It is a great photo.
I guess should add that I didn't actually take the photo.
I didn't think that you did :) The photo made me think about the points Joshua Foust made at Small Wars Journal and Registan - what is happening to the Afghans displaced by Marjah? And it's a nice photo because a decent human being ought to respond when a stronger person tries to protect someone who can't at that moment. (I am showing great restraint by not jumping into the Haig thread and into the middle of the great back-and-forth you and ADTS are having. I know you dislike partisan politics. I did say at zenpundit, though, that I see nothing wrong with being an honest partisan. Bias and objectivity are tricky things and who is to decide the gold standard of this generally elusive goal? Better a transparent, honest, and willing to reconsider ideas based on new information, partisan. Anyway, my supposed restraint is on the health care stuff. Which I will now throw over! I've spent years practicing my specialty in big, chaotic academic teaching hospitals and I'll will say this: A plan on paper tends not to play out as it is written when put into practice, but then, if anyone should know that, it ought to be the likes of you. California plus Texas equal the size, roughly, of Great Britain or France, I can't remember which. My point is that the experiment being proposed by health care proponents has never been tried on this scale, and in this cultural mileu (you made that point well in the thread) and in this particular format before. It is an experiment and don't you military types talk about friction or whatever (stolen from a CBoyz thread). The friction will be enormous. I didn't show any restraint, did I? Sorry. And, yes, Alexander Haig (RIP) sure did seem to be one bad MF as you say.)
I'll start a new thread on it. After all, what else is there to say about Afghanistan or Iraq that everyone else hasn't already said 10 times? I agree with Jari.
I don't intend to go down the political road with the issue. I think it has worthwhile lessons for current efforts in A'Stan/Iraq. See my earlier post (what we can learn from douche bags) for some idea of what I'm getting at - though I promise my next will be less sarcastic.
Along the lines of how the above photo could be interpreted based on the observer? I look at it with great admiration as an American, and an immigrant from India, but I can put on other glasses and see the photo differently: they look scary, how come those people are being displaced from their home for America's goals, why does the America think she can just do whatever she wants? Is that what you mean? That would be interesting.
It is one of the sadder aspects of war since time memorial Madhu, that the local population suffers the most, while those fighting for what they believe (or perceive) to be just, get to go home eventually - a home far away. Given an opportunity, these Marines, and our Soldiers, infantrymen all, would share down the middle with this father and his son. Because only infantrymen see it first hand up close and personal like no other. Many harden themselves to it, but they know deep down. Judge those that create these messes harshly, but never the rifleman.
That wasn't what I had in mind, but it's interesting now that you ask. In any case, I just posted what I was kind of alluding.
Yup
Well said.
Great photo, indeed. The OEF lid harnessed to the pack says it all.
No, I know, and I am sort of in awe of what I see in the photo above. *I* don't think those things that I wrote in my previous comment, but I've spent too many years trying to balance two very different cultures to believe that the above photo would be viewed the same by everyone. That was my point, only, that culture changes things. I guarantee you that if you print that photo in different papers all over the world, the attitudes will be very different toward the photo. Some will see the strong protecting the weak, and bravery (as I do). Others will see brute strength wielding itself. That's all I meant to say. I do have to add that you put your point beautifully, though, you really did.
I think we are all in awe of that photo Madhu. Are you from S.W. Asia - India perhaps. If so, have you ever been to the festival at Konark? It would tell me a little of your background to temper my reponses to yours, just as I judge mine to Schmed's thoughts based on the fact he has up front recent experiences in combat....and should, by the way, get his carcass back in uniform. : )
I grew up in the states but my family is from India, and no, I don't know the festival. It's Bengali, I think? I don't know anything about it. My family hails from the Haryana, Rajasthan, UP states. You know, all that "Jatt Warrior Pride!" stuff. Well, not really. That's kind of a joke, but if you want to see the way caste mythology plays out in the West - or, one strange part of it - look up the Jati gangs of Vancouver. I don't know anything about that stuff either, except to run across articles in diaspora newspapers.