"American Sniper” Film Stirs Controversy About Chris Kyle And Our Military

[@MrAtrophy]

I have yet to figure out how Iraq or Afganistan was a threat to american freedom. the deaths in 9/11 were not cause by either country

[@AKartashev]

It's like those N.Korea sanctions. Nobody knows who hacked a Japanese company and the US is sanctioning NKorea for that. Go find logic in that.

[@AKartashev]

sadetwizelve don't forget Gulf of Tonkin.

[@timmorgan4505]

I can only guess that your really stupid or very confused Afghanistan was hiding terrorist they refused to give them up these same terrorists launched attacks against the west do you now understand

[@MrAtrophy]

Tim Morgan saudi arabia and pakistan did more to support them than afganistan, afganistan has main;y taliban which is not considered a terrorist group they are enemy combatants.

[@zairenazizan8993]

***** Yup Mohammad atef was allegedly to be funded by ISI ( Pakistani CIA)

[@reyjonhsmith]

Too bad the name "American Psycho" was already taken

[@jmr022499]

and bateman was a little less insane. That is, in the film. The book is fucked up

[@AKartashev]

jmr022499 Bateman for all of the things is a fictional character, this was a real person.

[@jmr022499]

AKartashev that's why I said a little less insane

[@RebornLegacy]

jmr022499 But I think his character was based on a real person(s).

[@smaakjeks]

jmr022499 Yeah, the book is pretty much unreadable. I couldn't finish it.

[@DeagleBeagle]

Wikipedia'd him, "Kyle reportedly described killing as “fun,” and was unwavering in his belief that everyone he shot was a “bad guy.” “I hate the damn savages,” he wrote. “I couldn’t give a flying fuck about the Iraqis." He also bragged about looting the apartments of fleeing Iraqi families in Fallujah." This is why the military culture of hating your enemies is wrong.

[@romperstompist]

***** I'd say it's a mixture of the two.

[@addicted2p0rn]

He was a douche. He tried to fight Jesse Ventura or something, probably because Jesse is a veteran against war and he couldn't comprehend that.

[@hermannkateri2120]

TheMFR When you start desiring to kill all civilians that you come across your no longer a hero your a murderer. Obviously he killed many bloodthirsty zealots and corrupt mob goons that needed to be put down, but he did admit that he killed people that simply were walking down the street.

[@ToaAnanas]

see what a lack of honor and respect has brought in this world? no matter if it is on the battlefield or in civilized society the world is starting to slowly degrade the world into a madness worse then before.

[@gawzz]

gringots yea, and that's the main reason why i wont watch the movie fuck him and his psychotic behavior

[@ZinahG]

"Fighting for our freedom" yeah it's easy to say that you "need freedom" when you don't even know what unprivileged means... You have to live in Iraq and know their people to judge.. Your "hero" didnt make me sleep a night from the sounds of booms going when I was 4... Your hero made me lose so many dear people and most of all he made me lose my childhood and innocence.. I love America and I'm living in America now , but I really didn't think that this was the Americans idea of Iraq and Iraqi people ... I promise we are not all bad...

[@tylerchristensen1484]

Welcome to America! Lots of us are rather tolerant. 😊

[@john-paulhunt2604]

I'd buy that for a dollar!

[@forevermore5118]

He was a racist little pig!!! Sorry your innocence was wrecked because of scum like him!

[@livinginvancouverbc2247]

Near the end of the clip Ben spoke well on the blind militarism that is bred into every American. Those who question the need for war are shouted down, and the glorification of past wars willfully misses historical realities. And it's all done so that when the next war comes, all aspects of American society will proudly participate.

[@FailedFuturist3626]

100% the part where Ben really talks candidly about the problem of War isnthe best part of this segment.

[@sataniccanada9222]

I remember watching an old interview with a ww1 veteran and despite the fact he was in arguably one of the most savage wars every he said that every german he shot he shot in the leg because he refused to kill anybody. Now that takes balls

[@cz75fanatic]

Going to post the ACTUAL FUCKING QUOTES.... "Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in Iraq. That's why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy 'savages.' There really was no other way to describe what we encountered there." The only factual quote I can have with context to War and Fun “Just because war is hell doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun.” An important contextual perspective of Kyle's... “Another question people ask a lot: Did it bother you killing so many people in Iraq? I tell them, “No.” And I mean it. The first time you shoot someone, you get a little nervous. You think, can I really shoot this guy? Is it really okay? But after you kill your enemy, you see it’s okay. You say, Great. You do it again. And again. You do it so the enemy won’t kill you or your countrymen. You do it until there’s no one left for you to kill. That’s what war is.” Or the following... "I don't have to psych myself up, or do something special mentally - I look through the scope, get my target in the cross hairs, and kill my enemy, before he kills one of my people." You can look at that from whatever horse you want, but unless you've been in the suck, your opinion is worthless.

[@linusorm]

FINALLY SOMEONE THAT FUCKING GETS THE FUCKING PICTURE

[@cz75fanatic]

***** Thank you. This video by TYT has actually offended me. They flat out throw up a graphic which says "never substantiated" and then proceed to speak as if it were documented verified fact. Fucking classy.... especially for a group who gets paid for bitching endlessly about Fox news doing the same shit. It's fucking slander. I hope Kyle's family sues the shit out of them for this.

[@linusorm]

cz75fanatic they should Sue the shit out of anyone that dare have balls to bitch about this. TYT= Fox news since the Beginning

[@HerveBoisde]

"unless you've been in the suck, your opinion is worthless. " Is my opinion on nuclear war worthless because I'm not a nuclear physicist? I think nuclear war is bad. I also think the Iraq war was bad.

[@linusorm]

Herve Boisde No one said the Iraq war was good, this guy didn't like it either, but it was his job, and he was good at it.

[@tetsubo57]

People are upset that a writer quoted someone's actual autobiography? Will they also be upset when I tell them that water is wet?

[@dragon53777]

Chris Stonehouse buhaha best comment i've read.

[@josephang9927]

Do you know what context means?

