With Newt Gingrich the first candidate to claim Palestinians are a myth and Rick Santorum the first candidate to promise a more or less instant war on Iran if elected, the ways in which other candidates might single themselves out as uniquely jingoist appeared limited, but Gov. Rick Perry of Texas (who already tried with a promise to reinvade Iraq if elected) has found a way.
In an interview today with CNN’s State of the Union, Gov. Perry blasted the Obama Administration for its criticism of US Marines videotaped urinating on the corpses of slain Afghans, saying that it proved Obama’s “disdain for the military.”
“These kids made a mistake,” insisted Perry, adding that “to call it a criminal act is over the top.” US military officials have promised a full investigation of the video, though so far they have not indicated if charges will be filed.
The desecration of corpses during a war is considered a serious crime both under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Geneva Conventions. Such charges have not been common in the recent US wars, but given the videotape evidence has already gone public it seems virtually impossible to slip this particular genie back into the bottle.
Correct: It is NOT a "crime." That is not the point. The point is that we have always claimed to be the chivalrous knights in a world of savages, and – therefore – better than savages. We have always claimed to take the 'high road' and not allow ourselves to be dragged down to the level of the 'enemy.' The Marines (especially) boast a 'proud history.' How does something like this foster 'PRIDE' and NOT drag us down to the level of savages? Everything soldiers do reflects on US, and I – for one – neither approve of, or am proud of, the scene I just witnessed. Rick Perry has shown us – once agai – that his is nothing but a knuckle-dragging, blood-thirsty Evangelic, Neocon.
Pat Mason,
I think that Perry was just too clumsy to say that what he precisely meant was that ' it is not a crime to piss on a dead "raghead" ". This is precisely what this Neocon, Evangelical bastard meant and believes. And those in this country who believe the same as Perry are legion – the shame is that they learned that attitude in their little, white, Evangelical church; the one with the American and Israeli flags behind the pulpit.
Wait to ole Rick trys that line in Texas against some other brown skinned individuals, our Mexican-American citizens and watch the blowback. The PR machine at State doesn't give a tinkers damn if the corpses are mutilated or defiled in any way, just don't get it on a video or photos. I don't remember any Marines or GI's in Viet Nam being stupid enough to take photos as they were collecting souvenir ears, but that photo of the Armored personnel carrier (M-113) dragging a dead Viet Cong soldier along a sandy road definitely got publicity. A couple of posters have made an excellent point that there seems more outrage and publicity about this event than all the routine and casually callous killings of the innocents in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Is there a computer software problem that dumps posts?
Computer software problem for sure.
piss on a coffin at a funeral and find out how many think present think it is a crime.
Food for thought: Some of us will outlive Rick Perry.
Actually it IS a Crime a WAR CRIME, it is a breach of Geneva to desecrate the dead, whether they be soldier or Civilian. And the US SuprememCourt has already ruled that the Prisoners dead or otherwise were at least civilian.
Hence it is a War Crime,
we all know what would happen if somebody Urinated on a Dead Marine, Perry would be calling for a Nuclear Strike to make sudr they got the person that did it!
as a matter of fact Clinton the cigar smoker bombed the hell out of somalia for dragging one of his invaders through the streets.
Perry is a nationalist in the Orwellian sense of the word. Orwell wrote:
"All nationalist have the power of not seeing resemblances between similar sets of facts……..Actions are held to be good or bad, not own their own merits, but according to who does them……………".
If it was Taliban soldiers pissing on dead American soldiers there would be no end to the outrage expressed by the likes of West and Perry. Similarly, it is perfectly OK for the US military to use predator drones which frequently kill pregnant women, children, infants, and handicapped individuals, but when Al Qaida or the Taliban engages in similar actions it proves they worship death and hate innocent human life. It is also OK for the US government to imprison with trial, assassinate, and torture but if another country, say Iran, engages in the same actions it is an outrage against god and the moral order of things. The point here is not that it is not OK for the enemies of American imperialism to engage in these actions. The point is that these actions are in and of themselves offenses against the moral order of things regardless which side does them.
Perry is THE aparition of poor judgement and CJ bigotry of this election. His conduct from trying to intimidate a state patrolman out of giving him a speeding ticket to his getting in Dr. Paul's face TWICE after Perry scored low in the GOP debates shows him for the low-class churl he feels comfortable as. It is against the Geneva convention to desecrate the dead following battle. It is therefore illegal and crass.
My God, What sewer do these people crawl out of. Perry is a disgrace and a true waste of air!!
The United States Marine corps has a long , valiant and honourable history and all it takes is a few
cases like this to scar their reputation,300 million people and this is what you get as a candidate and this is a politician that people would actually vote for, Very scary!!
Mr. Perry, are you running for President of the United States or are you running for king of the fools ? Or are they the same thing? Wake up and smell the common sense before it's too late.
