Remember when the media claimed that Sen. John Kerry “botched a joke” when he suggested that if you don’t do well in school, you’ll end up in the military? Or when Rep. Charlie Rangel said that people only volunteer for such service because they're poor and basically have to?
Well, it seems that such statements do indeed have an impact on how others view things, for in an interview that is going to be aired on “Hardball” Monday, “Saving Private Ryan” actor Matt Damon says that people only enlist for financial reasons. Damon also takes a shot at the President’s daughters for not volunteering themselves (must-see video available here).
What follows is a brief segment of Damon's statement that host Chris Matthews showed during his Friday installment to advertise next week’s show, and an update that includes insults of Vice President Cheney by the actor:
I don't think that it's fair as I said before, that it seems like we have a fighting class in our country that's comprised of people who have to go for either financial reasons or, I don’t think that that is fair. And if you're gonna send people to war, ahh, if, if we all get together and decide we need to go to war then that needs to be shared by everybody. You know, and if the President has daughters who are of age then maybe they should go, too.
It seems that Damon needs to go back and watch "Saving Private Ryan" to better understand the character of those in the military, and the integrity inherent in such folk. In fact, Damon need only look at the part that he played, and how he responded when the Tom Hanks character (Captain Miller) asked him what they should say to his mother when she's told that her fourth and only remaining son has been killed in the war:
You can tell her that when you found me, I was with the only brothers I had left. And that there was no way I was deserting them. I think she'd understand that.
*****Update: MSNBC's "Hardblogger" had some more information about this interview:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Do you think if you waterboarded Cheney, like in the movie, that you'd get a different truth out of him?
MATT DAMON: Well, there's two answers to that question. One is he doesn't strike me as the kind of person who has any real personal courage. When it was his turn to go, he didn't go. He deferred six times…..The second part to the answer is that I believe that if you waterboard anybody, they'll tell you anything and that torture is completely impractical, on top of being dishonorable. It's completely impractical because you can -- I mean, if you torture a normal person, if you torture anybody, they're going to tell you whatever you want them to tell you. So if you're getting information that you're going to then use and you get it by torturing them...
On who he would like to see elected president in 2008…
MATT DAMON: Barack Obama.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
Comments Policy
I'll give him limited credit
December 16, 2006 - 12:34 ET by UnsaneI'll give him limited credit for understanding that the military is a VOLUNTEER only organization. But I say if he insists Bush's daughters volunteer (or like most Leftists, that they somehow get sent over by Presidential order), he should run, not walk, to the nearest recruiter's office and jump on aboard. Lead by example, Matt.
And of course, that comment about people joining for financial reasons only is quite amusing. He clearly has not seen E-1 or even E-3 pay on pay tables.
Now that I think on it some more...weren't these the same clowns that were all demanding Chelsea Clinton join the service when Serbia was attacked, or when the various incidents involving Iraq occurred in the 1990s?
I thought so.
"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy." -Sir Winston Churchill, British statesman (1874-1965)
Matt Damon
December 16, 2006 - 15:35 ET by PShannonDamon and his talentless buddy were screwed from the beginning, growing up in the People's Republic of Cambridge.
His ignorant comments just prove, once again, that actors ought to keep their mouths shut except when speaking their lines.
As far as him leading by example, he's only a tough guy in the movies. In real life he is a sissly boy and a whiner.
Noel, Damon and Ben Affleck a
December 16, 2006 - 12:43 ET by Tim GrahamNoel, Damon and Ben Affleck are devotees of the radical historian Howard Zinn, and Damon has narrated a documentary honoring him.
Tim
December 16, 2006 - 12:48 ET by Noel SheppardTim,
Fascinating. He actually used to live next to the Zinns who used to babysit him.
So, here's an obvious question: If Damon and Affleck are so anti-war, why would they accept parts in movies that glorify incursions? Anyone see a HUGE hypocrisy here? ns
Noel,It's all about the dolla
December 16, 2006 - 17:35 ET by AntiMediaNoel,
It's all about the dollars for these two liberals.
AM
December 16, 2006 - 17:49 ET by Noel SheppardAM,
Well, certainly. And, as you probably considered, the question was posed somewhat rhetorically.
Yet, imagine you are a successful actor worth more money than 99.9 percent of Americans. Now, further envision that you have some principles concerning, let's say for example, war. If you were so outspokenly dovish, why would you appear in any film glorifying that which you find so abhorrent? Just for the money, even though you're compromising your own political convictions?
You know, I've owned and managed a variety of businesses for several decades, and would be worth considerably more money if I regularly compromised my ethics and principles. Certainly, morals often get in the way of financial gain. As such, who are these Hollywood types to lecture us on anything if they're not willing to pass on roles that go counter to their philosophies? ns
Noel
December 16, 2006 - 18:03 ET by BlondeNoel,
I think you've just boiled down our political debate to its very essence.
