Posted on 05/17/2004 3:16:41 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Pfc. Lynndie England isn't exactly a Vivid-quality porn star. Even so, word is she put on quite a show there in the squalid surroundings of Abu Ghraib, although some of her audience may not have been in a position to fully appreciate it, considering that they were wearing pillow cases over their heads at the time.
"Almost everybody was naked all the time," said one member of Congress, presumably disapprovingly, although the New York Post was not clear on this. "It was pretty disgusting, not what you'd expect from Americans. There was lots of sexual stuff – not of the Iraqis, but of our troops," said Sen. Norm Coleman, causing observers to wonder if the Minnesota senator had ever encountered either the Internet or cable television at any point in the last decade.
Since the psychological pressures of warfare have already been used to excuse the abuse of prisoners – by reservists who never saw any actual warfare, I might add – I suppose we can expect to see this one chalked up to the Iraqi heat. Perhaps the air-conditioning wasn't working, leaving the poor prison guards no choice but to take their clothes off. Then a bad sound track kicked in with a whocka-whocka-whocka, somebody pulled out a camera and things got a little crazy. Somewhere in California, a producer is thinking: "Hmmm, G.I. Jenna – I can see it!"
Now, I don't think that "Girls Gone Wild" was exactly what George Bush was promising the Iraqi people as the sweet fruits of freedom. But what do you expect when you take a large group of half-trained young men and women and throw them together, in close quarters, in what has to be one of the most boring places in the world? Better yet, add the possibility of danger and sudden death – that'll keep their pants on.
One wonders what the Islamists are going to make of all this. One minute, they're shaking their fists about the danger of Britney Spears and pierced belly buttons, and then they learn that Britney might as well still be a Mousketeer compared to what else we have on offer. This isn't enlightened democracy taking on benighted medievalism, it's pornocracy vs. theocracy. But at least they should be clear on the fact that it's not a Christian crusade.
The truth is that these sort of shenanigans goes on all the time, wherever there are women in the military. Since the average reporter doesn't know anyone actually in the military, they're unaware that military wives absolutely hate their husbands going off on assignment with the co-eds. This is not without reason, as an astonishing percentage of women become pregnant while on assignment, when they're not getting pregnant in order to avoid going on assignment.
A friend of mine was the ombudsman, or civilian liason, for a 350 man-and-woman ship on a six-month tour a few years ago. There were nine pregnancies in all, and seven children were born during the tour. This was nothing compared to the infamous Love Boat, or USS Eisenhower, which had 60 of 492 women become pregnant or miss deployment due to pregnancy. If simply telling people not to have sex didn't work for the far more powerful Catholic Church during medieval times, it's not likely to work for the U.S. military either.
This is not to say that the porn patrol is all the fault of the tempting little minxes in uniform. It takes two to tango, though perhaps in light of Miss England's oeuvre one should say that the activity requires a two-soldier minimum. However, one sex or the other is going to have to stay back home in order to shut this down and I don't see us converting to an all-Amazon force anytime soon.
It's been clear for years that women cannot measure up to the physical requirements of military duty. Now, it's beyond obvious that they completely destroy military discipline and wreak havoc on day-to-day operations. If soldier-porn isn't enough, what is it going to take to end one of the most idiotic social experiments of all time?
I salute those well-meaning women in the military who only want to do their patriotic duty and serve their country to the best of their ability. I strongly suggest they do so by acquiring honorable discharges at the earliest possible opportunity.
Well, how about Mr. Vox Day getting his Biblical Beast of Burden down to the recruiting office and enlisting for the duration? And, perchance, maybe he could bring a couple of his male friends along?
Women do not destroy military discipline any more--or less--than men do.
Lousy leadership--male or female--is what destroys military discipline. And neither gender has a monopoly on the ability (or inability) to lead.
Kindly note that PFC England is not a rated member of the chain of command--but that the "men" (and I use that term very loosely for these individuals) charged to date were.
Really, compared to Saddam this was a trip to Disney *-ing World.
That's right there is absolutely no diference between a man and a woman. Both are exactly the same. No problem, bunking, bathing or whatever together. Thanks for straightening things out Poohbah, you certainly know what you are talking about.
I never said that they weren't different. I merely point out that men can be just as undisciplined as women, particularly if there's lousy leadership.
Women can play a vital and honorable role in our armed forces. However, I question the wisdom of co-ed troop placements like this.
Thank you for your service.
Bump.
Are you saying that if the prison staff were all men, the orgies and sexcapades would have still happened? Like it or not WOMEN are a distraction and many many compromises in discipline have happened as a result of male/ female interaction. A man, even a proffessional given the right circumstances will loose his mind and forget why he is where he is because of the scent of a woman.
That's what our military needs! More female leadership!!!! Got get um Poo.
WRT the prisoners: yeah, you would've seen the same photos. WRT to the guards, I'm saying that there would've been other forms of severe indiscipline.
Like it or not WOMEN are a distraction and many many compromises in discipline have happened as a result of male/ female interaction.
Long before there were "compromises in discipline" on the scale shown here, there was lousy leadership.
A man, even a proffessional given the right circumstances will loose his mind and forget why he is where he is because of the scent of a woman.
OK...so, because the populace of Iraq is, like the rest of the world, approximately 50% female, you're saying that either we physically isolate the troops from the Iraqi populace, or that we castrate the troops.
The bar-none worst-excuse-for-an-officer I ever served under was biologically male.
You bet. We need more Female Generals!!
"Women can play a vital and honorable role in our armed forces. However, I question the wisdom of co-ed troop placements like this."
I agree that women can and do provide vital roles in the military. They did while I was in the military.
But the social engineering of the military during the Clinton years was just PLAIN STUPID. This kind of trouble was predicted by damn near everyone who had a working brain that wasn't idealogically moribund.
One does not automatically flow from the other, Joe. If you're complaining about too many women serving in the armed forces, how about getting off your fat posterior and enlisting? Or is that a little too much like "work" for your taste?
In the summertime when the weather is fine
You could stretch right up and touch the sky
Now when the weather is fine
You got women,you got women on your mind
I'm going driving right now to see what I can find
Now if her daddy is rich,take her out for a meal
But if her daddy is poor,then do as you feel
Speeding down the lane even though the speed limit is 25
And when the sun goes down,I'll make it with my cutie pie
I've already served during Vietnam era. And you? Where did you serve?
Of course, Mr. Kerry.
And you? Where did you serve?
Eight years in the USMC, all over the world.
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