[@tetsubo57]

Joseph Ang Yes I do. Quoting the words of an author, the main character in the film, needs no context. His words were his words. He sounded like a thoroughly unpleasant person.

[@Monkismo]

tetsubo57 Yes, and married to a woman who didn't care what he did for a paycheck. The kind of woman most right-wingers look for.

[@gam3rfr3ak13]

tetsubo57 It does require context. Those weren't even full quotes but rather spliced sections of quotes. He didn't mean all Iraqis when he called them savages only those who he had to kill were savages. He also said he found shooting fun but saw killing as something he had to do in order to save Americans and his friends. That's also why he didn't regret it because he knows if he hadn't killed them they would've gone on to kill more Americans.

[@projectTyrasa]

True Snipers don't worry about being called a Coward, they just worry about Wind speed, Distance, and Recoil

[@georgesorros8463]

Ugh what a cringe comment lol

[@markalexander774]

How dare Dave say that the people who control the drones are safe and secure: They can spill coffee on their laps, they could trip over some cords, and carpal tunnel is no fucking joke.

[@razorshadeslayer]

i love how people chose to ignore the truth. neil grasse tyson said it best..."Imagine a world in which we are all enlightened by objective truths rather than offended by them." those fucking morons issuing death threats over something that their "hero" said. also i wouldnt call them cowards...i would call them smart.

[@WolfInTheSheep]

Context is nice.

[@razorshadeslayer]

***** did you not watch the video? people threatening the critiques...because they simply said what chris kyle wrote (he enjoyed killing the people he did)

[@RoninDave]

MoppyPuppy so he didn't say those things?

[@Roosyer]

??????? the heck?

[@razorshadeslayer]

so...if you say something good, the bad shit you said doesnt count? one of the stupidest things i have heard.

[@leereynolds8533]

This discussion is interesting and reveals strange tribal values: Killing Iraqis, understandable. Killing American citizens, not understandable. How about taking a life is taking a life? Where in the media do you find rational, pacifistic voices???

[@leereynolds8533]

Chris Stonehouse I have no idea whether a minority or majority of those killed by Kyle were just resisting an illegal occupation. I am not knowledgeable enough. However, that is some of my impression about the Iraq War, from my personal studies.

[@leereynolds8533]

Chris Stonehouse I agree with you completely, when put like that. I Just don't know whether Kyle, or others, were often times fighting against radical military/religious groups from Iraq and other countries who saw America, rightly so, as an unjust invader--or if Iraqi civilians just decided to defend their homeland. That difference may not sound too important, and in some ways is not. But I just think that it is different if civilians, rather than already radicalized military/religious groups, are trying to defend themselves. I hope I have explained that clearly...

[@rahowhero]

To many who cling to belief in an afterlife, this life isnt worth much, save a chance to earn status and reward in after life, or the opposite.

[@fallout2029]

Lee Reynolds RE:--"How about taking a life is taking a life?"--- Disagree, it's an over simplification that cuts out all other variables. Killing Hitler cannot to viewed rationally as the same as say killing a bunch of school children. A huge component is context

[@fallout2029]

Chris Stonehouse That made no sense you fucking cry baby :(

[@x5vampire5x]

As a Marine, yeah I definitely saw some people become "addicted" to killing. Never sat right with me to let myself loose that much of my humanity. So I got out and went to college. But it's crazy how people can loose their humanity so catastrophically. But I guess at the end of the day, those are the people we need on the front lines, and do our best to keep them out of prison when they are eventually released back into civilized culture at the end of their service. "God" help us all right?..

[@MrTygrec]

*lose

[@Oban2006]

War and killing people does things to people man, its a sad sight

[@hansblitz7770]

Did you study woman's studies?

[@davidramziz3200]

to lose ones humanity during war seems horrible, but if you are under endless war, and always on the front lines, it seems like its the best thing to happen so that the person does not suffer any more than they have too

[@x5vampire5x]

I would completely agree with that. I was an infantryman and I've been in a small hand full of firefights, but I never witness so much killing that I had to become the embodiment of death to cope, and I'm grateful for that.

[@x4sinyc]

As a former military man, I can tell you that most people that join truly believe that we are defending a good cause. We believed that America had the world's best interests at heart, and that we were doing the right thing to protect the good and the helpless from the bad. It was difficult to imagine that our leaders were putting us into harms way for nefarious reasons and we were always fed the company line and kept so busy, that we didn't see or believe the dissenting views. Call it naivete or whatever, but this is how it was especially right after 9/11. Unless you are a psycho, killing someone is very hard to do unless you are afraid you will be killed instead or your friends will be killed if you don't take action. In combat, you aren't thinking about Bush or Obama, you are thinking about yourself and your friends that are in immediate danger. I cant speak for Kyle, and I haven't seen the movie, but I don't think that those who were not in the situation really have a right to judge him or anyone else that served too harshly.

[@locust7890]

If you want to stand in harm's way for me, I respect that... It took tough men like Chris Kyle to have the freedom we enjoy in America... Freedom isn't free, it cost blood.

[@ADDMATTable]

Chris Kyle a crazed racist, squishy faced, imperialist thug, that died a very deserved, ironic death. If there is a hell he is burning in it. Ps Russian Snipers in wwII had better skill; four words Enemy At The Gates. Vasily Zaytsev is a true hero that had the balls to feel remorse for his fallen brothers and enemies, showing a well rounded human, more well rounded than our racist "HERO".

[@ADDMATTable]

Bring on the hate bitches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@coolieo2222]

[DZA]BRUCK I CAST HATE UNTO YOU FOR SPEAKING YOUR MIND OVER THE INTERNET SIR AND I WISH THE BIRD OF PARADISE SHITS IN YOUR SOCKS. enough hate? :P

[@Claptonisgod33]

"Russian snipers had more skill" How? There is a lot more training that goes into sniping than in 1942. Modern snipers posses a greater amount of skill

[@mjareacts2731]

I fought in Afghanistan and I personally think of Chris Kyle as a serial killer, who single handedly has over 160 confirmed kills? This guy is worse than John Rambo!!!! I don't care who or what you're fighting for a 160 kills is ridiculous.

