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"Anybody's Son Will Do

By Bill Willers

20 April, 2010
Opednews.com

In 1983, the National Film Board of Canada produced a 57-minute film, "Anybody's Son Will Do". Arguably the best anti-war film ever made, and tailored for public television, it scared the hell out of the U.S. military machine, which has done its best to "disappear" it. For years it has been nearly impossible to find a copy, but some kind soul has posted it on YouTube where it can be seen in six segments.

The film shows the process by which young men become psychologically engineered to kill or die on command. While the model used is the U.S. Marine Corps, it's made clear that the modern techniques for creating soldiers are refined, dehumanizing and universal.

Military forces will take boys as young as the law allows, as witness African militias that, unrestrained by regulation, recruit children as young as ten. People into their twenties, having begun to think for themselves to too great a degree, tend not to be sufficiently malleable. In the U.S., recruitment below age 17 is not legal. However, as war has become ever more computerized, need is growing for tech-savvy recruits who can kill coolly and indiscriminately from great distances, as if playing video games. The military has become very good at video games.

What this leads to in the real world is exemplified by this recently publicized footage of the slaughter by U.S. military of 12 civilians. The video has been a much-needed awakening for many. But as distressing as the carnage itself is the callousness with which the people go about their work: "Alright, hahaha, I hit 'em... Nice, good shooting.... Thanks"

http://www.collateralmurder.com/

AsGlenn Greenwald has correctly declared, the tragedy of this is that it's not aberration but commonplace. What is unusual is that this particular episode was made public.

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/39266

What is also tragic is that it represents precisely what the U.S. military wants to make of recruits who will be

reeducated -- brainwashed -- to see it as manly, patriotic, heroic. And what youngsterwith percolating hormones, negligible life experience and no basis for critical thought doesn't want to be like that?

Go to http://www.americasarmy.com/ and click on "America's Army Graphic Novel" to see what age group and level of education the Pentagon is aiming for. The "novels" are 28-page comics with text bubbles over GI Joe action figures and brightly colored noise representations: "KRR-AKK", "BLAM", "RATATATAT, CHAKA CHACKA CHAK...".

And now with their arcades open to the public, the military has its foot in the door of the minds of younger children who, if asked, would likely insist they can tell the difference between video games and reality.

click here

As for "Anyone's Son Will Do", DVDs of it should be in every junior high and high school in the country. Parent-teacher associations should have screenings. With any luck, it might get us headed toward a day when a common sight will be bumper stickers "Support Our Peace Makers".
Bill Willers is emeritus professor of biology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh now living in Middleton, WI. He is founder of Superior Wilderness Action Network (SWAN) and editor of Learning to Listen to the Land and Unmanaged Landscapes, both from Island Press. He posts occasionally online at OpEdNews, Common Dreams, Counterpunch and Dissident Voice."
http://www.countercurrents.org/willers200410.htm

GI-JOE movie. I want to hate it yet i watch it.

>> ^rougy:
>> ^quantumushroom:
tl;dfw
More race card sh;t.
Sane person: And that's why I think Obama's plan to raise the capital gains tax will prolong any recession.
Liberal: You just wanna kill people with BROWN skin! Hate crime!
Sane person: Remember to vote November 5th.

Only a fuckstick like you would take a parody that exposes the shallowness of racism and equate it with some invisible phantom robbing you of your money.



HAH !

I'm reminded of those GI Joe redubs.

Yeah, but unlike GI Joe, you can look at a picture of these guys in costume and immediately identify it as an A-Team movie. Plus, the director isn't a hack.

>> ^Fusionaut:
I heard that Spiderman will be in this movie


When are they gonna start doing that? I wanna see some hollywood mash-ups. It couldn't be any more cheap than the shit that comes out now. And I'm not talking about scary movie 6. I wanna see some seriously funded footage of GI Joe teaming up with the X-men to fight the monster from Cloverfield who's been resurrected by Voldemort.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'nissan, gi joe, barbie, tv, commercial' to 'nissan, gi joe, barbie, tv, house, van halen, you realy got me, puppet, car, drive, 90s' - edited by Eklek

Man some of you guys are cynical. Probably gonna go out and turn off your brains to GI Joe tho.

