December 18, 2015
"Koenig hypnotically weaves together the accounts of a trusted journalist and her own source inside the Taliban."
"The picture that emerges is a sort of counterweight to Bergdahl’s self-spun capture story: He was found inside or near a nomad tent. Nomads informed the Taliban that a foreigner was in the area. When the Taliban arrived to check it out, they told Bergdahl that they were the police, and he immediately jumped behind their motorcycles, as if seeking protection from them. They called Bergdahl a 'ready-made loaf,' a gift that had fallen into their hands without their having to work for it. Bergdahl fought a little at first, but he was pretty easily subdued. Here we hit our first real point of departure from Bergdahl’s own story. Our first muddying of the narrative...."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
10 comments:
“ready-made loaf,”
A ready-made pinched loaf. The little POS.
The first deserter from the US Army to be welcomed back to the US in a presidential Rose Garden ceremony.
Thanks, Obama.
"His appraisal works the same as it would on a piece of antique furniture in an auction house. Bergdahl is worth as much as the Americans are willing to give for him. The Taliban understands that the Americans are willing to sacrifice a lot for Bergdahl."
Leave it to Obama to pay the price of a genuine Picasso for an Elvis do it yourself by filing in the lines painting on velvet. Heck of a job Barry.
The Taliban witnesses won't be called at trial.
Scott Beauchamp? Really, Althouse?
@Terry
Thanks for pointing that out.
Didn't notice and had stopped thinking about that guy anyway. A good reminder.
Just finished listening to the second episode. Interesting that Bergdahl sounds embarrased at his stupidity, as he well should. Again I wonder if his father influenced his decision to leave. Someone should've been in that isolated base seeing what the hell was going on. Granted moral plummeted after Bergdahl's leaving, but it sounds as if there were major problems even before that.
Amanda said...Someone should've been in that isolated base seeing what the hell was going on.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Amanda. The rest of his unit was at the base. Who do you mean should have been there?
My comment should read "someone should've been SENT in to that isolated base..." Bergdahl's father knew his son was very disturbed about the leadership at the base, his son's general dissatisfaction. He said some seriously odd things to his father about his plans in letters, from what I recall based on the news reports. His father should've contacted someone to check on the mental health of his son out her at that isolated base. If a relative of mine sounded like they were having a mental breakdown and planning something dangerous, I'd do everything in my power to intervene.
@ Amanda -
Last email communication between Bowe and father, explaining about his personal belonging being sent home:
Bowe: "life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be american."
Bob Bergdahl replies: "OBEY YOUR CONSCIENCE! (his caps)...have a systematic oral defense..."
I don't think the father saw this as a mental breakdown. Both seemed to think it perfectly acceptable to substitute your own personal judgment for that of your superiors while on active duty in the U S military, and so ignore or dispute orders and conditions you don't like.
It doesn't work that way. Subordinates don't get a vote.
Post a Comment