[@titussnyder113]

yeah says a brainless idiot who supports terrorists

[@janbest5863]

You didn’t fight in Afghanistan you’re a lying little jealous boy you’re not a real marine or a man you are not a real soldier you are a lying coward you never set one foot in the sand and are stolen valor you are not a vet just a liar. and a fake

[@mjareacts2731]

@@janbest5863 really? I guess my DD-214 is a forgery, my retirement benefits, my service ID, my veteran's first mortgage, all of my commendations, in fact all of the years I served must be a lie because you say so.... Clown!!! P.S. I wasn't a Marine dumbass, I was Seabee and proud of it. I bet you've probably never been out of your mother's basement. I tell you what why don't you report me as "stolen valor", let's see what happens.

[@aishaperez7687]

OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL

[@l337pwnage]

Sniper is one of the more dangerous jobs out there. As a matter of fact, they increased sniper team sizes to an almost unusable number just to try to keep them alive. Tough to listen to these clowns talk out of their behinds.

[@LlamaNomaNinja]

It's easy to sit on a chair and analyze the actions of our soldiers, but I feel that if any of us were put in their shoes we would not be so easy to judge.

[@Lethoras]

That seems to be a problem when you are not fighting an organised, uniformed military force but an insurgency. Enemy combatants become visually undistinguishable from civilians, thereby blurring those lines in the minds of the soldiers. If you have no way of telling whether you are facing a civilian in need of rescuing or an Islamofascist out to kill you, it becomes difficult to think of them as separate. It was easier to single out the actual enemy, when he was wearing Axis uniforms.

[@Lethoras]

Chris Stonehouse Or any other Islamist group like IS. And no, they were not a noble resistance against a foreign oppressor. The Saddam regime was guilty of genocide and even some of the anti-war hardliners agreed with his removal after witnessing the remnants of the chemical attacks on the Kurds. The genocide convention demands that those who sign it (the US is among those) intervene to prevent or punish an act of genocide. That is of course not to say that the war in Iraq was conducted with the necessary precision and competence. It definitely lacked a sound victory strategy for example.

[@KrestenGiese]

I don't know man. Children can be easily identified as NOT FUCKING TALIBAN.

[@Lethoras]

***** Children have been used as soldiers and carriers for bombs by those kind of groups. War is a nasty business, but a couple of terrible years are better then decades of misery. A lot less people would have died in WWII if no one had opposed the Nazis, but we would not want to live in a world where the peace activists of those days succeeded.

[@Lethoras]

Kish B. The worst thing the US has ever done in it's history was the firebombing of residential areas and the two nukes dropped on Japan during WW2. Still preferable to the Axis winning that war. Of course the US has done it's share of wrongs since then, the leadership consists after all of primates elected by other primates, none of them without flaws. But nothing quite as atrocious as using chemical weapons against their own population.

[@Lethoras]

Chris Stonehouse The US did not commit genocide in Iraq. The Oil was previously not a source of wealth for the Iraqi population but for the genocidal sociopath in charge. Did profit motives corrupt the effort to remove him, yes. Does that make the whole action wrong? No. To say that there were no WMDs or precursors is to rely too much on TYT for your information. As far as made public no proof of an active WMD program has been found, but a good quantity of chemical weapons and their components were. But even if there had not been any Saddam was not someone you want in charge of a major country in the middle east.

[@goosecaptain30]

And this is way I don't want to go in the army I don't want to be fucked up like that man

[@adriangoodman8901]

1 thing i notice about America. If there is food on the table and someone on TV, all is good in the world. One has to think that if we got rid of tv in america, millions of lives might be saved?

[@joejones5653]

Shut up and go back to your video games, idiot.

[@adriangoodman8901]

Very deep thoughts, American philosopher in the making you are

[@seand.g423]

Adrian Goodman and yet you still waste that much more of your own time replying to this inbred Conservatron Trumpeter... should we start with "irony"?

[@sureshot556]

"American Citizens dealing with a natural disaster" by that you mean stealing and looting at a time when you should be coming together and helping one another.... Chris Kyle was correct, some people thought he was a bit extreme and I agree....he is extremely correct. Rest in peace brother....

[@sureshot556]

nobody cares what you think because your opinion is that of a weaker person.

[@Thaden0]

As an ex soldier I can attest that the military attracts a certain type of person. We call it, 'Warrior Mentality', and the Sam people are also attracted to police and fire service. Usually this means people want to be hands on active to help their people. But unfortunately some lose their empathy (or never had it) and suddenly our warriors become villains. Its not common, but it's something you'll see in the field.

[@Diogenes_43]

Human beings will finally know peace when the last government official is strung up using the entrails of the last priest. I spent 3 years in the Infantry and lost a lot of good friends in these wars, I think they could have made a better movie about any of the thousands of Vets who have killed themselves and lost their families and actually created a conversation that this country needs to have. Was any of this worth it? No. These people never had the capability to take the amount of freedom that the government has taken from us since 9/11, and they never could have caused the monetary crisis that is going to happen because of all the government spending.

[@adrianmartinez5149]

Thank you very much for your comment Jason!

[@GinodiFonzo]

Amen brother!

[@sabin97]

"accrued more than 255 kills." why word it like that? was he playing a first person shooter? he killed more than 255 people. that's quite monstrous.

[@sabin97]

***** i agree. and who knows how many the rothchilds have killed. however i was merely commenting about the one guy the video is about.

[@factsoverfeelings1776]

XZDrake You are making to much sense for them to understand.

[@mrbriscoe2001]

Uhmm..it's War.Kill or be killed..

[@Niven110]

Any proof that any of those kill were innocent civilians.........no, how surprising

[@utubesuckful]

Niven110 He admitted that he killed civilians...dumb ass!

[@pablorivera4230]

Amazing how idiots believe Chris Kyle was a hero, simply because of a hollywood movie. The fact of the matter is, Kyle was a crazy killer, and far from a hero. I doubt Kyle is anywhere near heaven.

[@pablorivera4230]

Kyle was killed by another vet who saw how fked up Kyle was.

