CultureTube Segment 1: Human Terrain System & War in Iraq

[scramble5785]

As a Marine deployed to Iraq in 2005 and 2006, I think an improved understanding of the socio-cultural contexts of military operations would make them vastly more effective. It seems obvious to me that this would have reduced the damage/invasiveness of our operations and contributed to mission accomplishment. Would the anthropologist featured in this video rather the military continue its operations in ignorance, with all the damage that would entail?

[bigdaddybuck76]

This is absolutely ridiculous. You don't have a clue to what you are talking about. We never collected intel for the military. What the mission of HTS was to reduce the amount of kinetic activity, not the other way around. I also see you conveniently left out the fact that Tracy’s team reduced the amount of kinetic activity by 70% during the time they were in Afghanistan. Wake up and quite drinking the Kool-Aid.

[jshurl1]

Forte, you are spewing the filth here. A capable person disagrees with you and you label him a "functional illiterate- fanatic," and "disqualified from rational debate??" Seriously?? But you call HIM insulting. He made a heck of a lot more sense than YOU or your 'romanticizing of anti-Americanism' propaganda piece.

Grow up. You are a disgrace to anyone calling themselves academics, thinkers, or anthropologists. You throw out personal insults rather than address the specifics he referred to.

[maximilianforte]

@jshurl1 Oh poor you. I challenge the filth that has been thrown at me. It also does not concern you, unless you happen to share that filth.

[maximilianforte]

Wigon is a psyops troll who claims to be doing anthropological research--yet all the while anonymously, which is a direct violation itself of the AAA code of ethics. From past experience, he is a functional illiterate suffering from a severe comprehension disorder. He's a military fanatic, and extremely insulting, and disqualifies himself from rational debate.

[maximilianforte]

"Max Forte...directly promotes pro-Al Qaeda propaganda" is the kind of idiotic, extremist, statement made by the ignorant jackasses who flock to patriotism and militarism like moths to flame. Meanwhile, they keep silent on the atrocities committed in their name by state terrorism. What filth.

[wigon]

The code of ethics by AAA only applies to academics, not applied anthropologists. I'm not saying it's a bad code, but it is not applicable to combat anthropologists. No university can mandate its students to not use their skill-set in the military or working with the military. Furthermore academic anthropologists generally stay away from war zones, so the threat to them is minimal. Most likely the future however will be military-anthropology schools not dependent upon academia.

[winter051]

I am a marine and also a senior in anthroplogy I think that anthropologists are needed for several reasons one we can teach marines and soldiers how to have proper relations with the local people. However we don't need anthropologists too collect intel. The intel will come to the troops in many diffrent ways.

[bpadd100]

I say this because regardless of what scholars have written about the do's and dont's of academia, there is little to no consideration (traditionally) for the support of our country's own symbols and values...

That is: the assumtion that the protection of the US Constitution and the safety and well-being of each and every one of YOU is more important than the "first rule of anthropology"...

[toekneeag]

YOU misrepresent the facts and fail to understand what you term academia. Francis Fukuyama is an academic just the same as Noam Chomsky, Perhaps you should read the Constitution and stop being a reductionist. Your argument is baseless and shows you have no clue of what you speak.

The Code of Ethics is agreed upon like the Constitution. The "interpretation" is democratic, but I guess that is unAmerican in your view. If someone disagrees then they can just give up their citizenship or membership.

[wigon]

That's not what he's saying. He's saying that American security trumps ANY AAA code of ethics. The AAA code simply does NOT work in applied anthropology in peace and conflict research and practice. Period. If you don't like it, too bad. But many of us anthropologists have studied the Taliban and Islamic radicalism and have decided to take a stand against them not just for America, but for the world and for Islam.

[bpadd100]

2. The primary focus of the HTS is to offer NON-KINETIC responses to OTHERWISE KINETIC ones... therefore mitigating/reducing the liklihood of harm towards others.

As a personal comment, I'd mention that I think it's shameful that the association of anthropologists would curtail HTS participants to "out-cast land" based on this interpretation of a "code of ethics".

[wigon]

@bpadd100 I agree. Also, they talk about anthropologists providing info to the military on Taliban locations as if the Taliban are all lovely and misunderstood heroes. These guys on the videos are not aware of their own romanticization of the Taliban as "heroes fighting global American imperialism". Max Forte is a good example of this at its extreme (as he directly promotes pro-Al Qaeda propaganda). Finally they have no proof that HTS causes more civilian deaths as they assert.

[bpadd100]

I understand that the the "first rule of anthropological ethics" is to do no harm; and it is true to some capacity that "kinetic" operations may be derrived from information gathered by HTS actors, however, here are additional facts to consider...

1. HTS team members NEVER report on or otherwise suggest kinetic responses to the situaion on the battlefield.

[bpadd100]

Hmm... I think the narrator of this video suffers from a combination of misunderstanding the truth and also of failing to understand the facts.

There is NO covert aspect of the HTS. This is reality.

I understand that the the "first rule of anthropological ethics" is to do no harm; and it is true to some capacity that "kinetic" operations may be derrived from information gathered by HTS actors, however, here are additional facts to consider...

[johnnyproctor]

This idiot is a pussy who has no clue about what it at stake. HTTs are what is helping us win the war. I condemn this liberal pussy's comments.

[magnificona]

First, since when is ridiculing homosexuality racism? Is there a secret race of queers that only Anthropologists know of? Second, ignorance is a shared human experience. All of us are ignorant about something if we use the word in its correct sense. You merely use the term as an insult. After all, Mann kann nicht alles wissen. Last, activists are limited in their ability to be objective since they are engaged on one issue as opposed to analysts that have a broader understanding of things.

[cbrownbrown3]

The U.S. military has spurred nearly global violence and unrest with misled, uninformed foreign and economic policy, brutal military tactics, and mismangement of occupied nations.

[cbrownbrown3]

Of course! It would certainly be best if all "eggheads" (I'm assuming magnificona means people with large ovular, thin-shelled heads) were put to work determining how violence can most effectively be doled out. We could rule the world!!!! On a serious note, responding to "doodoo", I think we should give a thought to who is really acting and thinking as if from within a vaccum.

[magnificona]

It is about time these eggheads be put to practical use in the real world. Anthropologists that refuse to work for the military have that right, but look at your silly video. It is wholly one-sided, and naturally geared to the Left. Why not cheer for our side for a change, or are you still arguing over the patient-observer debate in your verbose and pointless seminar?

Last, does Dr. Vine know that he is a homosexual yet?

[AleksandraKrilic]

erick4u, that would be a very interesting discussion indeed. I am not sure that this video assumes "academic anthropologsitst have clean hands". WOuld you mind elaborating? Thank you.

[erickc4u]

From F. Salomon, re: John Murra:

Instead of claiming innocence by virtue of Third World solidarity, or of objectivity, or of theoretical transcendence, anthropologists should recognize themselves as players put haphazardly into a world of dangerous power & do something good with that situation. 2007 AmAnthr 109(4):792-796). This video assumes academic anthropologists have clean hands, hides more than it shows, & is unhelpful by itself. Who will now post a more complete discussion? -K. Erickson

[doodoo69ononon]

Like many other discussions it includes high-minded academic and moral ideals, and it pontificates from within a vacuum. More importantly, it's entirely one-sided. To my knowledge there hasn't been a discussion about this issue with all parties present.