Ethics and principles.
Those on the left merely talk about them, while those of us on the right try to live by them.
Simple, really.
Noel,Great point!
December 16, 2006 - 18:11 ET by AntiMediaNoel,
Great point!
Hey Matt...you're about to enter the DUMMY ZONE....
December 16, 2006 - 12:46 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasOkay Matt, it appears that you have lusting for a spot in the "career dummy move" line. Maybe you want to join Danny De Vito whose movie just bombed, or Alec Baldwin whose television show can't even be helped with a new time slot and is about to be cancelled, or maybe dummy DiCaprio whose Blood Diamond is a box office disaster. Yeah The Bourne series might keep you afloat and this might be a mild sin on your part, but Matt...don't be too stupid too often. You might not be a moderate or conservative but at least half of America is you don't want to slap them in the face ya know.
If you claim to be a conservative, please don't disgrace yourself and conservatism by thinking and arguing like a liberal.
Damon is just another Hollyweird idiot
December 16, 2006 - 12:50 ET by LionKingWhy should the President's daughter have to go? Whether you agree with the administration's Iraq policy and the war or not, the militray is still volunteer. Just because these young women do not volunteer does not mean they disagree with the policy necessarily.
Like most liberals, Matt Damon is in favor of the cut-N-run diplomacy that worked (NOT) for the Clintons.
Sexist
December 16, 2006 - 14:07 ET by acumen"You know, and if the President has daughters who are of age then maybe they should go, too."
So much for a woman's "right to choose" (or does that only apply to killing innocents?). How sexist Mr Damon....
"Being a sexist is a l
December 16, 2006 - 14:10 ET by sarcasmo"Being a sexist is a lot less-fun than it sounds!" (rimshot)
JMR
To be or...
December 16, 2006 - 14:28 ET by acumenHmmm, Rosie O'Donut might disagree Sarc..... (sound of ominous organ)
Shut up!
December 16, 2006 - 14:27 ET by bbbossI am so tired of these muliti-millionaire acting idiots with 2 digit IQs preaching to us about the military and those that serve. This moron is just another of a long line of worthless pieces of human garbage that are telling us (Americans in the heartland) how dumb we all are.....I was listening to Jerry Doyle, an actor and radio host, saying that we should just consider the source...He has been acting for a long time..and his words.."it is easy and any moron can do it".
These actors and actresses put themselves up as the "intellectual" dynamos of our culture...when they are actually spoiled, immature little crybabies.
bbboss
December 16, 2006 - 14:33 ET by Noel Sheppardboss,
Well, in Damon's defense, the screenplay that he and Affleck wrote for "Good Will Hunting" is one of the finest in several decades. In reality, although they were honored with an Oscar for their writing, this film also should have won Best Picture over "Titanic". This was an absolutely brilliant movie, and their involvement can't go unrecognized.
JMHO. ns
he and Affleck wrote for &
December 16, 2006 - 14:56 ET by Jack Bauerhe and Affleck wrote for "Good Will Hunting" is one of the finest in several decades.
Of course, the insider gossip has long been that the actual author of the shooting script was the exceptional William Goldman (one of my favorite screenwriters Butch Cassidy, The Sting...)
In his 2000 book Which Lie Did I Tell (pp 332-3) , Goldman tells a convoluted "joke" of how he wrote the screenplay as a way of dismissing the rumors that he did in fact write it.
Part of his gag "fake" proof that he did write Good Will Hunting, is to say that Affleck and Damon have not written anything else in the 5 years since.
Well, make that in the 11 years since now. That's right. Two non-writers supposedly write an Oscar winning screenplay (their first); and have never written anything since.
What Goldman admits to, at the end of his "gag" claim, is that he saw the screenplay and suggested they eliminate an action-thriller subplot involving government intelligence agencies and car chases.
Huh??? Sure Bill, sure.
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast
militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
Jack
December 16, 2006 - 15:12 ET by Noel SheppardJB,
I had never heard that. After doing a little Internet research, most of the articles written on the subject suggest that this was indeed a joke that went awry. However, apparently Damon and Affleck did get advice from insiders like Goldman and Rob Reiner, as the original script that Goldman saw had Hunting being stalked by government agents trying to kill him due to his knowledge. Someone wisely cut that nonsense out. :-) ns
ns -- well I don't normally
December 16, 2006 - 15:22 ET by Jack Bauerns -- well I don't normally go for conspiracy theories, but in Damon's case...
Seriously though, even an Oscar winning writer as distinguished as Goldman works on rewrites of other writer's drafts!
And I've no doubt that had he contributed the WGA (Writers Guild of America) minmum for a screen credit then he would have enforced that.
There really isn't enough money in Hollywood to get between a writer and the jealous hatred of his best friends, and fellow screenwriters, as he collects the Academy Award
They've got really strict rules on this stuff.
