Lioness (2009) repost

Not another movie about glorifying war! For the thousand time: they are not people "who risked their lives for the cause of freedom", but very naive, vulnerable and misinformed people who end up killing for the profit of corporations.

This is a site where there is a lot of material about Iraq, but it is directed towards exposing the lies and the propaganda that backs up the killing and suffering that are taking place there.

They would be STRONG women if they didn't join the army.

Very good point Foisky! Most people that join the army aren't very well off to start with. Refusing the source of income that the army offers when there aren't any other means of making a living around is a decision that implies a lot of dignity and courage.

I am downloading the movie to take a look.

How dare you call these war-whores "heroines"? War is war, war was war and war will be war, you don't need to be a genius to know what you are drafting for! Go straight to hell gals, I don't pity you. Numerous people are being tortured because they refuse enlist, and here you are bragging about some sluts. You make me sick!

I've seen the first half of it. You are right, loninappleton, it's not glorifying war. The overall impression I got from what I've seen so far is that this is movie is redeeming for them, an homage for being exposed to the risk that was not stipulated in the contract.

Indeed, it shows the point of view of the civilians that got entangled in the battle and what a terrible experience this must have been for them. On the other hand, I remember how proudly that woman soldier presented the stock of weapons she was responsible of. Just for that I wouldn't run this movie in schools. Kids might get the impression that weapons are cool gadgets, on the same level with laptops or mp3 players.

Sorry, loninappleton, my bad. You see I thought that the goal of the peace movement around there is... hmm how should i put it... PEACE. If your veterans feel tricked, betrayed, used or abused well thats fine because thats what they should feel like. Don't you see that by boosting up their self esteem with these kind of movies you are actually taking away their one and only chance to better themselves. Because, you see, these are the thick headed people who couldn't simulate/extrapolate what war would be like, so they actually had to go and eat the whole rotten egg. Well if thats how they learn, let them. Let them evolve.

Ioninappleton,

I wanted to thank you for re-posting this torrent. This film is very personal for me. It is difficult to see some of the hateful comments posted here about my fellow Sisters in Arms but it's all good, we bled so they could have the freedom to exercise their right to make complete and total asses of themselves in a public forum. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you again for re-posting this torrent so that I can help some of my fellow female veterans families. I enjoy being able to help provide some tools that these families desperately need to help reconnect with their soldiers both men and women. Just an FYI, being a US Army soldier was one of the best and worst things that has ever happened to me. I have never felt a more powerful feeling of pride and accomplishment then when I wore that uniform. However, I have also never felt a more powerful feeling of heartbreak and terror as I did when I wore that uniform. The battle buddies to my left and right was the reason I fought. To keep them safe, to make sure ole' hadji wasn't hiding weapons under their wives and daughters burqa's. They knew the male soldiers couldn't touch the women to search them. I fought so that when my battle buddy turns his back, there is no weapon there to be used to splatter his brain all over the wall. I fought because I lost a friend in 9/11 when she was crushed by a piece of falling debris while she was on body clean up duty at the pentagon. Most of all I fought for my son, so he could grow up in a world where he does not have to live in fear, looking over his shoulder wondering if it is safe to ride the train today. So for those who do choose to exercise the right of free speech, that we as soldiers continue to provide to you to well......IT is my turn now so Fuck you and the fucked up horse you rode in here on. Maybe you should think about how you would feel if your sister, mother, or daughter was the one out there fighting for her life; day in and day out just trying to make it back in one piece, to be able to see her family again. Another thing I enlisted several years before 9/11 in peacetime, but I did not run away like a coward and stick my head in the sand just because I came down on orders to deploy; That is not what I stand for.

@GLRebecca

Missy, are you aware of the fact that not only Americans are allowed on this site? Do I sound American to you? I sure don't as I am not. So you and your soldier buddies provided me with nothing except oppression, militarism, torture and so on.

Sad to see such ignorance, u should have invested your precious time in education my dear. Getting a gun and obeying orders is a low-rate business these days, even 12 year olds do it in Africa. Pointless. Wouldn't even look good on your CV ( except may be for drive-thrus).

