# trigger happy kiddie soldiers? Rashak Mani **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 7, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382 "2005-03-07T16:35:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/121 "2005-03-11T02:16:09Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I continue to hold the theory that certain political affiliations in the US are simply too emotionally insecure to deal with any sort of criticism against the nation. Anything that _dares_ to be critical – whether it’s a flag-burning demonstration, or a nation that refuses to join our “coalition” – is instantly made into an enemy and must be destroyed. > > It’s somewhat amusing when the subjects are less than ten years old, but you start to get the heebie-jeebies when you realize these folks are allowed to vote… Pot calling kettle black. > [@](#): > > Quick, someone call the children!, a parade of strawmen! exactly. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/122 "2005-03-11T03:44:46Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Quick, someone call the children!, a parade of strawmen! Someone did. And little **Ryan** goose-stepped right in. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/123 "2005-03-11T10:22:39Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Daniel’s comments bear reading - as posters in this and the GD thread have made blithe comments about how the soldiers chose their job or, alternately, that if self-defense was so important to them they should just leave Iraq. > > Joining the military is a choice. Once you’re sent to do a job, it’s no longer a choice. > > Most people pick jobs on the basis of money, opportunity for advancement, educational opportunity, other benefits etc. Members of the armed forces have similar motives with probably a minority motivated solely by patriotism. Even if they had only the crassest of personal motives like the rest of us, however, they’re on the firing line and serving their country as a result. > > I have yet to see any board members pull a Pat Tillman and go enlist, in order to show the “trigger-happy kiddie soldiers” how it should be done. > > Criticize individual actions, supervisory policies, insufficient training and higher-ups all you want. Issuing sneering blanket condemnations of the U.S. military is not only pig-headed and wrong - but it plays right into the hands of right-wingers who use it as evidence of anti-Americanism. > > Some folks here need to take a refresher course in Political Strategy 101. Pat Tillman was killed by trigger-happy US troops so you’ll forgive us if we don’t follow his example huh? [Army Spun Tale](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37679-2004Dec5.html) > [@](#): > > It was also a distorted and incomplete narrative, according to dozens of internal Army documents obtained by The Washington Post that describe Tillman’s death by fratricide after a chain of botched communications, a misguided order to divide his platoon over the objection of its leader and **undisciplined firing by fellow Rangers.** (my bolding) ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/124 "2005-03-11T12:38:54Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > Anyways > > Rashak Mani has been a devout anti-American ever since he came onto these boards, anything to do with the US being a superpower or GWB or the fact the West is the global leader, is something of an antithesis to him. Maybe he’d rather have Hugo Chavez as leader of the free world, since he does such a great job. :rolleyes: Hello I am Ryan Liam, I am an uneducated idiot who like to discuss things which I don’t know anything about with grown ups. Brazil is a western country. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/125 "2005-03-11T13:41:46Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > Pat Tillman was killed by trigger-happy US troops so you’ll forgive us if we don’t follow his example huh? There have been “friendly fire” incidents (often involving much higher casualties) in every modern war, involving multiple nations. So if that’s an excuse for sneering at the military en masse while avoiding service, it’s not a very good one. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/126 "2005-03-11T14:06:20Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > So if that’s an excuse for sneering at the military en masse while avoiding service, it’s not a very good one. I agree that throwing around labels and “sneering” at the military isn’t ideal or fair… but what about the opposite ? Broadly labeling them all as heroes and men of honor and service ? Uncapable of nasty Abu Ghraib silliness or trigger happy impulses. Pat Tillman is a good example of how things get blown out of proportion because the military must be seen as immaculate. Tillman though being most certainly an inspiring example of unselfishness and sacrifice died in pretty sad and useless way. Spinning things to give a great guy a “noble death” just mocks the truth and creates this IMHO overblown aura that the US military want to perpetuate. Inspiring kids to join an enbattled army. In the “Black Hawk Down” book when they drop in to capture the VIPs… the Delta guys describe being shot at by jumpy Rangers. In Iraq I’ve seen plenty of accounts of gun fights were americans just blazed away in way too many directions. Maybe not all US GIs are trigger happy… but way too many seem to be firing first, firing in abundance and not even asking later. This naturally reflects badly on US troops… which though easily the most professional army in the world… isn’t perfect or even close to it IMO. (Especially grunts on the ground.) I know americans take great pride in their armed forces… but it simply isn’t all it’s made to be. ( Addendum: In Brazilian only message boards I’ve seen people get offended when someone implied that our military is smallish and under equipped… and proceeded to label the guy unpatriotic. The fact that they are so seems to elude the offended party. So its not only an american thing. ) ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/127 "2005-03-11T15:09:11Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > There have been “friendly fire” incidents (often involving much higher casualties) in every modern war, involving multiple nations. > > So if that’s an excuse for sneering at the military en masse while avoiding service, it’s not a very good one. I don’t support your bullshit war. If you’re so all fired up you get out there. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/128 "2005-03-11T15:10:35Z")
FYI **Jackmannii** isn’t exactly pro-war. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/129 "2005-03-11T15:11:25Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > There have been “friendly fire” incidents (often involving much higher casualties) in every modern war, involving multiple nations. > > So if that’s an excuse for sneering at the military en masse while avoiding service, it’s not a very good one. Our soldiers ain’t policemen, that’s the root of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/130 "2005-03-11T18:53:34Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Our soldiers ain’t policemen, that’s the root of the problem. hehe… quite an understatement… 🙂 Add: No one told them they would be policemen… no one trained them to do so… no one told them how long or that they would be staying at all. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382/131 "2005-03-12T01:42:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Hello I am Ryan Liam, I am an uneducated idiot who like to discuss things which I don’t know anything about with grown ups. You’re a grown up? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-happy-kiddie-soldiers-rashak-mani/293382.md?page=6)