Timberlake wrote:
>
> The people are this list are flipping out. Yoshie goes
> abject before a bunch of theocratic misogynists who'd
> have her stoned to death for supporting them in a New
> York minute.
What a classic! No I am affraid Yoshie would do just fine in Iran as she would show deference mullahs and dawn a scarf over her head. It is only in the US that she gets stones thrown at her, albeit metaphorical ones.
Speaking of the civilizing quality of US nationalism there was this little gem in the Guardian.
Travis
"Iraq war strain leads troops to abuse civilians, survey shows"
Ewen MacAskill in Washington Saturday May 5, 2007 The Guardian
One in 10 of the US soldiers in Iraq mistreats civilians or damages their property, according to a survey published by the Pentagon last night. The report said the mental health of soldiers and marines deteriorated significantly as a result of extended or multiple deployments.
The study confirms the extent to which the US military is being strained by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The survey into the mental health of the soldiers and marines was requested by US commanders in Iraq and carried out by the office of the surgeon-general in August and October, with 1,300 soldiers and 450 marines interviewed.
The report says: "Approximately 10% of soldiers and marines report mistreating non-combatants (damaged/destroyed Iraqi property when not necessary or hit/kicked a non-combatant when not necessary).
"Soldiers that have high levels of anger, experienced high levels of combat, or screened positive for a mental health problem were nearly twice as likely to mistreat non-combatants as those who had low levels of anger or combat or screened negative for a mental health problem."
The report also found that fewer than half of all soldiers and marines would report a team member for unethical behaviour, and more than one-third believed torture should be allowed to save the life of a fellow soldier or marine.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2073167,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1