Supporting the Troops II
Jun 03, 2008
The Apostate: Supporting the Troops Some More.
Some military douchebags are very offended that I’m taking my valuation of humanity from the Milgram experiments, the Stanford prison experiment and the Nazis to state that thrown into appropriate cultures, most people of ordinary morality act in immoral ways. Soldiers (and frat boys and gangs) rape because the military encourages and fosters a macho rape culture. There should be nothing controversial about this, but apparently I’m supposed to be a naive little girl and trust most people to be good, “deep down.”
Many Americans would find the equivalence of the US military with the Nazi regime offensive. The Nazis systematically planned and carried out the slaughter of peoples at an industrial-scale level whereas a few American soldiers have humiliated and tortured Iraqis. You often times read of reports where the American soldiers are weary of handing over suspects to local Iraqi police or troops because of what will likely be done to the possible culprits. And no, we won't get to see the photos of that activity.
Of course, the US military fosters a macho culture. (What ought they do? Foster a sissy culture?) But when did being macho become synonymous with being a rapist?
Given the thin line of logic, do bodybuilders foster a rape culture?
It's so transparent - like the idiots who yell "RACISM!!" any time you say something they don't like. They, like her, are using a spurious accusation to end an argument which they are unable to address, or even consider, in a rational fashion.
I could say that I like canned peaches, and she'd probably accuse me of fostering a rape culture.
Posted by: Alex | Jun 03, 2008 at 10:56 PM
Pointing out that the American army trains its personal to support human rights better than the Janjaweed (who are the worst violators on the planet) makes me a racist. And using the polite honorific "Mrs." for a married woman makes me a sexist. I can't possibly win ;)
Posted by: Cafe Alpha | Jun 03, 2008 at 11:36 PM
She is also obviously completely ignorant. I guess she simply doesn't know the difference between the American military and a racist, Islamist, tribalist terror gang. Her ignorance is awesome to contemplate.
Posted by: Cafe Alpha | Jun 03, 2008 at 11:41 PM
"Given the thin line of logic, do bodybuilders foster a rape culture?"
Good choice. I seriously doubt you could get her to disagree with that statement. She's that bigoted.
Posted by: Cafe Alpha | Jun 03, 2008 at 11:43 PM
"... why is it not as illuminating and honest to refer to Newton's laws as
`Newton's rape manual' as it is to call them `Newton's mechanics'" -- Sandra Harding, "The Science Question In Feminism"
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto | Jun 04, 2008 at 05:18 PM
Francis W. Porretto: Who knew that that Isaac was pro-rapist!
No wonder women are so underrepresented in mathematics and physics departments. (*Ducks.*)
Posted by: Isaac Schrödinger | Jun 04, 2008 at 08:00 PM
I think he/she has something of a point. There is a difference between a masculine culture and a macho one. Being macho is itself something of an inferiority complex among men, IMO, because it comes from a need to constantly prove how masculine you really are.
Where she goes wrong is that the macho culture in the military is really not THAT widespread. I think a lot of the problem with the military, based on what I've been told from friends who have or are serving is the women in the military. Their very presence has a somewhat feminizing impact on the military culture, and so men may feel the need to compensate through macho bravado. I've also heard of some pretty horrendous conduct on the part of a lot of the women that a friend of mine went into the military with, which may explain some of this too...
Posted by: MikeT | Jun 06, 2008 at 04:39 PM