BUSTED: Steve Bannons story about a scary encounter with Muslims exposed as total fiction

[kpete]

As told by The Intercept, the story revolves around Bannon’s time in the Navy, in which he visited the Pakistani port city of Karachi.

“We’d pull into a place like Karachi, Pakistan – this is 1979, and I’ll never forget it – the British guys came on board, because they still ran the port,” Bannon explained to Green. “The city had 10 million people at the time. We’d get out there, and 8 million of them had to be below the age of fifteen. It was an eye-opener. We’d been other places like the Philippines where there was mass poverty. But it was nothing like the Middle East. It was just a complete eye-opener. It was the other end of the earth.”

As The Intercept documents, however, there are multiple holes in Bannon’s story.

Among other things, the British were not still in control of Pakistan’s ports in 1979; the city’s population at the time was closer to 5 million than 10 million; and, most importantly, the vessel that Bannon served on never visited Karachi during his tenure with the Navy.

This isn’t the only problem with Bannon’s past tales of his military service either, as The Intercept seems to have found some problems with stories he’s told about visiting Iran as well.


https://theintercept.com/2017/08/11/steve-bannons-tall-tale-about-how-he-visited-pakistan-in-the-navy-and-saw-the-muslim-threat/
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/busted-steve-bannons-story-about-a-scary-encounter-with-muslims-exposed-as-total-fiction/

[lunasun]

1. The whole lot are complete bullshitters I don't blame them though there are so many stupid

bitter losers wanting to hear and read this stuff and it keeps him and others very wealthy
Good $cam
No surprise

[atreides1]

2. The Trump team has made a big deal about Bannon's service

But it's funny that no one ever asks, why did he never get his own command? He went from a surface warfare officer on a destroyer, to a glorified paper pusher working in the office of the CNO, handling messages between senior officers and writing reports about the state of the Navy fleet worldwide.



He left the Navy as a lieutenant (0-3).

[haele]

4. Leaving at O-3 during that time typically meant he was faced with up or out.

Officers didn't like to "just leave" the service until they're at least O-5 (Commander), with at least two tours experience. Looks very good on a civilian resume when you're applying for a management or senior engineer/admin/finance type job.

The fact he ended up on Staff, and still left after his required minimum commission suggests there were some problems on his FITREP. I've never known a staffer to leave an 0-3 unless they were a Mustang (prior enlisted).
Staff weenies usually are able to get a full 14 to 20 years if they can both do their job and play politics well enough. Heck, some have been able to put on stars...

Haele

[matt819]

3. Timing is everything

I didn't read the links, so I don't know when Bannon claims to have been on a ship visit to Karachi.

Some observations.

The Iranian revolution was in full bloom from 1978 onward. In November 1979 the US Embassy in Tehran was overrun and hostages taken. You'll recall, by the way, that the hostages were held longer than they needed to be since Reagan negotiated that the release be timed with his inauguration. To say nothing of the Iran-Contra affair. But I digress.

Also in November 1979 Pakistanis burned the American Embassy in Islamabad. It would have been highly unlikely that there would have been a ship visit during that time.

BTW, I arrived in Pakistan for 3 years beginning in 1990. The embassy takeover was still fresh in people's minds and very much a part of our orientation. A Marine security guard died, as did two local employees - protecting the Embassy and the American and local personnel. Read that again. Pakistanis died protecting the Embassy.

IMHO, we need to find a word that's more appropriate than Islamophobia (or homophobia, for that matter). It's not fear. It's hate. Is there a suffix for hate?

[moda253]

5. Islamohatred? Homohatred?

Not sure why that doesn't work but I think it is exactly right. It isn't fear that drives people to this fanaticism. It's hatred.

I can kind of understand phobias and having an uncomfortable feeling or being outright scared of something that is different than your own personal norm.

But it crosses a line at some point at becomes hatred.

[lunasun]

6. Well the prefix mis- or miso like misanthropy. But for a suffix I can't apply one for hate

Perhaps the best suffix in answer to your question really is -phobe itself. Although it may derive from the meaning of fear of something, in common use as you have shown with homophobic or Islamphobia that it actually is implied to mean disgust or repulsion
I just go with haters myself. It covers them all

[procon]

7. The more appropriate word is, Xenophobia the fear of foreigners or strangers.

Its a learned behavior that goes far beyond a natural wariness of strangers. The abnormal, obsessive fear of different peoples and cultures reflects their upbringing. The lack of diversity keeps many sections of the country isolated from other cultural and ethnic groups and those people often learn their fears and hatreds of foreigners from their peer groups. Its a vicious circle.

[flibbitygiblets]

8. Most of what goes on in Bannon's head are alcoholic delusions. Isn't he also anti-semetic?

And if so, how does that square with JarJar and Vonkers getting so much nepotism from Daddy? I know Princess Champagne Popsicle is a convert, but Jared is the real deal, correct?