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Title: The Real American Sniper: Why Chris Kyle Wasn’t A Hero
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URL Source: http://theantimedia.org/the-real-american-sniper/
Published: Jan 21, 2015
Author: SM Gibson
Post Date: 2015-01-21 19:29:14 by James Deffenbach
Keywords: None
Views: 405
Comments: 24
(ANTIMEDIA) The following words are not meant spit on the grave of Chris Kyle but rather address a reality that may be unpleasant for many to hear. Chris Kyle was not a hero. He did not protect America or keep it safe. He killed a lot. He also apparently lied a lot as well. Sometimes truth lies beyond the lens of star spangled glasses, and once you have the courage to look beyond a constructed work of fiction, you may realize that the facts do not align with your belief system. It may not be easy but sometimes the truth is harsh. If we as a people are genuinely in pursuit of truth and the justice that follows, we must distance ourselves from the warm feelings that certain narratives provide and search objectively without the blinders that provide us comfort. Kyle’s story takes place in Iraq, his weapon and astute aim followed along with him. The former Navy SEAL and bronco rider was responsible for 160 confirmed deaths – 255 if you include unconfirmed kills – while he was stationed in the land that was once ancient Babylon. How can it be said that a single person he killed was on behalf of protecting the American way of life or its freedoms when Iraq nor its people were ever a threat to either? Kyle was a member of an invading force. To protect someone or something, an outside threat must first be made, otherwise what is labeled as protector is actually an aggressor. No matter your thoughts surrounding the events on 9/11, one thing that is for certain is that Iraq was not involved. Saddam Hussein never attacked the United States, nor did it appear that he ever had plans to do so. Hussein’s regime, although not innocent of crimes in its own country, was not a threat to the United States or its citizens. And despite the Bush administration’s assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, they didn’t. It may be brutal to hear but the facts dictate that none of the people that Chris Kyle killed were a threat to America, its freedoms, or its way of life. So who or what was the Texan protecting? It can be said that Kyle was protecting lives by making the argument that he was providing cover for his fellow soldiers; soldiers that should have never been in harm’s way to begin with. The cover provided to US soldiers should have have come in the form of not sending them into a country that posed zero threat to the United States. If the US government actually cared about protecting its citizens, instead of providing snipers to serve as their protectors, it should have shielded them by not sending them onto a battlefield constructed of lies. Thousands of Americans who were sent back to their families with a flag draped over their maimed and lifeless bodies would still be alive today if not for the actions and needless meddling of the US government. While it is very true that Chief Sgt. Kyle was not to blame for the foreign policy of his employer, he was a cog in its wheel, and more importantly he took pleasure in his duty of senseless death. American Sniper, the movie based on his words, makes Kyle appear as if he was conflicted by the scores who were killed by his marksmanship. Unfortunately for his legacy, his actual words tell a different story. “I wondered, how would I feel about killing someone? Now I know. It’s no big deal” Another quote from Kyle’s book describes his thoughts on the Iraqi people, “Savage, despicable evil. That’s what we were fighting in Iraq. That’s why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy ‘savages’…. I only wish I had killed more.” The sniper also described his chosen profession of killing by saying, “You do it until there’s no one left to kill. That’s what war is. I loved what I did… I’m not lying or exaggerating to say it was fun.” Kyle also relays his lack of regret by saying, “There’s another question people ask a lot: Did it bother you killing so many people in Iraq? I tell them ‘No.’ And I mean it.” As far as the moral ambiguity that he dealt with, Kyle said “I have a strong sense of justice. It’s pretty much black-and-white. I don’t see too much gray.” The last passage from American Sniper that I will list truly demonstrates Kyle’s lack of heroism: “A teenager, I’d guess about fifteen, sixteen, appeared on the street and squared up with an AK-47 to fire at them. I dropped him. A minute or two later, an Iraqi woman came running up, saw him on the ground, and tore off her clothes. She was obviously his mother. I’d see the families of the insurgents display their grief, tear off clothes, even rub the blood on themselves. If you loved them, I thought, you should have kept them away from the war. You should have kept them from joining the insurgency.” The insurgency that the sniper is referring to is the local Iraqi insurgency that would have never existed if the United States hadn’t invaded Iraq to begin with. These “insurgents” weren’t making their way overseas to hurt Kyle’s family, so where does his malice towards the child he killed in cold blood come from? Maybe you’ll choose to not believe that Kyle really believed the words he wrote in his own book, I couldn’t blame you, after all Kyle was caught in multiple lies while he was still alive. Regardless of whether you approve of Jesse Ventura famously pursing his lawsuit against Kyle after his death, Ventura did prove in court that Kyle lied about punching him at a Navy SEAL reunion in 2006. The former governor of