[QUOTE=Sleel]
Shagnasty is having a little bit of fun quoting from movies. We’ve already got the No Mercy! one covered. That second one is a bastardization from Pulp Fiction. The real passage can be read here.
[/QUOTE]
In what sense is that the real passage? It’s not Ezekiel 25:17 and it’s not very similar to the Jules Winfield speech, so what does it have to do with it?
For the record, the actual wording of Ezekiel 25:17 is “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them”.
[QUOTE=Sleel]
Incidentally, my first martial arts instructor told us to always leave opponents an “out” so that they didn’t go berserk. He called it “cornered-rat syndrome,” referring to the folk wisdom that even a rat — which would much rather run than fight — will fight if backed into a corner with no way to escape. Not that this was out of bleeding-heart sensitivity or anything. It was mostly for practical reasons, though morality was a topic of discussion.
[/QUOTE]
If you surround the enemy, leave an outlet; do not press an enemy that is cornered. These are the principles of warfare.
[QUOTE=Askance]
Was it unclear I was posting an article verbatim? I apologise if so. To the best of my knowledge I’m not required to verify every statement in it in order to have a useful debate on the topic it raises.
[/quote]
Of course you are not required to verify every statement you make or quote. And other posters are not required to believe you.
I did a few web searches and found nothing to corroborate Hartcher’s claims about atrocities in the Revolutionary War and Washington’s response. I have a feeling that he is BSing.
[QUOTE=brazil84]
Of course you are not required to verify every statement you make or quote. And other posters are not required to believe you.
I did a few web searches and found nothing to corroborate Hartcher’s claims about atrocities in the Revolutionary War and Washington’s response. I have a feeling that he is BSing.
[/QUOTE]
What I mean is, I would have thought that I would have heard about this in my American History class, or on Schoolhouse Rock, or something like that.
[QUOTE=e-logic]
Colonel Tim Collins gave the following speech to UK troops in Iraq, in March 2003…
[/QUOTE]
THAT man I’d follow into Hell, no questions asked.
In case anyone is curious, I found a couple Wikipedia articles about British treatment of American POW’s during the Revolutionary War:
So it seems that a lot of American prisoners died of “intentional neglect.”
It still seems like a stretch that thousands of Americans were slaughtered after having surrendered.
This doesn’t seem to be true:
I would guess that the British generals also issued orders against rape, pillaging, etc. And I would guess that many soldiers on both sides ignored those orders.
The main reason we are hated more than other European countries is that we pushed them out for not supporting the war, and again after the “win” when we refused to let them help with policing and rebuilding, which they said they wanted in on.
And of course we also resisted Russian influence near the oil lines, Chinese trade, Indian logistical support …
If we had not tried to go it alone, even pushing Brit efforts aside to stay in control, we would not be the hated nation.
Instead of occupiers, we would be running an international trust territory, like those after WWII, which we could point to.
[QUOTE=Priceguy]
In what sense is that the real passage? It’s not Ezekiel 25:17 and it’s not very similar to the Jules Winfield speech, so what does it have to do with it?
For the record, the actual wording of Ezekiel 25:17 is “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them”.
[/QUOTE]
Gah, wrong URL in the buffer when I pasted. Anyway, the passage from Pulp Fiction is false. The only part of it that matches up with what’s actually at Ezekiel 25:17 is the last sentence, and even that has made-up stuff inserted in it.
[QUOTE=brazil84]
Of course you are not required to verify every statement you make or quote. And other posters are not required to believe you.
I did a few web searches and found nothing to corroborate Hartcher’s claims about atrocities in the Revolutionary War and Washington’s response. I have a feeling that he is BSing.
[/QUOTE]
I have no cite but the atrocities portrayed in The Patriot were taken from real life Nazi atrocities in WW2 Europe .
Apparently the Revolutionary war was very well documented and The Patriot was about as accurate as BraveHeart,i.e. not at all.
I read all this in Brit.newspapers when the film came out.
I am starting to wonder wether Mel Gibson has some sort of grudge against the Brits.
Its a possibility as theres none so Irish as the “Plastic Paddies”, as the genuine articles from Ireland call them.
[QUOTE=Askance] This is how America handled a barbaric opponent over 200 years ago (my emphasis):That’s how to win hearts and minds; be better than the evil you are fighting, not excuse your own descent into barbaric practices by saying “well they’re worse”.
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Askance]
How America might have avoided - part of - the current wave of Anti-Americanism?
[/QUOTE]
Can you clarify the question? Do you mean abroad or within the left wing of the democratic party?
[QUOTE=Askance] That’s how to win hearts and minds; be better than the evil you are fighting, not excuse your own descent into barbaric practices by saying “well they’re worse”.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure I see your point. Are you claiming that our conduct in the war on terror is worse than that of Al Qaeda or other Iraqi insurgent groups? If so, please offer a cite to all those things we’ve done that are** worse** than blowing up buildings with thousands of innocents in them, setting bombs off in markets and schools intentionally killing thousands of women and children, and beheading people.
[QUOTE=magellan01]
I’m not sure I see your point. Are you claiming that our conduct in the war on terror is worse than that of Al Qaeda or other Iraqi insurgent groups? If so, please offer a cite to all those things we’ve done that are** worse** than blowing up buildings with thousands of innocents in them, setting bombs off in markets and schools intentionally killing thousands of women and children, and beheading people.
[/QUOTE]
Devastating an entire country come to mind, as does kidnapping and torture, and various other atrocities. We have done far more harm than Al Qaeda.
[QUOTE=Lust4Life]
I am starting to wonder wether Mel Gibson has some sort of grudge against the Brits.
Its a possibility as theres none so Irish as the “Plastic Paddies”, as the genuine articles from Ireland call them.
[/QUOTE]
Mel Gibson is just an actor, not a sociologist, and actors do not need great intellects, nor any soirt of sense of responsibility to the truth, in fact that would get in the way.
Its just an extension of having a baddy that speaks a common language whose accent is differant enough not to be American.
[QUOTE=Der Trihs]
Devastating an entire country come to mind, as does kidnapping and torture, and various other atrocities. We have done far more harm than Al Qaeda.
[/QUOTE]
Would you rather be
A) sent to Abu Graib and be humiliated by some low-lifes who then got punished
B) kidnapped and sent to Gitmo, where you’d still even be able to practice your religion
C) kidnapped and beheaded
D) have your wife, mother and children blown up by a suicide bomber as they went to the market
I’ll take one of the first two. But since you evidenlty view them, by virtue of who is commiting the act, worse than the latter two, I’ll leave you to enjoy the relief and righteousness you’ll feel choosing C or D.
Of course, this representation of other English speakers by Hollywood as villains and stealing honourable history from others, such as the capture of codebreaking materials from German subs is also a good enough reason for others to hold the American media in pretty low regard.
Yup, way to go Hollywood, glorify America and denigrate your allies.