Thoughts on “Pro-War” Lone Survivor
Marcus Luttrell is appearing on Fox & Friends this morning to discuss the backlash from Leftists who are calling the movie “Lone Survivor” a pro-war film that glorifies the roles of soldiers in combat. I haven’t seen the movie, I’m waiting until I can watch it at home – I learned my lesson from seeing “Saving Private Ryan” in public. But I’ve seen enough trailers and clips emailed to us by the production crew of the movie to get a feel for the film. “Lone Survivor” is no more pro-war than “Backdraft” was a pro-fire movie.
War and fire are things that happen to Americans, and those movies are about the people who fight the threat those things present to the public safety. The unprecedented popularity of the movie this past weekend demonstrates that Americans want to understand the folks who went to Afghanistan to fight our battles for us. If these Leftists think that we consider it glorious to die in battle, that’s only because they’ve never seen how inglorious it is to actually witness the deaths of friends and mates in combat. And, they’ve never experienced real training which stresses that we survive contact with the enemy.
I’m beginning to think that this has become a moment for Leftists to examine their own appendages and they’re coming up short in that examination. So, their only public reaction could be to run down the movie in hopes that no one will notice that they’re a bunch of pussies and hand-wringers. That happens every time Americans come to appreciate the heroes who unquestioningly serve their nation when the nation calls, because the troops serve a thing greater than themselves and the mealy-mouthed Leftist bloggers think that nothing is greater than themselves.
Dakota Meyers discusses the subject with Megan Kelly yesterday;
And Marcus Luttrell talks with Megan, last night.
Category: Liberals suck
The left seeks to perpetually gin up outrage. Doesn’t really matter about what, or if the outrage is in good faith, just keep the rabble roused. The media feed on this and reinforces it, because it makes good copy and sells papers, but responsible adults should probably ignore tantrums lest we reinforce the behavior.
So sick and tired of the damned left… “Oooh it is a War Film, damned baby killing, war mongering, etc… bastards!”
They are nothing but a bunch of sniveling cowards, hiding behind their pseudo intellectuality, pretending that they are somehow contributing to society… when in fact they are nothing more than leeches living at the expense of the sacrifices of the .45% of Society who place their asses on the line for the rest of us.
Luttrell looked like he was on the verge of tears during the interview
Awesome interview and I can’t wait to see the movie.
To the idea of it being “pro war”, I reference one of my favorite quotes. “War is a glorious thing, to those who have never seen it”
Some reporter interviewing Luttrell implied that it was a senseless waste of lives, which Luttrell refuted by saying that it is a dangerous job, but they go into it knowing that.
It’s no more a senseless waste than firefighters and cops getting hurt or killed doing their jobs.
Did Audie Murphy catch any “backlash” for war movies about him? Sheesh….
It is disgraceful that this conversation is even being held.
Jonn, you hit the nail on the head, the left comes up short in the testosterone department and feeling bad about that deficiency, they lash out at anything that reminds them that they are bitches. Meanwhile, studs like Luttrell find themselves in the position of having to defend themselves from scurrilous attacks. These come from left wing know nothings and their media useful idiots who, being too lazy to do any reporting on their own (which might challenge their biases) go along with the party line and attempt to denigrate those who serve this great country.
I think about the only thing pro war about Luttrell’s book is that he captures the camaraderie of fighting men who face danger together. Most on the left have never experienced that type of bonding and since it does not have “diversity” written all over it, they feel they must attack it and suppress it. They also probably feel a good deal of shame for never having measured up in the ways that a man like Luttrell has.
So in summary, fuck the left and the pussies who inhabit it.
What a lot of Americans forget is instead of that F-ING STUPID YELLOW RIBBON on your car, supporting the troops means ensuring that THEIR Millitary is used in the way that the American people want it to be. If you do not like the usage or result look in the mirror. We do not get a say in were we go, what we do. Like a bunch of Joe’s got together an said hey it is boring around here. I bet Afghanistan would be a great place to shoot the place up. Even if we were “Pro-War” there a mechanisms in place that preclude that. If I did get a vote I would definetly vote to leave my family to see some hairy assed Iraqi A** rape donkey’s, after they are done beating their wife and kids.