Minnesota was awarded 1.8 million dollars for Kyle’s tall tale despite being told he would never prove in a court of law that the ghost of an American hero had lied. He did. HarperCollins, the publisher of American Sniper also had to remove the story from future printings of the book. Another lie that Kyle was caught in was a story he told to D Magazine regarding a supposed run in with two car jackers in 2009. The incident supposedly took place at a gas station somewhere along Highway 67 just south of Dallas, Tx. Kyle claimed that he shot the two men each twice in the chest, killing them both. He never claimed that either man fired a shot at him. The former military man said that he waited on local law enforcement to arrive and once on the scene he gave them a phone number that directed the officers to the Department of Defense. The person on the other end vouched for him and he was sent on his way, according to Kyle. The problem with this story is that despite various publications having attempted to verify Kyle’s account multiple times, there is still not a single shred of evidence that it ever happened. The real life American Sniper also told a tale about him and a comrade being ordered to New Orleans in the direct aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The story goes is that the two were stationed atop the Superdome. Kyle then proceeded to pick off and kill 30 looters dead in the streets from atop the home of the New Orleans Saints. There is absolutely no evidence to corroborate this narrative either. Either Chris Kyle was a cold blooded killer who took it upon himself to be judge, jury, and executioner while killing Americans dead in its streets or he was a liar. Whichever story you choose to believe, one thing is for certain, the real American Sniper was no hero. Hollywood is a business, and as with the goal of any business, their objective is to generate profit. The movie industry does so through visual story telling. A studio produces films to make you feel a certain way which in turn allows the studios to recoup their expenses and ideally generate a profit. The story of Chris Kyle is no different. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a film, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that the heroic Chris Kyle portrayed on the silver screen is the same as the real life Chris Kyle. One of them was payed to sway your emotions while the real one was paid to kill those that never ever threatened the rights which allow these type of films to be made in the first place.
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#1. To: James Deffenbach (#0)
Nit picking.... Payed is incorrect in this instance. Beyond that, the REAL HEROS, those that stayed at home, should thank their good luck, never to be in such a position, willing or otherwise.
Yes, it should have been paid. No one who goes halfway around the world to kill people who have done nothing to them or shown any signs that they plan to was drafted. They all signed up,
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends. Paul Craig Roberts "When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it." Frederic Bastiat
The term 'HERO" is used by the government, media and military, to attempt to make killing for them, acceptable to the masses. This is true of all governments. I believe the record is held by a Russian, with nearly a thousand kills.
My only hope is that this film will generate some honest dialogue re: the ungodly killing machine that is US. And how best to stop it. “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
It is a term so overused these days it has just about ceased to have any real meaning. If someone is a "hero" just because he (or she) wears some kind of government uniform or just because they got hurt for being in the wrong place at the wrong time then maybe everyone who has ever been injured in a car wreck is a "hero." Like I said, the term is practically meaningless these days. Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends. Paul Craig Roberts "When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it." Frederic Bastiat
Just the best article I've seen all day. Duff was a sniper in 'Nam for a short while and has an interesting take on this topic. Posted by Gordon Duff on January 21, 2015 Being a sniper is all about shame By Gordon Duff, Senior Editor The job of sniper has nothing to do with the stories of movie and television, nothing related to the heavily fictionalized books foisted on the public decade after decade. Snipers with high kill numbers shoot primarily armed American allies they “mistake” for enemy or unarmed civilians. The best of them protect American bases and small units with precision fire and take great risks. If you kill more than dozen people as a sniper and you aren’t guilty of murdering innocent civilians, I would be very surprised. If you are insane enough to convince yourself, let’s say you are in Afghanistan or Iraq, countries where it is legal for any civilian to carry a weapon and no sane person would go outside without one, that shooting “armed Muslims” makes you a hero, you are both a liar and a fool. You are probably also a psychopath. Most of the armed “insurgents” the US has killed during the War on Terror were friendly militias, local herdsmen or, at best, armed tribal units that were armed tribal units when they fought the British and Russians as well for hundreds of years. We are talking about “patriots” defending their country against foreign invaders who support drug cartels and criminal politicians like the governments the US has placed in power over and over. I do expect this; I expect an American Sniper to use his skills to protect American personnel from attack even if America is