[@yesits_kolten]

Pablo Rivera agreed

[@Hitchslapz]

Just to clear something up for you since I have read the book. Kyle got alot of his kills on the ground. He offered his expertise to the marines in helping them raid houses and received several medals for his heroics on the ground. He may have been alot of things, but a coward is not one of them.

[@RoninDave]

Live by the sword, die by the sword. He should be commended for helping his fellow soldiers but not lionized. Instead his story is a good example of what war can do to people

[@justinezingg982]

I really get upset when people freely judge veterans when they have never been there themselves. I have two Uncles that fought in Vietnam, one died of Agent Orange, the other had more hand to hand combat kills than Chris Kyle. My Grandfathers on both sides of my family tree have fought in every American War, including the Revolution, the Civil War, both World Wars, and Korea. Stop judging and do some listening. These veterans need healing not hate from us.

[@sailornaruto39]

Are either your uncles lying psychos?

[@williammoney962]

sailornaruto39 Or where assholes such as yourself.

[@sailornaruto39]

William Money lol

[@gunncab4760]

sailornaruto39 Dude you are a grade A Dipshit, and this Justine is right.

[@sailornaruto39]

Mr Man While my opinion of Kyle has since changed, neither of any of you guys have answered my question or made a point.

[@dankabongo2376]

this chris kyle guy is a messed up person why would you kill 225 guys and be proud of it and most of them were innocent

[@dankabongo2376]

***** yeah he saved soldiers in a pointless war all those poeple were doing is defending themselves against invaders

[@dankabongo2376]

***** he said he loved to kill look i get protecting your men but this guy litterly enjoyd seeing poeple die like wtf thats kinda fucked up

[@dankabongo2376]

***** if anyone was the bad guys it was us

[@thomasandersson367]

***** If you see innoncent people as target practice then you are fucked up in the head.

[@thomasandersson367]

***** If you see innoncent people as target practice then you are fucked up in the head.

[@federicoloncan2539]

You can't sum someone up with some quotes. I read the book they were all taken out of context.

[@DaHuntsman1]

Being a sniper is a incredibly stressful and strange job, whereas in almost every other position the command structure does try and not turn you into a homocidal psychopath, when they select candidates for Sniper school they deliberately try to choose candidates who dont get remorse over killing another human being.

[@ronrendina8986]

What ever kyle said was a lie

[@TheBlockIsland]

As a Vietnam Veteran and Recon Marine, I submit that there's nothing more admirable, brave, strong, beautiful, dedicated to freedom and peace and justice than our badass military in America. I know the sacrifices they endure every moment. I know the horror they see. I know the trauma they experience. Our soldiers are humans on a higher spiritual platform. Although every person in the Military heroically lays down life and limb for the Godly goals of freedom, liberty, and public safety there are way too many selfish, ignorant Americans whose eyes and hearts are infested with weak life values as well as self serving foreign agendas that lead to corruption of freedom and death to our basic rights as humans who embrace democracy and the choice to free speech and peace. May shame and loathing haunt the fool who has anything derogatory to express towards our precious soldiers. May God bless them forever---as well as our heroic snipers

[@garrisonkeck7098]

i think so many people missed the point of this movie, it wasn't supposed to be a righteous military motivator about the war in Iraq. It was supposed to bring the reality of war to light. All the scenes that inspired discontent towards Chris Kyle were supposed show that harsh reality that he had to deal with on a daily basis. Chris did not like killing or need to do it, reference his interview with NYT, but he recognized the duties and hazards of his chosen profession. In an interview conducted shortly before his death, Chris talks about how if he could find a number of lives he saved by doing his job, he would rather be famous for that than the lives he took. The true story of heroism in American Sniper isn't the things he did to save his brothers but the fact that he was able to do those things, come home and earn his trident everyday by becoming a better father, husband and American.

[@thedutchmen3686]

I'm just glad he decided to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq instead of shooting up a school or some other place here in America.

[@mistertibbs472]

Personally I've got a lot of respect for snipers. They're a very important part of a military and it requires a great deal of skill to be an efficient marksman. I respect anything that is done with skill (in the sense of the skill involved alone). There really is no such thing as heroes in war. Only people who come back as people, and people who come back as something else.

[@redirishmanxlt]

If a person is put in a situation where their daily job is killing, reflecting on the humanity of those you are fighting against or evaluating the morality of what you're doing creates a vicious cycle of cognitive dissonance. Dehumanizing the enemy is an inevitable part of warfare and it's a psychological adaptation that isn't easily undone once a soldier comes home. How should we expect a person to behave after spending years in that hell-hole?

[@theavocado6061]

Back when Dave Ruben was pretending to be left wing.

[@Ghettofinger]

I don't automatically have respect because someone is in the military, respect is earned, and he deserves none. Not in life and not in death.

[@mreboric8406]

I had a training officer in Infantry school that was Spec force. Many times he bragged about killing looters in Katrina. He said it was the best day of his life. Said he never thought he would have the option to kill Americans and he loved it. A few weeks later me and about 30 other prior service members all wrote a letter to our Co with the permission of our primary Drill Instructor. The letter basically stated that we would not train under such a blood thirsty individual who seems to have no respect for the people he has sworn to serve or his uniform. We fully expected to get chewed out for it but that never happend. A few weeks later he was removed from his training position for reasons that they didn't bother to tell us but we all knew why.

[@jackdarapper2451]

I served 2 years in the National Guard and deployed twice to Ft Jackson, SC. You civilians don't have a clue of what we Veterans go through to protect this country.

[@alphacause]

Yes, there is a big disparity between the Chris Kyle of reality, and the fiction that was skillfully filmed in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper. However, there is a bigger disconnect that people don't seem to focus on, and that is what the box office results say about the disconnect between what American Christians profess and what they actually value in practice. Both America Sniper and Selma opened on the same date, and yet American Sniper, as of me writing this, has made five times as much money as Selma. American Sniper is about a soldier, Chris Kyle, who participates in an unjust war, and protects his men through violent means. Selma, is about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who, through the tactic of nonviolence, advances the plight of millions of people. The former film glorifies a figure that is the exact antithesis of Jesus (i.e. fighting in an unjust conflict through violent means). The latter film depicts a figure who, though admittedly flawed, closely approximates the ethos of Jesus. So the fact that Christian conservatives, and Americans in general, spent five times more money to pay homage to someone who represented the exact antithesis of Jesus, verses someone who tried to emulate him, illustrates, among innumerable other examples, the egregious hypocrisy of Christian conservatives. I am not a Christian, but judging by the way "Christian" conservatives spend their money, neither are they.

