Ignorant Americans

[sickler]

Mon, March 23, 2009

Fox News mocks military

Outrage after panel rips war effort
Click for story, and to take part in our reader forum


By KATHLEEN HARRIS AND ALTHIA RAJ, NATIONAL BUREAU



As Canadians mourn the loss of four more fallen soldiers in Afghanistan, a videotaped segment of an American TV talk show where panelists mock Canadian soldiers as slackers is making the rounds on the Internet.


The five-minute segment, which aired recently on Fox News late-night program Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld and later posted on YouTube.com, features American panelists suggesting Canadian soldiers need time off for "manicures and pedicures."


The item aired after Gen. Andrew Leslie, the Canadian Forces Chief of Land Staff, told a Senate committee the military would need a one-year break from operations after the mission in Afghanistan winds down in 2011.


"The Canadian military wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white capri pants," Gutfeld said with a sneer.


UNAWARE OF MISSION



Another panelist Doug Benson said he was unaware Canadian troops were on the ground in Afghanistan.


"I didn't even know they were in the war. I thought that's where you go if you don't want to fight -- you go chill in Canada," he said.


The segment has been posted online (www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcJn5XlbSFk) by an outraged Canadian who titled it "How to Lose Friends and Alienate Countries."


Fox News was not immediately available for comment.


Ottawa-based Conservative commentator Geoff Norquay called the segment "insulting and beneath contempt."


"In a week when we lost four more brave soldiers, Canada deserves better from this so-called news network," he said. "I really wish I subscribed to Fox News so I could cancel it."


Steve Staples, director of the Ottawa-based Rideau Institute, called it a "shameful display" to laugh it up at the expense of families who have lost loved ones.


"The dismissal of Canadian efforts in Afghanistan simply rubs salt in the wounds of Canadian families whose sons and daughters have been injured or killed in the war."


'STEREOTYPES'


Liberal MP and defence critic Denis Coderre urged Canadians to write to Fox News to protest the panel and said Canada should raise the issue with U.S. President Barack Obama.


"What's a disgrace is that a lot of people are watching this and it is promoting stereotypes," he said.


Calling Canada's military "the best little army in the world," retired Gen. Lewis MacKenzie lambasted the American panelists as "distasteful" and showing an "appalling ignorance."


The bodies of the four fallen Canadian soldiers will be repatriated to Canada today, three days after their deaths in two separate bomb arracks in Afghanistan. Flag-draped caskets of Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli, 28, Cpl. Tyler Crooks, 24, Trooper Jack Bouthillier, 20, and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes, 22, will arrive at CFB Trenton for a repatriation ceremony.


KATHLEEN.HARRIS@SUNMEDIA.CA

[sickler]

The Fox segment:

[fiveteamer]

Wow.

[fiveteamer]

I work right around the corner from the coroners office. If I work late, I can see cavalcade bringing in the bodies.

I do not agree with our presence in Afghanistan, but this is beyond classless. We have lost like 120 men there, for what?

[smitch124]

What the hell is this show? "The Red Eye", wtf?

[sickler]

I work right around the corner from the coroners office. If I work late, I can see cavalcade bringing in the bodies.

I do not agree with our presence in Afghanistan, but this is beyond classless. We have lost like 120 men there, for what?

We're there to appease the Americans, and this is the thanks we get. Disgusting.

Maybe Don Cherry will get wind of this and he'll slam them on the next Coach's Corner.

From Saturday night, one of his many on the fallen soldiers, his voice cracking up with emotion. Fast-forward to 6:30.

[wtf]

love red eye, hilarious

u should watch

[sickler]

What the hell is this show? "The Red Eye", wtf?

Never heard of it, but gotta wonder how many of the pussies on that panel have put their life on the line in wartime. Most likely none.

[Willie Bee]

Pretty insensitive joke, but what do you expect from a 'news organization' like FOX. Agree with 5T, it's classless, we shouldn't have any classless jokes anywhere.

[jjgold]

Those people from the media shoudl be executed over that. It is time we start to execute more people in this country withotu a trial.

[fiveteamer]

I think the most offensive thing I heard was when that turd said he didn't even know Canada was in Afghanistan.

Jesus, guy, who do you think is dealing with the Taliban?

[Mudcat]

We're there to appease the Americans, and this is the thanks we get. Disgusting.

While I agree that it's disgusting I don't agree that we are simply there to appease Americans. Shutting down the Taliban and their ties to international terrorism is a legitimate cause. Let's not forget that many Canadians died on 9/11 too.

The situation in Afghanistan is very different from Iraq. Dubya and Dick Cheney may want you to think they are the same war but they're not.

Al-Qaeda is a threat to Canada. If they are given arms and allowed to train and operate freely - as they were under the Taliban - that has a very direct effect on Canada, as 9/11 showed. That's why we're in Afghanistan (and not in Iraq).

[fiveteamer]

Mudcat, also to build roads and schools, don't forget that.

[jjgold]

Afghanistan will never get better because too many people are making massive amounts of cash producing heroin over there, the USA especially cannot function without dope therefore we will never stop or eliminate The Taliban.

[tacomax]

Agree with 5T

Unreal.

[Shortstop]

While I agree that it's disgusting I don't agree that we are simply there to appease Americans. Shutting down the Taliban and their ties to international terrorism is a legitimate cause. Let's not forget that many Canadians died on 9/11 too.

The situation in Afghanistan is very different from Iraq. Dubya and Dick Cheney may want you to think they are the same war but they're not.

Al-Qaeda is a threat to Canada. If they are given arms and allowed to train and operate freely - as they were under the Taliban - that has a very direct effect on Canada, as 9/11 showed. That's why we're in Afghanistan (and not in Iraq).