Hence Dan O'Bannon being credited sole screenwriter for the best sci-fi movie ever made, Alien, even though his early draft was called STAR BEAST, and read like a 1950s schlock horror via Roger Corman!
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast
militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
JB
December 16, 2006 - 15:34 ET by Noel SheppardJB,
Well, I think that many original screenplays (hence, not from books or plays) go through radical transformations on the set, during production, and on the cutting room floor. I worked as an extra on the Kevin Bacon film "Quicksilver," and had a lot of time to talk to Bacon, as well as the director, cameramen, and others. Much of the dialogue shot on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange was written on the fly. It almost seemed that they were writing it on the spot. Bacon told me that the film "Diner" was also a lot of ad-libbing.
I bet many such original screenplays have dialogue largely written during filming. I saw a documentary on the making of "Return of the Jedi," and the actors were actually reworking lines on the set. In fact, there is a lot of discussion centering on the TV program of your namesake that much of the plot and dialogue during the season is created while it's being filmed. This is why seasons two and three both seemed to lose steam halfway through, and meandor around quite a bit until the finales. ns
ns -- LOL. So you have a B
December 16, 2006 - 15:45 ET by Jack Bauerns -- LOL. So you have a Bacon number of 1!! Impressive.
You're right. There are directors who work that way.
Though my all time favorite writer/director Billy Wilder was infamous for enforcing not one comma changed to his and Izzy Diamond's words.
But when you write Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, The Apartment, well, what actor would have the nerve to suggest Billy tried it "this way"!!
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast
militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
JB
December 16, 2006 - 15:57 ET by Noel SheppardJB,
Well, and lest we not forget his directorial genius in Stalag 17 and Witness for the Prosecution (which I just saw last week in widescreen for the first time, OH MY GOD!!!). ns
I thought the more persistent
December 16, 2006 - 15:12 ET by KimberlyI thought the more persistent rumor was that Goldman may have written the screenplay but Kevin Smith was the one who actually wrote the shooting script and that both of them were working from Damon and Affleck's basic story.
Kind of like how the script for Spider-Man 2 was unofficially written by two writers (Sam and Ivan Raimi, who wrote the outline of what they wanted movie #2 to look like) and officially worked on by four more writers (David Koepp, who wrote the working draft for the movie; Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who fleshed out the plot; Michael Chabon, who wrote the "Peter loses his powers and struggles to find himself again" subplot) before the final "screenplay" credit went to Alvin Sargent. That's not unusual in Hollywood. Carrie Fisher earns the majority of her money these days through her work as a ghostwriter/"script doctor", reworking screenplays to make them more "filmable".
Kim
December 16, 2006 - 15:20 ET by Noel SheppardKim,
That makes more sense, as the complexities of the dialogue are very "Smithian." Given his production involvement, this seems quite possible.
For what it's worth, this is Wikipedia's take:
OK, I will give him that
December 18, 2006 - 11:35 ET by bbbossI saw the movie, and yes, it was very good. I am not a critic, but I know a good show when I see it. Having said that, and me being in the healthcare business in a particularly difficult profession to master due to the educational curriculum involved, I see people every day that do things that would leave these over paid know it alls in the proverbial dust intellectually. I cannot understand how some of these guys are so out of touch with America and Americans. There are actors/actresses that do know where they came from and just who is responsible for their success, but they seem to be in hiding much of the time.
"The next time some overpaid
December 16, 2006 - 15:03 ET by Kimberly"The next time some overpaid full-of-themselves celebrity tries to tell you how to live your life...turn them off. TURN. THEM. OFF. I mean, let's face it: The last person you should listen to is an actor or actress who gets paid to say somebody else's words for a living. And rock stars? Who's more full of s--t than them? And I should know."
damon is an idiot
December 16, 2006 - 14:29 ET by terrigI haven't liked Matt Damon since he dumped Minnie Driver on the Oprah Winfrey show a number of years ago. Where is Chelsea Clinton? I mean she was of age during Kosovo and Bosnia. Others daughters where there (me) and sons (hubby). ALso, momma Clinton voted for this excursion as well, where is Chelsea?
I also hate these celebs who play military people in movies and think they're really in the military and know everything. I would like to know why he doesn't join himself. He's still young enough. I don't see any movies anymore because I am not going to give even half a cent to people like him, aflac, roberts, clooney, well, I could go on forever but you get the point.
Liberals do it again and ag
December 16, 2006 - 14:35 ET by liberal_bug_zapperLiberals do it again and again. Every time they speak, they show just how much contempt they have for people in general, and they show just how ignorant they really are.
Could it be Mr. Damon, that people in the Military are there because they love their country? Could it be that many of those who joined after 911, did so with the understanding that it was time to take out the threats against their mothers and fathers and sons and daughters? