Hams

October 26, 2006

‘Gary Brecher’ saw the movie “Gunner Palace.” He writes:

“The only thing these dudes are interested in is hamming it up American-style for the camera.

The only time they get excited is when the reporter lets them do their little routines: heavy metal solos or comedy skits from the whites, rap rhymes from the blacks. No, let’s be fair here, in a wonderful sign of advancing integration, there’s one scene where a black GI does a rap with backing electric guitar from this white guy, the class clown type who’s onscreen for what seems like an hour. I personally would have had his humorous ass shoved up against the nearest wall and shot, but this cameraman embed loved him, couldn’t get enough.

Halfway through the movie, there’s a scene where the unit learns its lead interpreter, their go-to guy when they’re asking for info in the neighborhood, the guy who translates every word they hear, is a traitor. An insurgent working for the other side.

That blew me away! But in the movie it’s treated just like a little setback, another ho-hum problem of life in Baghdad.

Jesus, doesn’t anybody have a clue about CI warfare? Your interpreter is EVERYTHING. He’s worth more than all the Bradleys and Strykers you have. He’s more important than bullets. He’s the whole war. If he’s a traitor, everything you’ve done has been worse than useless! Your local sources are blown. Your plans are known. Every local who was naive enough to trust you is dead or soon will be. The rest have learned a big lesson: never, ever talk to the Americans.”