[@joannesferrati3076]

Excellent insight into the movie the critics missed completely. Yes, Eastwood hints at the arc of C. Kyle's transformation and growth to a new level of understanding and maturity if he had lived. Thank you!

[@williamzabel2080]

A former Navy SEAL says that those who serve should not brag or write books or movies about what they do in combat. He told me that what happens on the battlefield, stays on the battle field. He said Kyle was obviously not mentally altogether and said he was surprised that he did not get fragged by his men while in Iraq.

[@pa.encema2821]

Maybe his death was payback for the book

[@williamzabel2080]

@@pa.encema2821 Could be!

[@johnschwalb]

I worked with a man who served in Iraq and he acted as though it didn't bother him. He did not go home without two bottles of rum to sleep at night.

[@CorpsmanPrivateer]

As a military vet I'm not offended by Ben's use of the word cowardly to describe sniper tactics, I simply thing it is a wrong descriptor. A sniper is under immense pressure and danger when they are in the field, to do their job requires tremendous skill and ability to operate under stress and fear. Even if you don't want to call that brave, because you don't want to give the act heroic connotations, it is simply wrong to call it cowardly.

[@waldo1967]

@ 0:30 It was an autobiography. A biography is written about another person.

[@ke69ify]

this looks like the flag burner feed

[@tdreadnats]

a thing to remember is that the best (not per se the only) way to mentally and physically survive war is by enjoying to do well what you do.

[@Eric-yb9is]

"People Sleep Peacefully in Their Beds at Night Only Because Rough Men Stand Ready to Do Violence on Their Behalf"

[@higustavo7982]

Imagery is the most used devices in the poem Dulce Et Decorum Est. It is the second most important device used in the poem. Imagery is used in this poem to great effect, creating vivid picture into what it was like to fight, and die in WW1. So great examples of imagery, “bent double, like old beggars”, “like a man in fire or lime”, “all went lame; all blind”, “we cursed through sludge”. All of these quotes help support the main issue the author is trying to prove, that pointlessly dieing for your county, or a cause has no inherent glory in the deed itself.

[@erauprcwa]

Ben summed it up perfectly. I served and this is the problem I see with many Americans. They love to spout their bumper sticker slogans, they love to wear that yellow ribbon but they don't actually support the troops when we need you the most. Sending us to pointless wars to do horrible things that stick with us for life. Yes, it's a volunteer service. We get that, but like Ben said, questioning the validity of *why* we're used in such a fashion is not denigrating the troops. To be a real patriot is to stand up for the core American values, not be a cheerleader and ignore the wrong-doing that takes place under the guise of true "American values".

[@828et]

The two things veterans want 1 to be right in whatever they do, 2 To be loved as much as they love their country

[@dukerourschach7427]

As a Former U.S.Marine and current Contractor I can understand the Mentality that Special Forces Guys live under and combat is neither Fun nor Pretty and Hope it never becomes that! I also understand that when You kill another Human Being it's very difficult to justify it to Yourself let alone the public and sometimes it's best to leave some things unsaid!

[@regtracker]

The "coward" aspect of sniping has been a common misconception since the sniper's inception on the battlefield. It has been used as an excuse to execute snipers upon capture. Snipers are assets. They do a lot more than hide in a hole, and take pot-shots at targets of opportunity.

[@anonforuz]

Chris Kyle's words sound like that of the Vietnam veterans I heard in a documentary. Veterans were are taking a bowl of medication everyday to stop shaking, who wish they could go back into the jungle and ambush people. remembering fondly their tactics for killing a group of 3 people. By shooting the person in the middle first, the people in the back second, and the person taking the lead, last. It almost seemed as though they were forced to become monsters to do what they were ordered. So when the fighting stops, you are left with Sociopaths that want to go back to the battlefield.

[@seroccoprime2774]

Chris Kyle, the sociopathic soldier, died at the hands of a veteran suffering from PTSD. That is what we call poetic justice.

[@johnmcclane2401]

*OBVIOUS AMERICAN PROPAGANDA. THE MILITARY LENDS EQUIPMENT TO THE FILMAKERS CUZ THEY KNOW THE MOVIE WILL BOOST RECRUITMENT NUMBERS*

[@MV-pc1tb]

“anyone who has a problem with what guys do over there is incapable of empathy. People want America to have a certain image when we fight. Yet I would guess if someone were shooting at them and they had to hold their family members while they bled out against an enemy who hid behind their children, played dead only to throw a grenade as they got closer, and who had no qualms about sending their toddler to die from a grenade from which they personally pulled the pin-they would be less concerned with playing nicely.” ― Chris Kyle

[@Rubin_Schmidt]

Wednesday. 8th Dec. 1971. A member of the U.D.R. (National Guard) was "sniped" to death, at his home, in Caledon Co. Tyrone. Another UDR soldier was "sniped" dead at his home in New Barnsley, Belfast, and one of his children got "sniped" in the leg. A British soldier "sniped" the previous week, died of his wound. On a piece of ground, with 1&1/2 million people, that would fit into a corner of Texas, with 10,000 British soldiers, 6000 U.D.R soldiers, Police and Police Reserves, engaged in a 10year civil war, "sniping" was a tool of the terrorists.!!!

