QandO

April 12, 2004

British Wing-nut thinks current US effort reminiscent of Nazis
Posted by McQ

Excuse me while I vent.

Its nice to know the world of idiotic generalities and stupid statements isn't strictly a phenomenon of American politics. Apparently "senior" British Army officers have a bit of a corner on it as well.

Below read one of the most ill-informed, ignorant and just flat STUPID statements I've read in a long time.

One senior Army officer told The Telegraph that America's aggressive methods were causing friction among allied commanders and that there was a growing sense of "unease and frustration" among the British high command.

The officer, who agreed to the interview on the condition of anonymity, said that part of the problem was that American troops viewed Iraqis as untermenschen - the Nazi expression for "sub-humans".

Speaking from his base in southern Iraq, the officer said: "My view and the view of the British chain of command is that the Americans' use of violence is not proportionate and is over-responsive to the threat they are facing. They don't see the Iraqi people the way we see them. They view them as untermenschen. They are not concerned about the Iraqi loss of life in the way the British are. Their attitude towards the Iraqis is tragic, it's awful.

"The US troops view things in very simplistic terms. It seems hard for them to reconcile subtleties between who supports what and who doesn't in Iraq. It's easier for their soldiers to group all Iraqis as the bad guys. As far as they are concerned Iraq is bandit country and everybody is out to kill them."

Yup ... If I were that "senior" British Army officer, and said something that freaking dumb, I'd demand anonymity too. I'd not want anyone to know my identity as they'd immediately call into question whether I had the mental acquity necessary to lead troops and represent my country successfully. These are the words of someone who seems so ignorant and ill informed that should he be identified, his boss would immediately have to question his worth to the British efffort there.

"They are not concerned about the Iraqi loss of life in the way the British are."

What absolute nonsense.

The Brits have the easiest duty in Iraq, administering the CPA South which includes an almost homogeneous moderate Shiite population which is generally pro-western. Had this officious nincompoop been faced with the Sunni Triangle, Saddam Fedeyene, Shiite radicals, ex-Ba'athists, IEDs and the capital city of 5 million, its quite possible his simplistic and smug assessment would have changed dramatically.

While this insufferable fool was pontificating, one wonders if he bothered to check the status of the north where Americans, faced with essentially the same conditions the British have in the south, are doing QUITE WELL, thank you very much.

"They don't see the Iraqi people the way we see them. They view them as untermenschen."

In a word, bullshit.

Stories abound, for those with the will and desire to find them, which point to how ludicrous this statement is in reality.

The comparison to Nazi ideology is telling and inexcusable.

Fallujah, per this mental midget, now equals the Warsaw Ghetto.

This sort of generaliztion has no business being said officially or "anonymously", ESPECIALLY by a 'senior' officer or an ally. Any "senior" officer with the brain of a gnat would know that. Thus the plea for anonymity.

Anyone who's passingly familiar with history must immediately question this bleating baffoon's grasp of history as well as his ability to place in historical context the events taking place in Iraq today as compared to those which were evident in Nazi Germany. It is obvious, in the case of this nattering nincompoop that he is ignorant of the history and/or hasn't the ability to make that distinction. In his desire and apparent need to pat himself on the back, he completley distorts that context in order to make his disgustingly dishonest point.

Its a bit disconcerting that someone identified as 'senior' in the British Army is making such assinine and shallow assessments and comparisons of what an ally is going through. To compare the tactics and thinking in the US effort in Iraq as on par with Nazi occupation is, frankly, more indicative of his profound ignorance and stupidity than any truth of the situation in Iraq.

Its a pity that somone of this ilk has command of good British troops. But then, the Tommy has always been known as one of the best fighting but worst led soldiers in the world. Speaking of stereotypes (and I certainly admit to this being one), this historically illiterate idiot makes that particular one seem to be true.

Its a good thing the Brits were given the south. This smug and self-deluded cretin couldn't have handled anything more difficult.

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