Spare the "why I enlisted" patriot bullshit for chit chats you most certainly enjoy doing with acquaintances. I know why you enlisted. Zach de la Rocha knows why you enlisted, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Roger Waters they all knew. You are not fooling anybody dear. It sure is boring being an average Jane, isnt it? I bet I can tell what u had for breakfast

ZamaZalotta,

Well I am truly sorry that your life has been impacted so negatively. I however do wish to correct you on a couple of points. One is that not all of the soldiers fight because the economy is in a slump and had a lack of outside skills to be otherwise gainfully employed. Secondly, the reason I am no longer in the military is because I was injured in an RPG attack while trying to shield a 9 year old Afghan girl from being sprayed with shrapnel during a sniper attack. I am by no means saying I agree with war, I hate fighting but I did what I felt I had to do, in order to provide a certain level of security for my own family. I am sure you would do whatever you needed to do to protect your family if it were threatened. Do I agree with all of the things that have happened over the last 10 years no, I do not. I still to this day do not believe in the reasons we were engaged in the Iraq war but you do not get to pick and choose which war zone they send you to. What I do believe in is that, when someone brings a fight to my back door; I am not going to stand idly by while those I love are in danger. You are always welcomed to your viewpoint on the war, but do not begin to presume that you know anything about me as a person. War is never pretty no matter who is fighting it, but do not let it harden your heart to the pain of others. We as soldiers did not ask for this or any war, many of us just did what we could to get through it alive so that god willing if we came home alive we could spend the rest of our time on earth savoring each moment we are given with those we love. I pray that some day you are able to find peace within yourself to let go of your own pain and one day find happiness again.

@GLRebecca

Should I consider your first sentence as asking for my forgiveness or are you simply writing me off as an "inevitable consequence"?
It doesn't make a big difference for me why somebody ended up as a soldier. It shouldn't matter for you as well because at the end u all obey the same orders. Another thing is that since obeying orders doesn't involve too much intelligence anyone can do it. Whereas being a doctor, a teacher those are jobs where u can use your own creativity/intelligence and if you were a teacher I would gladly want to hear why you decided to be one.
It is most probable that the RPG rocket that wounded you was sold by some order-obeying, country-loving American soldier to the Taliban back when USA was arming them against USSR. So I would say your story is rather ironic than tragic. U pointed out quiet well that u paid your duty and now you are back to spend the rest of your life happily with your loved ones. How unfortunate for the Afghanistanis, thanks to you they have no home or loved ones to return to once you are done with them. Did it ever occurred to you that your presence (not the Afghan girl's) may have induced the RPG attack?
Are you expecting me to believe that your family, living on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, is threatened by a bunch of guys living in caves, equipped with kalasnikovs and rpg-7s? Or WMDs?
You get paid for inflicting pain yet you couldn't tell pain from pancakes. If pain is what ordinary people have suffered in your hands I wouldn't know the letter p. Even though I am bitter, I can positively say I am happy. I have all the reasons to be: I killed no one, I was nobodies puppet, I wasn't fooled, I am not in denial. Are you happy? Put your reasons up against mine and tell me which one of us needs that last prayer of yours.

I can see now that nothing I say will dissuade your opinion about soldiers. I understand but I did want to say this... I am not a killer. My job in the army was as a truck driver delivering supplies to the villages, I was also my units combat life saver. I killed no one but did everything in my power to save lives. I am currently in school learning software development with my primary focus is the health care industry. I plan to develop software to be used in hospitals and doctors offices. I have seen enough blood in my life to last a lifetime which is why I could not work on that side of the industry. As a member of Mensa I have an obligation to the world to try to make others lives better. I plan to use my knowledge to continue to save lives and help those who need it. I will not post on this board again but please know that I am not the picture you have painted of me here. I want nothing more than to help those I can and show others that there truly are people out there that care about them and that they are not alone in this life. We are all human, and god put us here to help each other and to love one another. Have a blessed life.