It's Obama and Biden now. Bush and Cheney left back in January.

[fiveteamer]

2500 Canadians in Afghanistan ain't going to do shit. It is a waste.

Would the world be better off without the Taliban? Sure. It would also be better off without cancer, dead babies, rapists and black jelly beans.

Taliban is like Allen Iverson.

You can never defeat it, you can only hope to contain it.

[wtf]

i agree with fiveteamer, i wonder what exactly is the mission there

are they going from cave to cave?

there must be some smart people looking at this i assume

[sickler]

i agree with fiveteamer, i wonder what exactly is the mission there

are they going from cave to cave?

there must be some smart people looking at this i assume

They're in a combat role to root out the Taliban. Search-and-destroy missions.

[fiveteamer]

Red Army spent a fukking decade there and didn't even put a dent in them. Matter of fact, it made them stronger.

Problem is you have a bunch of D+, C- guys who joined the CAF because they had no other options at a career in life, and are simply counting the days until they can go home, vs. a bunch of guys who have been trained since birth to die for a certain cause.

Now, we are all gambling men here, what side would you put your money on

[Shortstop]

Does Canada have a Navy or just air and ground forces?

[fiveteamer]

How could we not have a Navy? We are surrounded by water.

[sickler]

Does Canada have a Navy or just air and ground forces?

We certainly do: http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/cms/1/1_eng.asp


We're fortunate to have it after successive liberal governments depleted the military.

[MonkeyF0cker]

Imagine the outrage the Republicans would have had during Bush's term had CNN sponsored a show saying these disgusting things. All these politicians, talking heads, and the moronic sheep who blindly follow either side's lead are completely classless, hypocritical, and destroying this country piece by piece. Sickening.

[Shortstop]

Does Canada have an annual "Army-Navy" football game?

[Rich Boy]

I cant believe what I just saw...

[fiveteamer]

Does Canada have an annual "Army-Navy" football game?

no but we have a York U vs U of T football game.

usually like 15 people watch it.

[Mudcat]

Certainly it can be debated whether we should even be in Afghanistan. The further away 9/11 gets, the less support there is for our presence. I'm sure if we had a terrorist attack on our soil tomorrow, support would shoot up again. That is the knee-jerk nature of this sort of thing.

Just as long as we talk about leaving with eyes wide open and not because we're lumping it in with Iraq. It's easy to look back and say Cheney and Dubya were behind it - it must be wrong. But going into Afghanistan actually was justifiable.

[curious]

The Canadian army is the best trained army in the world. For irregular troops (like the Taliban) to get into a firefight against Canadian infantry is always a really bad idea.

I'm not from Canada, I just know what American soldiers who have served with/near Canadian forces think about them.

[Matt Rain]

Agree with 5T, it's classless, we shouldn't have any classless jokes anywhere.

I'm sorry to laugh in the middle of a serious thread, but .

And fvck a bunch of FOX loons.

[curious]

Certainly it can be debated whether we should even be in Afghanistan. The further away 9/11 gets, the less support there is for our presence. I'm sure if we had a terrorist attack on our soil tomorrow, support would shoot up again. That is the knee-jerk nature of this sort of thing.

Just as long as we talk about leaving with eyes wide open and not because we're lumping it in with Iraq. It's easy to look back and say Cheney and Dubya were behind it - it must be wrong. But going into Afghanistan actually was justifiable.

Invading Afghanistan to destroy the Taliban and al-Qaeda and kill Ben Laden were entirely justifiable. We had the entire Taliban and al-Qaeda leadership including Ben Laden trapped at Tora Bora and allowed them to escape by agreeing to a 48 hour cease fire negotiated by the Pashtun in the area. Unbelievable.

OCCUPYING Afghanistan and setting up a centralized puppet regime is sheer lunacy. Afghanistan has NEVER been ruled from the center. You don't rule Afghanistan, you build a coalition of tribal leaders/elders who agree not to kill you. Anyone who has ever cracked a history book knows you cannot conquer/occupy Afghanistan.

What Afghanistan needs is a Marshall plan, not daily air raids. We could easily make deals with all the tribal leaders to let them participate in a Marshall plan in return for them keeping the Taliban out of their area. Give Afghanis seed money to start businesses to supply the materials/services to rebuild the country and then give them a Marshall plan that provides the funds and experts like engineers along with the equipment they need. But, allow them to do the work and benefit economically. With everyone busy working and making money they wouldn't have time to fight and the tribal elders would not tolerate the Taliban screwing up a chance to rebuild the country.

If the money being spent on the military adventure was spent on a Marshall plan instead, Afghanistan would blossom and you would never hear of the Taliban again.

[fiveteamer]

Was Willie Bee trying to be a smart ass with me?

[curious]

Was Willie Bee trying to be a smart ass with me?

Willie Bee does not have to do anything to "try" to be a smart ass. He is a smart ass naturally.

[dwaechte]

Meh. Honestly, these people are retarded, I think that came through quite clearly, and anyone who would actually watch this show and take it seriously probably hasn't spent much time thinking about much of anything. The fact that they talked about America "defending" Canada and Mexico was probably the saddest part, along with how they were proud of that. I loved the "most powerful country in the universe" line too. They're conservative ****ing morons spewing patriotic, arrogant bullshit.

However, I'm not one to get offended by stereotype jokes about Canada... since Canadians are usually the ones who find those jokes the funniest. I realize you cross a line somewhere, but can anyone here honestly say they've never heard a Canadian friend take a crack at our military?

[dwaechte]

It's Obama and Biden now. Bush and Cheney left back in January.

I'm not sure if thats meant to be a joke, but I'm pretty sure Mudder just might have been aware of that lol.