MovieChat Forums > Redacted (2007) Discussion > I can't believe such a low discipline of...

I can't believe such a low discipline of American soldiers


I watch lots of movies about American's wars especially wars of last years. Behaviours of American soldiers really surprise me as a foreigner. They always talk dirty, always curse each other, always talk about sex, banging, porn e.t.c. What about the discipline of American army and soldiers. I'm curious, directors exagerrate the situation or really it's so undisciplined army. American army can be strong but I don't believe any modern European army consist of such stupid-talking stupid-behaviour soldiers even they have unprofessianal soldiers, too.

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[deleted]

That's how many American men act. Cops here are just as bad.


Let me gues: You do not live in the US or haven't visited it before, right?

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these guys are private. and they're not all like that, look at Blix.

besides, if i was at their place, i'm not sure i'd like to debate on "intelligent things" either...maybe i'd just like to chill out...but then again, i can't have any idea i guess.

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It's not accurate at all.
As someone who served in the Army I can attest to its inaccuracies.
Let me simplify this...
Behind closed doors soldiers are young men and will drink and curse just the same way you might see in a college dorm.
While at work, American soldiers, for the most part, act professionally.
Are there are a few idiots who don't know how to behave in public?
Yes... of course. There are idiots in all walks of life.
Their behavior is not encouraged and it has consequences.
But the large majority of soldiers are professional and polite in public.

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[deleted]

I agree with you 100%. I was thinking the EXACT same thing...that all the soldiers were going to be portrayed as barbaric savages who only want to degrade and kill anything in their path. But it's not at all like that. How's this movie different from any other war movie? There ARE barbaric savages, but there are also those who want to distance themselves from the atrocities.

I thought this movie was brilliant.

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[deleted]

So you presume that the criminal actions of a few represent the majority?
There's a word for that... bigotry.
Are all men who go to college date rapists?
Are all minorities drug dealers?

Of course not.

But the negative stereotype of the soldier is the last form of acceptable bigotry in our society.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers serve honorably.
A few commit crimes and you presume to label them all as criminals.

Statisticly, the rate of crime in the civilian world is higher.
Would you then say that all civilians are criminals or have a criminal mentality based on the actions of a small percentage of the population?

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[deleted]

omg, i didnt realize de palma posted here.

"Liberal Media" is the last resort of people who don't have facts on their side.

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Fail.

"Adolph Hitler is still alive. I slept with her last night."

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Yanks are *beep* stupid.

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It is Hollywood.

Yes, ALL soldiers curse and goof off - this isn't just in the US military. It is the nature of soldiers in the first place. But it has been a recent trend to portray soldiers in this manner, because it is more entertaining, I guess.

Some soldiers are foul-mouthed, some are not. They are individuals and behave in different manner.

And most American men aren't necessarily like this - but, like ANY men, some are and some are not. But this thread is typical of a lot of threads on this movie forum: attributing behavior to Americans that are uneither untrue or typical of humans, period.

I mean, apparently non-Americans don't curse or talk about sex, right? That is the impression that some are attempting to portray...

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[deleted]

I can understand; men in the army talk dirty, curse sometimes and talking about sex with girls, but when i watch American movies i see this is an encouraged situation in American army society. Being soldier is a sacred-holy duty in most of countries and people in the army must have some responsibilities coming from their uniforms. This is not about anti-americanism or something else. Our theme depends on lack of discipline. At the end of so much disciplinary lackness i guess even most of Americans think bad when they impersonate a soldier character in their mind. Self-criticism is important for every nation.

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Think of it this way, when you go overseas, you think a little differently. Everything doesn't make sense

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Watch "We Were Soldiers." That's some true American professionalism for ya.

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I'm a senior in college here in the U.S. and I hear the same language in our student union EVERYDAY from "our best and brightest." It's just a young American macho male thing.

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[deleted]

In American movies privates and sergeants use "*beep*" word in half of their speechs against army officers as lieutanant or captain (example Platoon of Oliver Stone). If an army, a private can curse to a lieutanant or captain such comfortably even they have all of the strongest weapons of world American army can't be succeeded. Also that is obvious: inhumanist capitalist lifestyle degenareted the behaviours of teenagers all around the world.

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Your using examples from a movie.. wich is over 20 years old! and about a war that ended 40 years ago!
your not the brightest are you?

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"American army can be strong but I don't believe any modern European army consist of such stupid-talking stupid-behaviour soldiers even they have unprofessianal soldiers, too."

Well, look at who is enrolled currently. It's neither the educated, nor the very bright, unfortunately.
In Vietnam, you had college kids mixed in the lot. I'm not saying college makes you smart or college kids can't be stupid, or kids who don't go to colelge are stupid (many are not and they just didn't have the opportunity). I'm saying that people who attend college are usually less ignorant that people who don't. You had a better representation of the American people then. I don't think the current US Army represents the US population properly like it used to. It's an all volunteer force that can recruit enough people so every day they lower their standard of recruitment. The best and brightest are avoiding the military like hell nowadays.
If any country would send their most uneducated, ignorant and sometimes plain stupid youths that often have class issues (they know that despite the official "American dream" they won't have their share of it, and as last resort they join the military), then I'm sure you'd have the same attitude on display. (anyone saw that Marine throwing a puppy off a cliff to show what a man he is?)

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Also, let us not forget that war is hell and it can bring out the worst in men. This goes for soldiers of ALL nations, creeds, races, etc... No one is exempt or immune from the brutality of being in combat.

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Example, think the Balkan war and serbian attitude against their rivals, especially thousands of rapes. Sometimes, even combat time, some crimes are encouraged by the army as a combat style. This can be raping, torture, chemical or biological weapon using, etc. War is war and war is bad, however, ethics is ethics and in every condition we require it.

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Uneducated? Not very bright?

The left once again spits on our troops with such ignorant comments.

And to the OP, you're basing your opinion of US soldiers based on idiotic, left-wing movie propaganda?

The only ignorance and stupidity is being posted by the OP and the people making claims that our troops are ignorant, uneducated and stupid.

Go volunteer at a VA hospital and actually get to know the people who serve instead of spitting on them over the internet, or basing your opinions of them on Hollywood BS and propaganda.

Amazed at the ignorance and stupidity posted by some of the above.

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Part of the problem is their age: 18. At 18 you are considered an adult, and you think you know it all. Most American 18 year olds know very little outside of what they've seen on television.

Look at the average age of our soldiers in WWII: around 25. Not much older, but seven years has almost a third of the life experience added on. Not to mention the men in WWII weren't ignorant because of television addiction.

I don't blame Americans, males, or a lack of discipline. I blame a culture that teaches young men to not use their brains and abandon intellect. I blame a culture that is fearful. I blame a culture that celebrates emptiness and stupidity, so much so that a fool like Bush Jr. can be elevated to the highest office in the land. I blame the lowest-common-denominator GOP culture.

Let's not blame a few rotten apples, let's ask why we prefer rotten apples to good ones. It's probably because in a prosperous society, no one wants to join the military. Our culture is geared toward keeping some people in poor conditions and keeping them undereducated just so we'll have more people to join in the damn fool Republican crusades.

These rich Republicans want wars for oil and profits? Let them fight them for themselves.

Let's not condemn everyone who joins the military to lift themselves out of the Republican-sponsored poverty as mindless thugs. They are honorable people who do credit to their nation. It's just they're put into horrendous situations at too young an age, and with too little life experience, and act accordingly.

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