The quality of persons joining the military appears to be deteriorating. Many I suspect use drugs. Do they still drug screen? Why are they 21 and married with kids? The spouses cheat. I shudder to think these people will get an edge on civil service jobs.
the most thoughtful and intelligent comment on this page, cheers. i am not being sarcastic.
Rick Perry. You sort of just have to shake your head and wonder WTF…
Amen to that…
Rick Perry is an embarassment to mankind. But thank heavens, he'll never be president.
Whoever Perry the ''Fairy'' is,it shows the face of the whole American Society,THE IMMORALE HEIGHT that it touches now.Like society like leaders.
Let hope this time Americans see their Knights bodies be done the the same justice and you say not a single word.
No it is not a computer software issue,it seems someone no not like these true sayings anymore.
How can urinating on a dead body be classified as a crime when the murder of a person with no evidence or legal oversight whatsoever is NOT a crime?
One you claim the power of life or death over every human being on the planet you must fall into one of two categories: Either you are God, or you have a serious mental problem and you need to be dealt with before you hurt someone.
Since human beings by definition are not God, that doesn't leave a whole lot of options.
True, but the US government, and by definition those at the levers of power, view themselves as above reproach and on a higher plane than we mere mortals. So they do look at themselves as gods. I also believe them to be insane.
How on earth did old corduroy face ever become the governor of Texas. His stupidity is already on record and now he does not recognize an illegal act when he sees it. Not only that but he is blithely unaware of the diplomatic earthquake caused by the Marine's foolishness.I guess all this will make him a hero in Texas and S Carolina. For the rest of us he is causing more big defense money to be spent and the hatred of all Moslems everywhere.
This is the guy who gets to decide who lives and died in the Texas legal system. BTW it is a crime to piss on a corpse. I just do not understand how this film was created. I know my unit was not allowed to carry anything not approved by the NCO. I cannot imagine giving extra space to carry a video recording device. The quality appears to be better than a cell phone but I do not know for sure. I am certain my squad leader would inform me if I needed to get a message out he would be glad to handle the matter for me so no cell phone on patrol.
The man is reviled within his own state and merely coasted to his position because he happened to be at the right place at the right time. That he was set loose from his padded cell to prove how crazy he is can be interpreted as divine intervention.
Welcome to texas!
Curious, do you left-libertarians and girlie-man pacifists believe that Gen. George C. Patton should have been reprimanded for pissing in the Rhine?
Be consistent. Have the courage of y'all's convictions. If you believe that the Marines deserve to be thrown in the brig, than why not Patton?
I knew you were an idiot, but I didn't know you were too fucking stupid to understand the difference between a river and a human body. Jesus tap-dancing Christ ,… does your wife have to tie your shoes for you in the morning?
We were quite lucky that Ike was in charge and didn't let Patton start WWIII with the Soviet Union right after WWII. Patton was a crazy lunatic who wanted to keep the Nazis in charge in Germany.
To anyone with a brain, its rather obvious that pissing in a river is a rather different thing than pissing on another human being.
Yes, it's horrible to imagine the horror had mankind been deprived of Uncle Joe.
Actually Patton was a man of honor so I doubt he would be part of something like this. I see no reason for such conduct. Sniper shot at long distance so it was not some immediate reaction to events. It took awhile to gather and then walk up to the bodies.
What has fascinated me about the entire topic is that almost no one wants to ask whether the killing of the people itself was a crime.
Indeed, Robert. Desecrating a corpse is a crime, desecrating a living human,…not so much.
This is a distraction.
It is indeed a distraction but at least people are being focused on what they were pissing on instead of letting it slip under the radar as usual.
And this person thinks himself worthy of leading a nation? And if the nation thinks him worthy of a leader, than we need to ask ourselves —who are we? Are we just robots led by an elite of perverts and scum, so sure that we have no human dignity left that they can afford to come out of the closet?
welcome to texas indeed!!!!perry is one of the most popular men in texas and i a am sure that his numbers just went up….true killing a raghead from a mile away is very brave and as for the marines…lets face it these are the needed nutjobs that do a lot of dirty work for the empire…from waterboarding philipinos to abusing haitens and taking gold teeth from dead japanese they have definately served with distinction..only problem is when they come home there is nobody to legally kill
unless they become police………..
I wonder if any of Pricks ancestors are in a "position" (so to speak) to receive similar oblations from those similarly inclined…???
Finally, Rick Perry has found killers he's willing give clemency.
It's not too suprising to see how War Monger Obama will probably win again….
As if the real rulers have decided that in order to have Obama reelected, a whole lots of nuts will have to run to scare a daylight out of us. Obama looks like a statesman in comparison.
"Gov. Perry: Urinating on Dead Afghans Not a Crime"
Neither is urinating on the Governor. It's just a misdemeanor.