[@edtolliver6628]

Vietnam, 1969. A Ranger captain, who took a direct commission from sergeant major, sat drinking beer with the helicopter pilots who supported his unit. In his cups and thinking back on his over 20 years in uniform, he pointed to a young angelic looking soldier at another table. "You see that young man over there? We've turned him into a stone cold killer. If I called him over and told him to kill you, he'd pull the trigger without batting an eye. Jesus, what a waste." True story. Ft. Bragg, NC, 1975. Col. Aaron Bank, the father of Special Forces speaks to a Special Forces Officer's Course graduating class. "Guys, I hate to say this to you. You didn't need to go to Vietnam. I was there with the OSS. I knew Ho Chi Minh. We could have worked with him. I wrote to President Truman and told him that and recommended he support Vietnamese independence instead of France's return as a colonial power." True story. George W. convinces America to invade Iraq because Saddam had WMDs and was linked to al Qaeda. Both were lies. True story. George Santayana: "Those who can't remember their past are doomed to re-live it."

[@ivanenfinger9331]

As someone who spent two years in Iraq I can tell you he called them savages because most are. It is easy for you who sit in a cushy studio to criticize a man who saved hundreds if not thousands of American lives. That's what snipers do they save lives. Every man they kill is one less man carrying a weapon. I can tell you first hand they feared Chris and we all loved him for it. He was a true hero and anyone who wasn't there has a right to sound off about it. There's no proof Chris ever bragged about shooting looters that was made up by someone looking for attention. Chris deserves monuments built to him because he is the example all soildres should try and emulate.

[@drrealitycheck1]

I just saw this film with a friend. Politically, I'm anti-war but not anti-warrior. The film was impressive to say the least. Even in his 80s, Clint Eastwood can make a better film than anyone else, whether he's directing the film or starring in it. Few living American actors or directors, if any, can come close to matching his career. The movie, based on the autobiography of Chris Kyle, the actual war hero portrayed in the film, was the best war movie I've seen since "From Here to Eternity" (I go back a ways). Some whiners have questioned it's authenticity, but given who made it and who wrote the book it was based on, I'll safely consider it totally authentic. From the very first battle scene, it was obvious this wasn't going to sugarcoat anything about what the Iraqi War was like and war in general. The actor, Bradley Cooper, was obviously the best man for the role. A real Triumph of a film. 

[@justatiger6268]

7:30 Ben, how is a sniper any different from a crew in an Apache helicopter? If anything, they are *less* safe than the pilots in the gunship. The only real difference that makes the sniper special, is that he/she gets to see up-close and personal the faces and expressions of the people second before taking their lives. The gunner in the chopper only sees blobs and indistinguishable grey shadows on a monochrome screen, basically like playing a computer game. That's why many snipers develop severe psychological issues - unless you're a *complete psycho* like Chris Kyle.

[@orcsheaddriller]

I grew up watching Clint Eastwood films, i like them and respect him as a film maker. There is such a thing as "The Clint Eastwood Recipe for Film Making": apart from the direction, the placing of the camera, the editing and the pacing, there is one thing you gotta have: a "bad guy", an adversary for the main character to square off against and for the audience to empathize with him because of it. In this movie the "bad guy" is the trauma, the PTST that the main character faces off from the beginning due to having to do his duty. I will NOT judge Chris Kylle, he chose to join the armed forces and pursued a career as a sniper- there must be hundreds of snipers and ex snipers who racked up a kill tally in the previous decade and a half. We do not critisize them because they choose to remain silent, because they avoided the only mistake Kylle did: talking about a job that requires you to kill knowingly, not the easiest fact to accept. Let's face it, if we knew one of them we'd wonder wether that person is unhinged. But then, how many of the people we know are we sure of of their sanity?

[@Lobos222]

As a former soldier myself. I get the impression Chris Kyle liked to kill regardless. The reasons were less important... Hating the enemy as long as you follow the ROE is fine, having the same view toward citizens is NOT. That kind of person would be weeded out of the Norwegian military.

[@mfisher1967]

Where do I start? Let me preface this by saying that I am a veteran. I have seen the move and am almost finished reading the book. When you come out of basic training, you have been converted into someone who craves war and combat. You want to put the skills you learned to good use. SEALs are trained to think of war as their time to shine. Their job is to kill people, often saving American lives in the process. To call a sniper a coward is ridiculous. We beat the British during the revolutionary war by using guerrilla warfare tactics, just like modern day snipers do. We did not form up into lines and face the British head on. Does that make George Washington, his generals and militia cowards, I think not. Chris Kyle did the job he was trained to do, and he did it very well. War is messy, chaotic and the enemy are savages. The recent release by ISIS that shows them burning a Jordanian pilot alive proves this, as do the countless videos of executions. These are not Muslims, these are evil fanatics, savages as Chris so aptly called them. If you have not worn our nations uniform, then you can not understand why he thought the way that he did. He saved countless lives, why do people fail to talk about that? I for one say God Bless Chris Kyle and other service members like him.

[@mobspeak]

The minute a child or woman picks up a weapon against a soldier, he/she is no longer a civilian. It's horrible I know, but that's war.

[@davidvice3720]

In defense of killing looters, what would you do if you owned a store in Ferguson ? This store is how you earn a living and put food on the table. Without it you will end up on government assistance (if they decide to assist) When the mob came would you protect your property or allow it to be looted and destroyed ?

[@zeroeffects88]

It doesn't bother me that much when Hollywood adds or omits some details in a historical film, but it does bother me when a large segment of the population sees this movie and takes it as gospel.

[@TonyRohl]

As an 82 year old navy vet, I was tickled pink when we dropped 2 atom bombs on japan. Was that an act of cowardice?

[@geoharmonics]

Kyle is the man who lied about punching Jesse Ventura in the SEAL's veterans bar. He had a serious ego problem. The movie didn't tell the truth, because they don't want people to know how war can infect a man's mind. Kyle wanted the public to know the truth, that is why he put it in his biography. Disrespecting this movie isn't disrespecting soldiers. People who threaten others for putting down the movie, need to read the book before they pretend to know what they are talking about.

[@mertz313]

My cousin was a rifleman for the marines during 2004-2008ish. He was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan... He lost friends, got shot in the shoulder, developed PTSD, and a severe hate for Muslims lol

[@aaronyamen2197]

You guys are giving Chris Kyle too much credit. I was raised close to where he was in West Texas. The hysterical racism, religious bigotry, and desire for genocide is every bit as bad as Muslim fanatics among many people in West Texas, even before 911.

