/99 "2009-03-24T20:16:40Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I’m sure this was tongue in, um, cheek (not the one with the Browneye) but just in case…it WAS pretty impressive that Canada joined us, and they have done a really spectacular job, especially considering the limited scope of their own military abilities. > > I wish more American’s were aware of the scope of what Canada has done in Afghanistan…unfortunately in many cases they seem ignorant of what ANY of our allies have done, with the exception of the Brits. > > -XT Rest assured, I’m well aware of what the Canadians have done for us in Afghanistan, and what we’ve done to them, too. As far as I’m aware, the Canadians haven’t killed any Americans there yet. I’d say we owe them a bit more than just thanks and respect. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548/100 "2009-03-24T20:27:22Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I wish more American’s were aware of the scope of what Canada has done in Afghanistan… Heck, I’d be happy if Ann Coulter would give us a calmly appreciative “thank you” for Canada’s role in Vietnam. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-show-mocks-soldiers-in-afghanistan/490548.md?page=6)