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He did well in his impersination and staying with it for so long even when someone mentioned Will Ferrel. A little light is always good.
John S
Good thing we are over there. Im going to go slit my wrist now….
Billions of dollars, thousands of lives, untold destruction, overthrowing the ruling power in a country all we have to show for it is another Will Ferrell LOL
Priceless….
Spreading democracy with a hefty helping of BBQ sauce.
Funny but awful damn sad given the costs. Especially the human costs.
don’t let the door hit your ass on the way to youtube
Sure, go to YouTube and wallow through thousands of absolutely horrible videos. DU tries to pick the best ones.
Of course, as usual, you can’t please everyone.
Out of 22 posts currently on DU, only five are videos…
Be great if he did a W impersonation, but if he was really convincing, could be dangerous.
Its all fun and games until someone losses and eye.
The whole thing of the military restricting staff from using YouTube, MySpace, and the like — I think it has little to do with bandwidth.
Basically, by allowing soldiers and staff to post videos — command has lost control of “the media”. We’re not talking about news organizations, we’re talking “media” as in a medium to deliver commentary and news “from the front”.
There are plenty of videos showing snipers being taken out, roadside bombs being ‘defused’, and soldiers under fire… then, there’s the video of the guy who shoots a small dog for barking, or the one where a soldier points his M-16 at a bunch of kids that are simply mocking him, or the grand example shown above.
The restrictions placed on military internet usage had to do with limiting the “collateral damage” of soldiers making themselves and the “coalition” military (US National Guard guarding someplace other than the US) look stupid and unprofessional.
Sadly, from many other perspectives the guys with the guns fit right into the labels of infidels and insensitive pigs. It’s not a game they’re playing and those are nervous laughs from the Iraqis.
@10 – It has everything to do with bandwith, which is why it’s restricted when using the network while on duty, as opposed to your own down-time
I kind of have to agree with 11. If you’re carrying a rifle and have the authority to use it, you really have no business pulling practical jokes. The bit would have been hilarious at some toll booth in the US, but in war zone I just don’t find it amusing.
14. You guys should lighten up, I saw this as a soldier trying to make the best of a bad situation. Never once did he seem menacing. Its guys in your unit like these who keep morale up. We had guys in my unit like this and people gravitate towards them.
14. “We had guys in my unit like this and people gravitate towards them.”
Well, I guess that’s one way I’m wrong. I’ve never been through a war so I can’t speak from first hand experience. If this is the sort of stuff you do to get through your ordeal, I guess I’m not going to judge it.
SN, I have never been in a war either, cant take credit for that, but in the military in general, morale is extremely important. These guys are golden.
Picture yourself going through customs in Pakistan or someplace like that and and an armed security dude (who you’d barely understand anyway) is asking you nonsensical questions as a joke to his coworkers.
This appears to extremely boring but crucial work and I can see how it would help he and his buddies get through the day to make light of it on occasion, but in the end they are the face of America to the Iraqi’s and they should be as professional and a courteous as the situation allows.
You guys are missing the point. Humor is the way to get through life. It helps you cope in the toughest of situations. There is a reason that human beings find things funny. Have you ever wondered exactly what laughter is? It’s a tremendous relief on the stress in your life. Lighten up, chill, take it easy, etc. Without a sense of humor, I don’t think life would be worthwhile.
My 2¢.
Hop
That guy doing the impersonation is an asshole. Plain and simple. He is NOT winning any hearts and minds with that little mind game of his. Is this the professional example he is setting for his troops and the Iraqi’s around him? If he wants to do impersonations at the chow line with his friends, go ahead. That’s funny… but during the conduct of his official duties… that sucks…
Imagine you get pulled over by a SWAT team here in the United States, and they start pulling off an act straight from the Lucy show while they search your car. All in a foreign language you don’t understand. Would that increase your respect for the cops?
Complete lack of professionalism. And some here think it’s funny…
i’m sure after searching countless numbers of vehicles at this checkpoint that this little distraction makes the time go a little bit better.
all those that criticize this soldier searching this iraqi national (who doesn’t seem to be offended as i’m sure he’s searched regularly) should realize that he’s in a place that just plain sucks (for up to a year) and “needs” things that make his time even a marginally bit better. remember this is a country where bombs explode occasionally and kill people
when’s the last time you were pulled over and searched for weapons in this country? the only checkpoints i know of are for drunk drivers,,,
I agree with everyone who thinks people should lighten up, the guy was trying to be nice, the Iraqui even waved goodbye. The only thing I’d have done would be to either shake the civilian’s hand with a big smile, or do a military salute. That would be grand.
HOLY COW!
Ah the pressing question of our time, “If a weapon was made of barbecue spare rids, would you eat it?”
As a side note, this guy doing the impression seems to be of higher rank, so if this harmless act helps him keep up the morale of the soldiers under him, more power to him.
#19 – “Would that increase your respect for the cops?” I think I would get through it without to many deep emotional scars. It wasn’t a skit, but only one person talking while the others did their respected jobs in a timely and orderly fashion.
You know, as I am squarely in the top 20 of “Most Liberal Guys Here” I have to agree with the lighten up crowd….
This guy pulled the short straw and got sent to a country where he could very well die defending the freedoms and liberties of large multinational oil concerns, Haliburton, and members of the priviledged classes everywhere.
What do you care if he’s doing the harey carey bit or any other voice? It’s all gibberish to the Iraqi guy anyway.
Einstein dies and goes to heaven only to be informed that his room is not yet ready. “I hope you will not mind waiting in a dormitory. We are very sorry, but it’s the best we can do and you will have to share the room with others” he is told by the doorman.
Einstein says that this is no problem at all and that there is no need to make such a great fuss. So the doorman leads him to the dorm. They enter and Albert is introduced to all of the present inhabitants. “See, Here is your first room mate. He has an IQ of 180!”
“That’s wonderful!” says Albert. “We can discuss mathematics!”
“And here is your second room mate. His IQ is 150!”
“That’s wonderful!” says Albert. “We can discuss physics!”
“And here is your third room mate. His IQ is 100!”
“That’s wonderful! We can discuss the latest plays at the theater!”
Just then another man moves out to capture Albert’s hand and shake it. “I’m your last room mate and I’m sorry, but my IQ is only 80.”
Albert smiles back at him and says, “So, where do you think interest rates are headed?”