They never seem to understand the concept that we can honor those who step up to duty few aspire to and even fewer can actually accomplish. We do what we must, not because we wish it but because it must be done.
Glorifies war? How exactly? They would prefer, I suppose, that we not honor the service and sacrifice of the men who would themselves rather be comfortably at home but have instead volunteered to serve us all.
Probably too much nuance in there for them to comprehend.
@ Ex-PH2: That was Tapper of CNN, who really stepped in it when he did more than “imply.” He stated flat out to Luttrell that it was ‘senseless,’ and then tried to step back from his own moron words…unsuccessfully!
@7 – What you said, Master Guns. What you said.
Does that make cops pro-crime?
“I’m beginning to think that this has become a moment for Leftists to examine their own appendages and they’re coming up short”. Like their Muslim brothers, the left is the home of perpetual outrage. In this case, it’s outrage against those who are better than them.
Pussies and hand-wringers sums up the basement dwellers quite well, Jonn. As for us dickweeds who get it, I would still lay down my life to save a brother any day because that’s how.it.is.
Great book,pretty good film(I’m not a fan of marky mark.That jake trapper is one huge knob.
I’ve been following this site for 6 months and couldn’t bring myself to comment as of yet, but the outrage that has built up to this point regarding the marginalizing of my fellow Warriors has become untenable. I’ve felt an imperative to talk, to reason with, pacifists and so-called “enlightened” types because I believed there was a way to negotiate reason. I thought, naively, that speaking to someone who has seen the horrors of war and violence would sway their opinion. Sometimes I wring my soul out wondering if had I pushed myself to sacrifice more could I have kept or at least been in a position to keep my Brothers alive. To have that questioned after the fact is a slap in the face, “Was the mission worth it?”. That is the cross to carry of anyone that has made that sacrifice, as it where. The glorious Army, in all of it wisdom, made me a recruiter for a stint. I leveled with every single person that I handled, to the best of my ability, to let them know that there is no glory in the tumult of war. I refuse to lie even to the detriment of my comfort. I have this necessity to be able to look at myself in the mirror, to live honestly. It makes me wonder what is the point of a reporter asking such a dumb question, is it the other side of the same coin? It presents a whole other set of questions that need not be asked, one of which is just how many people in the U.S. of A. feel this way? I can handle my country turning its back on me. I am a survivor, I thrive in adversity. What I will not accept is an erosion of the high esteem which the fallen have earned. You simply cannot place a yellow ribbon magnet on your car to allay your fear that good men and women die in your stead. Mea culpa for all of the ” ‘I’ statements”, it’s hard not to take this impasse and insult personally.… Read more »
We Vets have been there and done that, we earned the titles of Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine, and no one can take that from us! Liberals obviously still love to sneer at us because they haven’t earned what we have, and the titles we have aren’t just handed out with a lollipop and a warm enema from their Mommies like they’ve had it all their lives! Liberals don’t have any balls or testosterone, so they have to degrade those who do to make themselves feel important!
Personally, I think the whole idea of being “pro-war” is a trap or canard. I spent a good chunk of my adulthood serving knowing I could go to war, and I certainly didn’t want to unless absolutely necessary. PO Lutrell, and many others here I suspect have that same feeling.
What separates us from the dickless (or at least anti-American) left is their unwillingness to see it through when shit hits the fan. Again, like most here would likely agree, we don’t WANT to go to war, but if we do, we best fucking be in it to win it. That’s a sentiment this government hasn’t held in nearly 70 years.
YMMV.
As usual, I fail to see any validity of the argument from the left. It sounds like a bunch of whining from microphallus special snowflakes who have no concept of bravery, service, or sacrifice.
Movie was good but some of the things they made up for the sake of Hollywood dramatics was a bit too much. Especially the clash at the end, when that little kid handed over the knife, I was like, WTF.
I understand the time constraints, and other things movie makers tend to do, but none of that action fantasy was necessary at all. The true story was powerful enough.
That jake trapper is one huge knob
Indeed this the truth, and thank you for making me laugh out loud….
