"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

Coincidence thread... I too have those cool action figures. When I broke my little vincents legball off he became a post op transbob.

I saw this on DVD for $5 and picked it up, really takes me back. I remembered the music particularly, and I love anything with Ernest Borgnine and Roddy McDowall.

>> ^blankfist:
Excuse me, @<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.videosift.com/member/longde" title="member since April 8th, 2009" class="profilelink">longde, but if you're going to speak of the great "red robot" then you must call him by his name: Maximillian! Have you no respect for geeks?!
I used to have him and Vincent as action figures. What an awesome movie in my memory. I refuse to watch it again and taint it.


I had the same two action figures. VINCNENT's head always squashed back into his plastic body with a very satisfying snap.

Excuse me, @longde, but if you're going to speak of the great "red robot" then you must call him by his name: Maximillian! Have you no respect for geeks?!

I used to have him and Vincent as action figures. What an awesome movie in my memory. I refuse to watch it again and taint it.

I was hugely influenced by cartoons. Not so much this particular cartoon, but there were many I followed religiously and many I tried to emulate in real life, whether that meant acting out the characters and stories with friends or playing with the action figures.

Also, I think there's a trust built between you and the characters of the show even though they're not real, and as child you can make that distinction, but the importance of their roles in each serial episode are adventurous and exciting and you can't help but look up to them. If He-man told me smoking was bad, I'd believe it was bad, but that doesn't mean when I turned fourteen and started smoking that I was thinking of He-man's words. But, subconsciously I thought smoking was bad, and by smoking I knew I was doing something bad, even though both my parents smoked and that wasn't considered bad.

1). I am quiet.
2). I do not fit in with the world around me.
3). My world does not have conflict. I don’t understand it; it only frustrates me.
4). Laid back. Take it as it comes. Don’t plan too far ahead but don’t change what is already planned.
5). I’m a bad speller. I don’t care to remember, my memory is poor and I’m sure it is getting worse.
6). I live in the now and feel life as I live it.
7). When I work out my creativity, I must work in a vacuum.
. When I enjoy the company of others, I like to shine brightly.
9). Music is my muse of learning.
10). I want to know as much as I can about everything and everyone around me and share everything I know.
11). When I create, I feel alive. My mind is at work. For me, an idle mind is like dying a little bit each time I stop. I need to feel the charge of creation and discovery.
12). Collecting, yes, I am a collector. It must be my need to be complete, to not leave something unfinished. (I have over 500 Star Wars actions figures – all still in package.)
13). I horror at chaos. Chaos undermines me every time.
14). I am trying to grasp what is me. I am original. I think only like me.
15). I make choices for me. I am selfish. I don’t like to share.
16). I am shy. I am scared. I am insecure. I am afraid.
17). It is preferable to sink into my creativity than to deal with reality. I must have my creativity or I will go mad. It is my only outlet. It is my life, my being.
18). My mind and my opinions are constantly changing. Always learning, always updating. What I believed yesterday, I may not believe today. What I believe today, I feel very strong about. What I believed yesterday, I’d rather leave behind.
19). I am not perfect. I don’t pretend to be. I know my limits and I know my dreams. I know my shortcomings and I feel my faults.
20). I am easily pushed around and bullied.
21). I fear change. I like finding one way of doing something and sticking with it.
22). I fear choice. Don’t make me decide from a list. I want all or I want nothing.
231). I cry myself to sleep. Sometimes I feel like I am on a speeding train going in the wrong direction.
24). I need to feel accomplished. I need to leave something forever behind for others to see and feel. I need to be remembered. I refuse to just be another countless person in history that didn’t make a difference.
25). So far, my life has been pointless.

Hahahah he would of hated to be remember as a material possession though. There is a story from him where he saw a young girl drinking from a well with her hands. When he saw her doing this he exclaimed something like "Seeing this, I no longer need a cup"....the man wouldn't own a cup!

I think though, having and honoring a dog would make him the most proud. The Greeks honored him by erecting a podium with a statue of a dog on it. Though, to be honest, Diogenes would of peed on said statue given the opportunity. (would it not be awesome to pee on something given to you as a high honor..HA!)

>> ^enoch:
awesome find GJF!
i am still waiting for the diogenes action figure.

awesome find GJF!
i am still waiting for the diogenes action figure.

Tron was groundbreaking in that it was the first movie to use computers in the creation of effects and animation. On the DVD there is a great documentary on the making of it. Very interesting.

Though I have to agree, not as exciting as something like war games but it thrilled the Pac Man Geek generation and opened up new ideas. Looking back the basis was awesome but the story was weak. Let's hope they can fix the story and Blast us with some great stuff - It will all depend on the script because we've all seen the CG done to death and it can't survive on that basis alone!

I don't think I could handle a store full of Tron Action figures and Tron "Throwing Discs" all over again. Hmmm... (Frisbee might be leading this one... )

Starfish action figure is around :55

I defy anyone to do that in a real gym just so they can resemble a He-Man action figure.

>> ^peggedbea:
how adorable is this guy?!
oh and for the record... my dildos ARE action figures.


You do this to us every time.

You pose some netherworld scenario of endless possibilities, and then drop it entirely.

As if some of us wouldn't care to know which action figures were, you know, scrubbing your walls.

how adorable is this guy?!

oh and for the record... my dildos ARE action figures.

Racism is name-calling, discrimination, and singling someone one because of their ethnicity. So what if his hair makes a better chia than a white dude's? Sell the damn things, who gives a shit?!

Complain when someone comes up with a "Cotton-picking Obama action figure" - that would be racism.

Man I love this! Just great on so many levels...

Oh and how about an action figure that's to be used as a dildo?