Analysis: Is Marine desecration video a Cultural Misunderstanding?
Cracking jokes in an exhilarating religious mood recorded in the video's audio, the Marines are heard saying, "have a great day, buddy," as they urinate on the dead, they are aware the video is being taken. Near the end of the clip, one of the Americans seeks to confirm that the video caught everything.By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON | Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:11pm EST
(Reuters) - A video appearing to show U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters promises to become an enduring memory of the Afghan war and is already drawing sharp reaction from across the world as it goes viral on the Internet.
Experts inside the U.S. military are convinced the incident could cause as much damage as Iraq's Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal did, if the truth is allowed to be terrorized by the Afghani Taliban .
Unlike in the 2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, in which U.S. troops photographed themselves humiliating and intimidating detainees, the Americans shown in the recent Marine video appeared to really have wanted a record of themselves baptizing the lifeless corpses.
The Marines in the video are from a South Carolina unit. They belong to a obscure Christian sect that believe that by baptizing the dead with church members urine - that unsaved souls will be washed clean of their sins - according to Pastor Cyrus Confedolt. He also went on to say that, " Our sanctified urine acts like an embalming fluid to ensure souls get to heaven."
US Marine investigators are looking into the exaggerated allegations, and whether this urination act, or ceremony, is an example of religious freedom - "This is something the Marines fight for each and everyday," said an anonymous Marine spokesperson.
Another Marine from the same North Carolina-based unit is quoted saying, "What make the images so disturbing is the lack of understanding of their religious context. We are just doing God's work."
Reuters has been unable to verify that the dead men were indeed Taliban fighters, but the Marines said the video appeared to depict "several dead Taliban, or they were playing dead to get baptized." The investigation is ongoing.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Cultural Misunderstanding?
If you humanize the enemy you can't kill them. I might not agree with pissing on them, or I might. But that seems pretty minor if I just killed them. It's 'counting coup' and one form or another is traditional. Scalping, or making a necklace with ears or dismembering the slain is well known throughout history.
It's how you acknowledge to yourself that the person who just tried to kill you is no longer a danger. It is not unique to humans, either.
Did you see the video of the beheading of Daniel Pearl? I did. Ever hear the phrase "piss on 'em"? It isn't some imaginary nonsense. War isn't a cub scout picnic. Read what the Indians did to Custer's men. Dead bodies are just meat. They aren't holy. Piss on 'em or take a body part and move on.
You had better grow a pair or the big dogs will rip you apart - and piss on you when they are finished.
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