I think movies like this make those who don’t server painfully aware there is something much larger than self in the world….and they can’t understand it or can’t comprehend the depth of it so they either mock it or criticize it. The left has long ago forfeited any moral outrage due to their position on so many issues where their lust for power exposed what and who they really are in light of day. Thus, they only are left with outrage without meaning or form and their noise and antics reveal that for exactly what it is as well.
@16 “Was the mission worth it?” will always be an inherently important discussion, and as unpleasant as it is to those directly involved it needs to happen if we have any hope of avoiding future exercises in which there is no long term beneficial outcome to the national interest or those who, like yourself, were honorably serving that interest. F#ck the pinhead who don’t get it, they never will. But also don’t mistake a genuine policy concern as deprecating the service of those who answer the call honorably. If I misunderstood your point I am extremely sorry, that was not my intent. I look forward to your continued posts.
You were not alone, Tman => @20. I said same thing when I saw it, and then I pointed out other Hollywood BS to my son on our ride home. The other WTF moment, besides the whole closing clash, timing issue, was Marky Mark / Axe witnessing the shootdown of the QRF MH-47.
Overall, I do think the movie “visualizes” well what they went through on that mountain when trying to outlast superior numbers. The falling down scenes are unforgettable (analogous to beach landing scenes in Saving Private Ryan), and emphasize what those who serve are willing to do, endure for us => country / mission.
It was fitting they ended with pictures of QRF; for lefties, they probably should have highlighted fact that Gulab is now in TX and friend with Luttrel.
@16. roh-dog: TAH exists for people like you and for exactly the type of sentiment you well expressed. Now that you are out of the shadows, stay here in the sunshine. Lurkerhood does not become you.
@21 – Policy concerns and discussion, sure, why not, AAR’s are invaluable. “Op that went wrong”, hold the f’ing phone. Mr. Trapper may have superficial knowledge about the details on this mission, however I seriously doubt he has insight. He should know his interviewee too. I’ve watched many of interviews with Marcus Luttrell and you can see that there should be somethings left unsaid. Mr. Trapper should act with a little decorum and respect is my point.
These press people kind of remind me of some of the “hippies” of the 60’s and early 70’s protesting the war in Viet Nam….it’s a little different now in that these mokes have cut their hair, taken a bath and bow at the altar of Al Gore (global warming) and Barry Obama .
I expect that many, if not most of the commenter’s on this blog have experienced combat to one degree, or another – different places and different times, but I’ll bet your sweet ass that the first time you heard the sharp crack of an AK round going over your head the last thing you thought you were was a “pro-war propagandist!”
I have seen both Dakota (once) and Marcus (several times in recent days) regarding this issue.
All I can say is … I am sick to think that these fine young men actually have to field questions and address the criticism …
However, I am also equally glad THEY are boldly addressing the left “Pro-War” designation.
God Bless these young men!
I have difficulty with any reporter, including Tapper, who does not get that a high risk job like the military, firefighting, or police/law enforcement is high risk because of the working environment.
Firefighters do not go out looking for fires to put out, especially when they become these horrifying wildfires that threaten housing built where it shouldn’t be (becuase it’s SO beautiful). They are CALLED to go fight the fire and risk a lot, including their lives, to put it out.
Law enforcement, while it has its own set of wankers on ego trips, generally doesn’t go into areas looking for criminals to start shoot-em-ups. They wait until they get a call to the scene, and it’s almost always while they’re on patrol. I’m sure you’ve all seen those videos of state cops at a roadside stop getting a near-miss or getting hit by drivers who almost seem to aim at them.
Ditto highway construction – same thing. They work in dangerous construction zones because it’s where the jobs are located. I’m sure they’d much rather have a cushy spot with no traffic and no drunk drivers gunning through the construction sites.
Some idiotic person like Tapper will say ‘Oh, well, that’s different, it isn’t a war zone’, but it is NOT different. There’s no difference in the risk to life and limb. Even EMTs are getting shot at when they go on calls now.
But if the people who do these dangerous jobs decided, universally, they won’t do them any more, and no one take their places, the howling would shatter your eardrums.
Duloc is a perfect place.
Go to youtube. At youtube, enter “long survivor interview” into the search bar.
Watch the interviews of the cast and director.