there as part of an armed aggression on the part of whoever it is that runs America, which sure as hell isn’t the American people. At best it can be considered a sad necessity and any moral person would, as soon as possible, rectify that mistake. When wars were fought by draftees, that was harder. Today you can simply not sign up again or ask for another job. Oh, I am forgetting “stop loss,” that the US stopped letting people simply quit when their enlistment was over. We don’t talk about that either. We don’t talk about not thousands of suicides but hundreds of thousands. Yes, this is not a simple story and there are no entire good or bad people. Welcome to reality. I was a sniper in Vietnam. I held that occupation for a short time, seen as a “relief” from every day life there which for Marines involved 3 hours sleep, starvation, sleeping on the ground “behind enemy lines,” and the rigors of the backpacking trip from hell. Here, decades later, the weapon I used isn’t even officially listed and doesn’t exist. Sniper “talk” is largely mythology and, far too often, simply crazy. Anyone ever find a .243 M14 National Match with Gen1.5 Starlight Scope? Shooting a handful of people at night from 400 meters away could be done in less time than it takes to open a can of beer and this was with what some might consider “junk” by today’s standards. I should have taken a photo of it, I could sell it to gun magazines for millions. There were folks out there with Remington 700s though none of us ever saw one, maybe we weren’t supposed to or were there other reasons? 99% of talk about snipers is plain bull and mythology. I am not the world expert but I have “done the work” in the worst place on earth, I collect sniper rifles and own a company that builds them. I make weapons that are longer range, lighter, smaller and more versatile, easily converted from silenced/suppressed short barreled MP (machine pistol) or SMG (submachine gun) configurations to a sniper file capable of extraordinary range. Technology allows this, new optics and weapons designs. I make weapons and can only hope they are used properly. There are bad people who deserve killing but most of them are trained and supplied by the Mossad, CIA and our British and French allies, I am talking Boko Harum, ISIS and that gang. You didn’t know that? Imagine that. There is a reason for this as many military organizations send out reconnaissance units with short ranged weapons and are incapable of defending themselves from accurate long range fire or require “overwatch” protection while engaged in building searches. In South Vietnam there were some legitimate targets, sort of. In truth, the US was in South Vietnam illegally and on the wrong side in the first place so any moral high ground disappears immediately anyway. So, if you were a “sniper” killing the enemy, one thing for certain, you were shooting people better than you are. It took a fat minute to figure that one out and absolutely everyone knew it, something we aren’t so sure about with our new “professional” military today. The “pro-Vietnam war” bullshitters began creeping out of the woodwork during the Reagan administration with the vast majority of them Bush/Romney type blowhards, “Chickenhawks” and phonies. Some had washed out of the military during basic training, others hadn’t been in the military at all. More. . . www.veteranstoday.com/201...ology-and-other-tales-of- horror/ "If ignorance is truly bliss, then why do so many Americans need Prozac?" - Dave McGowan
'bout time, someone posted the truth. I feel bad for the parents of US service people wishing the best for their children, knowing deep in their hearts that what they're doing is so wrong in so many ways. The rest, I just feel bad for them for being so dumb. .
Thanks for the linkage.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
Amen, and what more can be said? thanks. “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
There aren't many, but the ones who really suffer are the G.I.s who discover once they get into uniform what a charade it all is.
Excellent article, thanks for posting it.
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends. Paul Craig Roberts "When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it." Frederic Bastiat
I watched a netflix video re: Vietnam yesterday and it brought back memories but most of all it clearly showed the assault on humanity, the carnage for profits, and repeatedly mentioned stopping the spread of communism. Pure horseshit ! (I think the History Channel produced it originally). Today's victims of the warmongering class are no different than many of the Vietnam era soldiers. Middle class kids from all over the country that are simply ignorant of the reality because they, like their predecessors, are propagandized from birth to see things from a patriotic viewpoint without any comprehension related to the international cabal of death merchants. Remembering my youth I thought I was invincible. I was fortunate and returned home without injury. Millions of others were not so fortunate. The same holds true today. So, I don't hate the young soldier that hasn't had the life experience that would convince him that war is a murderous-maiming racket without competition. The government of the U.S., that is charged to protect our rights, is in fact satan's military arm and violates every reason for its existence. EDIT: I might add that our society breeds into us a need to be appreciated or patted on the back by supposed authority figures and educators, that have forfeited their standing as examples to be followed or respected for brainwashing American youth rather than teaching them to think and act for themselves. "Honest, April 15th is April Fools Day".
