Restrepo (Sebastian Junger embedded with Troops: Afghanistan)

[Liberation Angel]

Run time: 01:31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DjqR6OucBc   Posted on YouTube: February 05, 2010 By YouTube Member: RestrepoTheMovie Views on YouTube: 195297   Posted on DU: August 07, 2010 By DU Member: Liberation Angel Views on DU: 502

 
I saw this film last night and read the book which is called "War" by Sebastian Junger - who wrote "The Perfect Storm)

If anyone doubts that this war is a giant mistake and waste of money, men, American socalled goodwill and doubts whether we ought to continue these policies, this film will give you information you need and may not want to hear.

I took my fifteen year old son to see it and he called it "Amazing"

It is also bone chillingly gripping, sad, and at times mortifying. It is not graphic and almost all the footage is of the troops in action in one of the deadliest zones and most dangerous war zones in Afghanistan. According to the film i saw the US withdrew from the Korengal Valley and firebase Restrepo in April 2010. Also, almost 99% of the narrative is either the soldiers themselves on the ground or interviews after they got back (and all do not get back).

See it and decide: can we support Obama in continuing this mess? Our troops are like fish in a barrel and for what? I do not have any idea and it seems insane to me.

But these soldiers tell it from their perspective and it is a very important film.

Take a look around my channel for more important political and historical vids and you can read my comments there on its purpose: here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/LiberationAngels#p/f/12/-DjqR6OucBc

[Schema Thing]

1. I'm reading the book. Just started, and just read a passage

where Junger talks about two subsets of conflict, the "physical terrain" in a war, and the "mental terrain" in a war.


I was struck, while watching the movie, at how *good* we are at the physical terrain portion of battle but how *inept* these soldiers were with the mental terrain aspect of war.

[Liberation Angel]

3. The language of the officers trying to convert the village elders made my skin crawl

also when two soldiers are chatting on their walkies about stuff and they refer to "hearts and minds: knowing full well that it is BS.

I raed the book straight through twice. Couldn't put it down. The stuff about monkeys, werewolves and wolverines got to me.

But I only teared up (despite even the shots of some civilian casualties (children) when the young men were dancing in their bunker to techno. It sent sad chills through my body. This is a tragedy all the way around and there is no sense to it at all in a place like that. These sacrifices and the violence are unbearable and heinous crimes imho against not only the Afghan people but against our own people in the field and at home..

The fact that the US pulled its troops pout of there just a few months ago (if that is correct as the movie asserts) makes it all the more senseless to me. Like Vietnam, we are paying with ruined lives, ruined good will in the region and the world and it is all mostly making things much much worse for everyone.

[Ricochet21]

5. I agree

I agree

[Liberation Angel]

6. I try nt

[ihavenobias]

2. Here's a review of the movie and an interview with Junger

ReThink Review And Discussion of Restrepo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyojd3TK8TM

Interview With Sebastian Junger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3DpKJhC2xs

[Liberation Angel]

9. thanks - we all need to watch these

otherwise how can we know what course we should support?

[Liberation Angel]

10. kick

[Liberation Angel]

4. Link to another video: "Returning Home" with very young Restrepo veteran

http://www.youtube.com/user/LiberationAngels#p/p

[Liberation Angel]

7. kick

[Liberation Angel]

8. one last kick for those who mighta missed it