I can’t get out of the house (got a paralyzed step mom to stand watch over) but when it comes to pay per view, I’ll buy it a few times to make up for the lack.
Forgot to say:
The left can take it’s bullshite, wrap it up around something sharp and jagged, and jam it up in itself until it bleeds out.
The only consideration given the left at this time should be concerning the height and thickness of the wall they’re stood in front of on the last day of their lives.
All you have to do is look at the overwhelming support for Marcus Luttrell telling his story. Then look at the comparatively miniscule number of people decrying this movie as some sort of “war porn”. That should tell you everything you need to know. There is nothing glorious about what happened, both the book and movie are well grounded and show this, albeit a touch of Hollywood in the movie(Hardly enough to ruin the it, in my opinion). I think people like this on the left are missing the point entirely. Then again, how could these people possibly understand when concepts like duty, sacrifice, brotherhood, honor, courage, commitment and belonging to something bigger and greater than themselves remain foreign to them?
Wife and me went to see the movie. I originally balked at going then a couple hours before we went, changed my mind. I watched the interview with Tapper, Marcus and Wahlberg. When Marcus’s face grimaced, Wahlberg shifted seating position (to his left) immediately and it looked to me like Tapper was about get his ass kicked twice. Jake tried walking it back but Luttrell verbally nailed him to the wall. That helped change my mind so we went. Glad we did mostly because, it felt like it did when I attended We Were Soldiers, somebody was at least trying to show our soldiers and what they went through in somewhat proper context unlike the loons on the left. I also knew beforehand that the knife scene was thrown in for “creativity”.
Did I expect an accurate depiction of actual events? NO. We Were Soldiers had several scenes and equipment and except for the gunship from the final battle (Randall piloting) I liked it for the most part, I got that it wasn’t entirely factual BUT, it wasn’t all jacked out of line like Stone’s movies, most notably “Platoon”. Stone’s old CO (Reams) from Nam and his platoon members would like nothing more than be able to take him out back of the barn and jack his ass up sky high by the way.
UpNorth, you said a mouthful with this:
“Like their Muslim brothers, the left is the home of perpetual outrage. In this case, it’s outrage against those who are better than them.”
It usually is, and always has been. There seems to be no pleasing them, even when we tell them that we are ALL anti-war. We rational ones understand that defending oneself and one’s country costs fewer lives than does failing to defend the country. They are just too stupid to try to survive, and want to take the rest of us with them.
I’m seeing red. Some snot-nosed movie review chick named Amy Nicholson has called this movie “jingoistic snuff” and when called out for it, tweeted a typical response that what she said wasn’t what she said. I get so mother fucking sick of these idiots who have no clue. No. No. No. Until she can walk 500 meters in Marcus Luttrell’s goddamned boots and watch 4 of her friends die and then live to tell about it, no.
My jingoistic snuff for her? SHUT.THE.FUCK.UP.
*knee high, strike* there, OWB. Excellent delivery. 😎
Streetsweeper- Reminds me of the time that I read an article, then saw a video of a speech Marcus gave somewhere. He was late because he couldn’t avoid opening up a can o whoop ass on someone whose britches weren’t as big as Marcus’s.
He must have tried to keep his temper, but your description made me laugh and smile because it happened once or twice and I would rather a verbal beat down than the one the dude got that time! 🙂
I agree Don, the scenes of the mission itself in the mountains, from the moment they step foot in the area, until Marcus is found by villagers, were some of the most beautiful sequences I’ve ever seen on film.
It does a wonderful job of really putting you there with the men, what they went through, and most of all, the love and camaraderie the men feel for each other.
And I think it speaks a lot about Marcus that in the book as well as in the movie, he presented himself warts and all without trying to hide anything or make himself seem better than anyone else. Particularly the moment the men discuss what to do with the people they come across in the mountains. That speaks of integrity.
But not trying to be a downer, and not saying I did not like this movie overall, I loved it, but some of that extraneous Hollywood fluff could have been left out.
Roh-dog…I am using your words to enlighten some others.
“I am a survivor, I thrive in adversity. What I will not accept is an erosion of the high esteem which the fallen have earned. You simply cannot place a yellow ribbon magnet on your car to allay your fear that good men and women die in your stead.”
HOO-AH!!