Middle class kids from all over the country that are simply ignorant of the reality because they, like their predecessors, are propagandized from birth to see things from a patriotic viewpoint without any comprehension related to the international cabal of death merchants. I think the "propaganda" has convinced, or is convincing new servicemen that they are indeed defending and preserving freedom for America. In their minds they are doing a great thing for our nation. In theory, it may be true, but for the last 20 years or so that notion has been ambigous at best. The US Military has been used a world military police force of the UN, NATO, and the Elites. That is theft of our resources and assets by the elites. AND also shameful. Back to Kyle and those who serve -- They are backing up, defending, and fighting for their Bands of Brothers. Duty performed honorably and under terrible circumstances. Policies and missions are not their call. Proble is, they are still told that they are endeavoring on missions in the Middle East that somehow defend America (which at this point a "Mission" that's still yet to be defined.) Others have mentioned it here but I want to add my 2 cents worth regarding the term hero. That word has lost all meaning because anyone serving is given that monniker regardless of their activities. They give a beret to every soldier these days ... hahaha makes the beret as worthless as the term "hero" ! It's all part of the communism taking us over. Like when the loser team gets a trophy, or when an Elton John faggot gets to adopt a child. This shit repulses me. "Honest, April 15th is April Fools Day".
Imo, most that enlist do it much for self-serving reasons (education, income, no other viable job options) and not patriotism.
GI Bill
No argument here as I'm positive that the employment issue plays large. I think the pay was $88.00/mos when I went into the Air Force. "Honest, April 15th is April Fools Day".
What I was trying to say is that we're brought up to think we're patriots rather than mercenaries for the profiteers of war.
"Honest, April 15th is April Fools Day".
Our discontent is grossly misdirected. We must realize and accept that sans those volunteer mercenaries, this country would have an endless draft, a draft that would take the children and grand children of those very people that hold volunteers in such low esteem. I am sick of that endless venom. We hire and we pay these people, so we do not get dragged away. The problem lies with the people the voters elect and love so well. People need to look inward and stop self serving unleashing of venom.
We must realize and accept that sans those volunteer mercenaries, this country would have an endless draft, a draft that would take the children and grand children of those very people that hold volunteers in such low esteem. I am sick of that endless venom. We hire and we pay these people, so we do not get dragged away. The problem lies with the people the voters elect and love so well. People need to look inward and stop self serving unleashing of venom. ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
Today's victims of the warmongering class are no different than many of the Vietnam era soldiers. Middle class kids from all over the country that are simply ignorant of the reality because they, like their predecessors, are propagandized from birth to see things from a patriotic viewpoint without any comprehension related to the international cabal of death merchants. Remembering my youth I thought I was invincible. I was fortunate and returned home without injury. Millions of others were not so fortunate. The same holds true today. So, I don't hate the young soldier that hasn't had the life experience that would convince him that war is a murderous-maiming racket without competition. The government of the U.S., that is charged to protect our rights, is in fact satan's military arm and violates every reason for its existence. EDIT: I might add that our society breeds into us a need to be appreciated or patted on the back by supposed authority figures and educators, that have forfeited their standing as examples to be followed or respected for brainwashing American youth rather than teaching them to think and act for themselves. Vimeo video on the USS Liberty and also the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin kick-start for the Vietnam War: COVERT SACRIFICE: Operation Cyanide by Iona Miller, 2010 At 8:47-9:01, Daniel Ellsberg was on duty in the Pentagon the night of August 4 receiving messages from the Maddox. Cross-referencing relevant info at 4um Title: THOUGHTS FROM A BEATLE FAN: Post #s 15, 16, 17, 18, and 20 Excerpts from Post #16 Re: Daniel Ellsberg and mistranslated/tampered messages: Gulf Tonkin Documents - Video [with Transcript] - C-SPAN.org, reference at 00:19:09. WHAT ARE THESE MESSAGES SAYING THERE IS NO ATTACK? RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT A COMPOSITE INTERCEPT ROLES IN. IT IS A SUMMARY