[@carlosjose3055]

War changes a person's personality and morals. To be exposed of what we're not use to in our daily life (Explosions, incapatications, near death encounters) can change a person's personality. Encountering constant inhibitors and stimulants of stress to even suffering wounds, to even see your closest friend get blown into gibs will have an effect in your psychology. It is a reason why many soldiers suffer PTSD, why some end up with survivor's guilt, why some fall to depression, and also why some become bloodthirsty. By doing and seeing something in a daily basis, it will become a normal part of our lives (The effect varies between person). My grandfather is a Vietnam War vet, a paratrooper. Before the war, he was a kind man, held a heavy but gentle hand when it comes to discipline. After his return, he was not the same. He was more aggressive, violent, and simply ruled the household with a heavier hand (Literally). It is not his fault he was drafted and it's not his fault for facing a terrible experience that turned him differently. At the same time, there is plenty of controversy when civilians get involved in the war (Especially with sympathizers). If a woman or child picks up a weapon, they're not only a threat but also a liability of hurting others and themselves. You have a choice of taking a life to protect a LIVES or letting a life take lives. Of course it is an unpredictable course and a very hard decision. Even if you use take a non-lethal shot, there is always a chance for them to suffer psychologically, incapacitation, disabled, or even die of other causes such as blood loss or infection. Not all of it is the civillian's fault due to some being held at the threat of death to help Al-Qaeda. Others would be poor/undeveloped judgement, curiosity, or even undeveloped/poor reasoning. The best advice for the civillian is to not touch the weapon. There's a reason why those men were killed holding it or attempting to use it. I can guarantee you that terrorists allow innocent civillians to be involved directly or indirectly under pressure, death threats, encouragement or by purpose negligence so counter terrorist forces shall have their hands dirty. Other factors would be civillians stuck in the war zone or in the cross fire. And trust me, when soldiers learned they killed an innocent, they will regret* pulling the trigger (* Results vary on soldiers).

[@LarryPhischman]

Our military admits to at least 150,000 civilians killed, not counting collateral victims who died because we blew up their country. The Iraqi government says we murdered at least half a million, again not counting collateral damage. Either number fits the, admittedly fuzzy, legal definition of genocide.

[@prayamaya4325]

In the movie he is portrayed to hate the title they are giving him. He doesn't want to accept it because he knows its wrong at the end of the day. But I'm proud he served our nation and I have so much respect for him and people serving currently. If it wasn't for our Armed Forces we wouldn't be living in this free country. Im blessed to be a American.

[@LordoftheJamesClan]

I use to train snipers at stone bay, NC for several years. I consider most of the guys very respectful and intelligent, marksmanship is almost a entirely mental process, Its almost like if you were playing a complex sport entirely in your head. That being said, you had some completely insane wackos that had no sence being in the military, but thats why people in the military are demanded to follow orders, so that it doesn't matter what their politics are, I hope this doesnt feed more anti military dissent to some of the most honorable people I ever served with.

[@joanofarc33]

First of all I personally know SF guys who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq who didn't leave either bloodthirsty or racist. There are those who think they fought the war 'for nothing' and there are those who think it isn't their job to think about the war nor the reasons for fighting when they are in theater. We have to remember that there are those who are racist and bloodthirsty who join the military and its a good cover for them to legally act out their attitudes but there are a load of others who go into those difficult situations who do not end up completely morally screwed. Some are morally screwed from the get go.

[@afcanesfan]

Calling snipers and drone operators (and by extension air to ground fighter pilots) cowards is to misunderstand their role. They take the shot to protect their brothers or other friendly forces as they complete their missions. Just because they are relatively safe does not mean they are cowards that just want to anonymously murder people for kicks. They are doing it to protect their people or their mission.

[@RJ_the_Brave]

Being able to criticize the military and its actions is part of your duty as an American. Nobody is saying that they don't value and appreciate the things our soldiers do for us, but when you hear about the atrocities committed in our name against people who didn't deserve it, you can't help but feel guilty. On top of the guilt of sending them off in the first place, how could anyone call behave in such a way towards someone who criticized the military? Do these people not understand what war is? It is, plain and simple, sending your own people thousands of miles away from home and ordering them to fight, kill, and die for you. When you wage war, you are in essence sending countless numbers of people to their deaths. There has never been a war in which our own soldiers didn't die, sometimes for no goos reason. That is an unavoidable reality, and the fact that Americans don't want to confront it and realize what we're asking our people to do is honestly shameful.

[@czr7j9]

I watched this show twice and i think it was a good film but his character does not sit well with me. Someone who kills 160 people then goes home and become a doting husband and father is inherintly psychopathic in nature.

[@Dogmeat1950]

Also calling a sniper a coward is funny as shit, they get shot at just like everyone else. That's like calling a guy in a tank a coward or a fighter pilot. What's next gonna call a door kicker a coward cause he has body armor....

[@bigboss9150]

When I went to watch the movie, I had no idea it was based on a true story until it was said so in the movie. As I even watched the movie thinking this might be a fictional story, I thought Chris Kyle's character was portrayed as too much of perfect guy. He barely had any flaws and was praised like Jesus Christ while he would act all humble and try to act like this loner savior type guy. I enjoyed the movie and I think both Bradley Cooper and Clint Eastwood did a good job cinematography-wise, though this movie can be considered like propaganda brainwashing many people.