Full list from the funnyordie website:

Laz Alonso as Doc
Alexis Bledel as Lady Jaye
Billy Crudup as Zartan
Zach Galifiankais as Snow Job
Tony Hale as Dr. Mindbender
Vinnie Jones as Destro
Joey Kern as Tomax
Joey Kern as Xamot
Chuck Liddell as Gung Ho
Julianne Moore as Scarlett
Henry Rollins as Duke
Alan Tudyk as Shipwreck
Olivia Wilde as The Baroness
and
Sgt. Slaughter as Himself
Also featuring Jamin Fite as Cobra Commander
Frankie Kang as Storm Shadow
Geoff Mann as Buzzer
Andreas Owald as Snake Eyes
Daniel Strange as Torch
Kevin Umbricht as Ripper

Also, LOL at the mouse cursor over GI:JOE headquarters =P

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

So lame. Just noticed it on this commercial too:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Nissan-GI-Joe-steals-Barbie-classic-commercial#comment-833421

Which is doubly lame, as I'm sure Nissan has licensed that song.

>> ^thepinky:
Ah, people can still handle American patriotism. The hatred isn't as intense or as widespread as some people seem to think. Of course it's there, but not to the point where G.I. Joe would be largely unwelcome.

It's not about the hatred for America, it's about the issue that the American GI Joe movie would have portrayed. With the images of Abu Ghraib, "enhanced interrogation" and bombed children's hospitals still in our heads, a GI Joe movie featuring America vs. the terrorists might not be preceived as a clear "good" vs. "evil" story as these hollywood movies often make it out to be, at least not overseas.

>> ^gwiz665:
GI Joe is a term that refers to SOLDIERS. If they made the movie that you people obviously want, where Americans bravely go around saving the rest of the world (akin to Team America) it would have a dated and poor point to make.

How do you know that the point would have been dated and poor? Patriotism isn't dated. "American sucks" is the trendy attitude, remember? Patriotism has existed from the beginning and will continue to exist. Couldn't they have made a tactful and inclusive film about "real American heroes?" It doesn't sound impossible to me.

>> ^campionidelmondo:
I think Transformers was about space robots defeating other space robots.

Yes. Robots aided by Americans. I also seem to recall our FBI or CIA or something being involved, as well as our military. Some scenes took place on Air Force One...

As for the other movies, they're all pre-Bush. The international perception of american patriotism has taken a turn for the worse thanks to Dubya.

Ah, people can still handle American patriotism. The hatred isn't as intense or as widespread as some people seem to think. Of course it's there, but not to the point where G.I. Joe would be largely unwelcome. I don't know for sure, of course, but because I'm an ESL tutor at my university, I know many international students (South Korean, Mexican, Canadian, British, German, Vietnamese, Haitian, Bulgarian, South African, Romanian, and more). I've also had a Mexican roommate and a Canadian roommate. I've talked to several of these close friends about the international opinion of the U.S. (not just their own opinions), and it doesn't seem all THAT bleak. I'm not basing my opinion solely on this, but it helps.

Also, while some movies might seem very american to you, they sell well abroad because they have an easily relateable theme. Matrix told the story of man vs. machine, Independence Day man vs. aliens, Armageddon man vs. giant rock etc...

Don't be silly. Almost ALL movies have an easily relatable theme. My point is that all of these movies happen to feature American Man vs. Global Threat. What is more annoyingly ethnocentric and American than that?

Because I am in a better country than USA, my opinion does not matter? What planet are you from?

My remark was a direct response (or mimicry) to the hosts rant in the beginning.

GI Joe is a term that refers to SOLDIERS. If they made the movie that you people obviously want, where Americans bravely go around saving the rest of the world (akin to Team America) it would have a dated and poor point to make.

>> ^SpaceOddity:
If you're already there gwiz, your comment on this video is worth less than a rat's fart, considering you just took the opportunity to mindlessly bash the USA rather than discuss the topic of the video.
Yes, Fox is dumb and that guy is annoying.
But GI Joe is a term that refers to Americans.
They're the "Real American Heroes". Hell, just look at the logo. Not a color scheme that screams "UN squad" to me.
Being American is such a big part of GI Joe to divorce it from that means it's not GI Joe anymore. Why even call it that? Just start a new franchise instead of ruining a classic one.
I can't believe I'm standing alone with QM on this. Sad day.