OF THOSE NORTH VIETNAMESE COMMUNICATIONS [...] THEY GIST THE COMMUNICATIONS. JUST SUMMARIZE WITHOUT GIVING THE SOURCE OF WHERE THEY PICKED IT UP. THEY SUMMARIZED. [...] TO CONTINUE TO DEFEND THE POSITION THAT THE SECOND ATTACK DID TAKE PLACE. IT WAS AGGRESSIVE. AND THEY BASICALLY HAD LEFT OUT OF THE CHRONOLOGY ALL OF THE MESSAGES THAT DID NOT SUPPORT THAT STORY. [...] WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL, YOU SEE THE WORD COMRADES. WHEN YOU GO TO THE SUMMARIES, YOU SEE THE WORD BOATS. TWO COMRADES BECOMES TWO BOATS. [...] THERE WAS NO ATTACK ON THE FOURTH OF AUGUST. GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THESE ORIGINALS, WHICH IS WHAT THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY SHOULD HAVE DONE AT THE TIME, BUT DID NOT. INSTEAD, THEY PREPARED A CHRONOLOGY THAT WOULD SHOW IRREFUTABLY WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAD SAID ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. AND THE STORY WE NOW KNOW IS TWO DIFFERENT INTERCEPT DETACHMENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES PICK UP SOME OF THE SAME MESSAGES BUT ONE OF THEM, THE MARINE CORPS INTERPRETERS, READS THE MESSAGES AS A WARNING OF AN IMMINENT ATTACK. BUT IT WAS NOT A TRANSLATION OF THE NORTH VIETNAMESE MESSAGE. IT IS THEIR INTERPRETATION OF THE SEPARATE MESSAGE THAT WAS ABOUT REFUELING THE BOATS ... Gulf of Tonkin: McNamara admits It didn't happen. - 3.5 minute YouTube, McNamara's admission starting at 3:17 Uploaded on Mar 4, 2008 An extract From "The Fog of War". An interview with Robert S McNamara who was Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam war. The Gulf of Tonkin Lie - 2.5 minute YouTube Uploaded on Sep 9, 2009 http://Dont-Tread-On.Me A False Flag attack or in this case just a complete lie, bankers profiting from both sides of the war, fighting wars that are never to be won, War profits to the corporations, Americans pay the price in treasure, sweat, and blood. Smedley Butler had it right WAR IS A RACKET! ------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
I probably should have said that these youth are unwitting mercenaries. I may not be thinking realistically when I long for a truly peaceful world. "Honest, April 15th is April Fools Day".
At that age, who is truly witting about much of anything? I certainly wasn't... “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
Right, hahahahaha ! "Honest, April 15th is April Fools Day".
One of them was payed to sway your emotions
#2. To: Cynicom (#1)
#3. To: James Deffenbach (#2)
Yes, it should have been paid. No one who goes halfway around the world to kill people who have done nothing to them or shown any signs that they plan to was drafted. They all signed up,
#4. To: James Deffenbach, 4 (#0)
#5. To: Cynicom (#3)
The term 'HERO" is used by the government, media and military, to attempt to make killing for them, acceptable to the masses.
#6. To: James Deffenbach, Cynicom, Lod (#5)
American Sniper Mythology and Other Tales of Horror
#7. To: randge (#6)
#8. To: randge (#6)
#9. To: 2dollarbill (#7)
I feel bad for the parents of US service people wishing the best for their children, knowing deep in their hearts that what they're doing is so wrong in so many ways. The rest, I just feel bad for them for being so dumb. .
#10. To: 2dollarbill (#7)
I feel bad for the parents of US service people wishing the best for their children, knowing deep in their hearts that what they're doing is so wrong in so many ways.
#11. To: randge (#6)
#12. To: Lod (#9)
(Edited)
#13. To: noone222, Lod (#12)
Today's victims of the warmongering class are no different than many of the Vietnam era soldiers.
#14. To: Liberator (#13)
#15. To: noone222 (#12)
#16. To: christine (#15)
#17. To: christine (#15)
Imo, most that enlist do it much for self-serving reasons (education, income, no other viable job options) and not patriotism.
#18. To: christine (#15)
#19. To: noone222 (#18)
What I was trying to say is that we're brought up to think we're patriots rather than mercenaries for the profiteers of war.
#20. To: Cynicom, *Post Of The Day* (#19)
Our discontent is grossly misdirected.
#21. To: noone222 (#12)
I watched a netflix video re: Vietnam yesterday and it brought back memories but most of all it clearly showed the assault on humanity, the carnage for profits, and repeatedly mentioned stopping the spread of communism. Pure horseshit ! (I think the History Channel produced it originally).
It is significant who was on duty as a message/signal intercepter then and leading up to Johnson's televised announcement of retaliation because a North Vietnamese transmission that spoke of two comrades as casualties was mistranslated, perhaps deliberately, as speaking of two "boats" having been sacrificed by them, wrongly implying an act of aggression on their part.
#22. To: Cynicom (#19)
#23. To: noone222 (#22)
#24. To: Lod (#23)
At that age, who is truly witting about much of anything?
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