[@Jaxd9795]

“People back home, people who haven’t been in war, or at least not that war, sometimes don’t seem to understand how the troops in Iraq acted. They’re surprised-shocked-to discover we often joked about death, about things we saw. Maybe it seems cruel or inappropriate. Maybe it would be, under different circumstances. But in the context of where we were, it made a lot of sense. We saw terrible things, and lived through terrible things. Part of it was letting off pressure or steam, I’m sure. A way to cope. If you can’t make sense of things, you start to look for some other way to deal with them. You laugh because you have to have some emotion, you have to express yourself somehow.” ― Chris Kyle, American Sniper: Memorial Edition “As far as I can see it, anyone who has a problem with what guys do over there is incapable of empathy. People want America to have a certain image when we fight. Yet I would guess if someone were shooting at them and they had to hold their family members while they bled out against an enemy who hid behind their children, played dead only to throw a grenade as they got closer, and who had no qualms about sending their toddler to die from a grenade from which they personally pulled the pin-they would be less concerned with playing nicely.” ― Chris Kyle, American Sniper “Savage, despicable evil. That’s what we were fighting in Iraq. That’s why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy “savages.” There really was no other way to describe what we encountered there. People ask me all the time, “How many people have you killed?” My standard response is, “Does the answer make me less, or more, of a man?” The number is not important to me. I only wish I had killed more. Not for bragging rights, but because I believe the world is a better place without savages out there taking American lives. Everyone I shot in Iraq was trying to harm Americans or Iraqis loyal to the new government.” ― Chris Kyle, American Sniper These are a couple quotes from the book that show that he wasn't just some evil guy behind a gun, yes he did want to kill every person he shot and more but he did it because he wanted to save the people that the enemy was killing. he wasn't only fighting for freedom or America he was fighting for the people that where fighting next to him. Some of the stuff in this video were taken out of context and to fully understand what he saw and went through over in the war you need to read the book or have known him which i don't believe all the people in this video did and are falling for the more evil view of him. Don't base your opinion of this video but off of the book it will give you a very straightforward un-corrupt view of Chris Kyle

[@OzDracula]

In 2003 Andrew Wilkie resigned from his position in the Office of National Assessments, an Australian intelligence agency, over concerns that intelligence was being exaggerated for political purposes in making the case for Australia's contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq under the Howard government. This was released to the media on the morning of the 19th of March 2003 before Shock and Awe commenced, yet it didn't seem to ring any alarm bells.

[@SirAmicVarze]

3:10 - What the fuck, Dave only thinks that this kind of mindset is fucked up so long as it's with regard to Americans. Apparently it's okay to hate Iraqi civilians.

[@DawnOfTheDead991]

I hate it when they throw random tweets into a story. And how is being a sniper any more "cowardly" than being a gunner, a tanker, a pilot or a rocket man? Modern warfare is based on guys behind the lines throwing all sorts of ordinance at the enemy. It isn't some medieval swords and pike thing hand to hand. Over 90% are behind the lines

[@legendarygamer570]

I'm a vet of the Iraqi war too. I refuse to see this film because this man was a coward and liar in life. I'm not talking about his actions as a sniper either, but rather his disregard for human lives, both living and dead. If that wasn't bad enough, this jerk attempted to badmouth Jesse Ventura and claim he beat him up because Ventura was badmouthing our troops. That was false and Ventura won the case(just recently) against this vile bastard who couldn't keep his mouth shut. It was karma how he died and that's all I have left to say.

[@bolatluver29]

Addressing the Top 10 Liberal Lies about American Sniper: 1. The movie never indicated Iraq was responsible for 9/11, the movie also pointed at the attacks in Kenya and Tanzania as well as the 9/11 attacks. 2. Chris Kyle, the book, and the movie always clearly distinguished the difference between the Iraqis trying to kill US troops as savages and not the non-combatant Iraqis 3. Propaganda is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of a population toward some cause or position. If American Sniper is propaganda, its the worst ever made because of the invocation Chris's buddies dying overseas as well as himself. Even if you have martyr's complex, it still doesn't qualify 4. He did not kill discriminately, he killed in defense of the troops he was picked to safeguard. 5. Chris Kyle is not a racist, there is zero indication that he is. However being called racist is a redundant offense tactic by leftists. Ironically is well favored in the Kurdish controlled area and even considered a hero. "A hero among Iraqis" let that sink in for a minute. 6. Chris Kyle never bragged about his 160 confirmed kills, the publishers of his book of the same name added that in when Kyle initially disagreed 7. The Butcher of Fallujah did exist, and he was NOT a friend of US troops. 8. The quote from his book about he "wished he killed more" is completely out of context. He (Kyle) acknowledged he did not get all that were responsible for killing US troops and he wished he could've for the sake of defending those he was assigned to protect. 9 An assessment is made every time, everyday an Iraqi was killed to have witnessed a killing and were subject to UCMJ action if foul play was detected 10. Kyle's "Katrina story" is not in the book. He never publically "bragged" about it. It's not on any written report, the only who said it happened are second parties

[@michaelmerke1113]

I would never call any veteran a "coward" because I've never been there! These guys are saying drone controllers are cowards for not fighting for our country but them themselves haven't experienced combat and those drone drivers are good at what they do and they probably cannot take the heat like others can

[@Bluegallardo619]

All military personnel will agree, when your are over there or where ever history takes you, the number one reason you're there is to come back home and watch the back of the man or woman to the left and right of you. When there's death all around you politics go away, the real reason whether controversial or the most open thing to talk about doesn't matter. When you're over there you change to survive the environment which is what Chris Kyle did.

[@eatmorenachos]

What bugs me about this issue is so many people use "support the troops!" as a way to cut off debate and end all questions about whether war should be waged or how it should be waged. To me "support the troops" means you make sure they don't get sent into war for bogus reasons, that if they're sent into a war zone they do so with the best equipment and planning we can give them AND you take care of them when they come home. We went into Iraq based on a pack of lies with NO planning for the occupation and with troops ill-equipped for it. The Bush admin hired civilian administrators based on politics rather than competence and didn't have a damn clue about what would happen afterwards.

[@alspriggs9074]

I don't understand people's ignorant thoughts saying how Chris Kyle is not a hero. If you have any family or friends in the military that were or are in Iraq you pray to have someone like Chris Kyle looking over them

[@williamolsen20]

I am a veteran, and I do not watch war movies. I do not like to see a Hollywood coated, idealized view of war.

[@DeviantDespot]

He is being completely honest about his feelings. This isn't an uncommon sentiment. IT is a dark part of many of our nature that needs to be addressed.

[@ProPrepCoachHoffman]

Ben, I am a veteran and I find it objectionable every time the national anthem is played at a sporting event. I view it as insidious brainwashing of the young and their families, preparing them for the next time we ask for the potential sacrifice of their lives in the name of national interests or pride instead of actual defense.