I heard and read about the Jake Tapper interview of Marcus Luttrell and Wahlberg for which Tapper is taking some heat. So, after hearing what a wonderful guy Tapper is and hearing and reading that he was misunderstood in some fashion in the interview, I watched that interview. Jake Tapper didn’t ask reasonable questions and a couple of his question were speeches. For instance, he asks Wahlburg whether his being Cathoilic factors into the roles he takes. Huh? Then he starts his speech about hopelessness and senseless deaths. Luttrell’s look is priceless. No, Tapper was not misconstrued or misunderstood. Hell, this wasn’t a spontaneous interview. He prepped for it. He knew what he was going to ask. He had time to reword and revise. So, my vote? Fuck him—and his apologists need to reconsider their support for him. If not, fuck them too.
Meyer rocks.
He’s more classy and reserved than I’d be in his situation with those questions.
Just another example of the tolerate left in the country. It’s ok for them to have their say without any first hand experience what so ever, but how dare anyone else who has that first hand experience state facts. You have to be a super America hater to complain that a movie was created to honor true American heroes.
Everybody here all praising Luttrell are missing some major facts that he doesn’t talk about. Like how Operations Redwings should have never have happened. Damneck had told them they shouldn’t be doing 4 man recce teams. That this should be left to Damneck. Did they listen nope. Told them that the number one problem the Damneck recce guys had been running into was soft compromises. Did they have a plan for that. Not at all. They didn’t even bring flexicuffs. Going to listen to the day 1 saying of 2 is 1, 1 is none and bring two radios. Nope. Hey going to bring AW, nope. We are SDV and that ain’t our thing. Going to have a PACE plan for comms. Going to have a no Comms contingency. Nope, just going to wing it. Hey helo drop the fastrope instead of pulling it back in, a standard no go criteria for most recce teams. Who cares. Want to bring a unsanitized labtop into the field. Good idea. They went out looking for a fight and they found it. Every year NSW has a AAR on the anniversary of Redwings to go over the lessons learned from it. Its shocking to all the new guy how many lessons learned in blood that they straight ignored.
Yea, well I guess the same could be said for Custer and 7th Cav at Little Big Horn or Hal Moore and 7th Cav at LZ XRay, too. In fact, I bet you could say the same thing about any minor/major shooting engagement on or off the battlefield, too. Isn’t why they are called an “ARR”? So that troops in the future can learn from prior op’s and mistakes made?
To streetssweeper.
I get what you are trying to say. But Operation Redwings ignored all the previous AARs and lessons learned from blood. This wasn’t like Operation Gothic Serpent where they were making it up as they went, and had no set SOPs. They ignored advice from Damneck, the SMEs on the area. They had horrible planning. A vote on what to do? That is what op ords are for. You are going to act surprised by the fact you got soft compromised when you were told that is the number one threat to recce teams? Its one thing for a op to fail and have guys die and learn from it. But it is another to have that happen and say, well this wasn’t surprising, we didn’t learn anything from this. They repeated stuff that got people killed in the past.
@40&42 a.a. – Your comments fill in a lot of blanks wrt something Froggy at Blackfive wrote a while back about Op Redwings.
Shit went wrong. Spec OPs guys are always out on a shoestring. I couldn’t believe they took out a laptop that had the layout of the US embassy in Kabul in it. The team fought it’s ass off and went down swinging.
Lots of times it’s not what you do wrong but what the enemy does right. The Taliban had the goat herders on their side and were able to get the numbers and firepower on the team. SEALs Recon, and other Spec OPs are sucker-punchers when they are in small groups like that. They had no supporting fires, comm and no terrain advantage to speak of. I don’t care how well you are trained if you are up against 2 or 3 to one odds ( reports speculate the taliban that took at the SEALs may have had as few as 8 men and as many as 30) you are probably going to lose. How well you can swim run or jump out of a plane and physical fitness doesn’t carry a lot of weight in a firefight at ranges of 20-40 meters.
Roger that, a.a. Thanks JAOD! You said it how I was trying to say it. Guess maybe I better get over major league site and read Froggy’s post and write myself a note to leave da Froggy a pitcher of beer on the bar next time I’m up that way, too. 😎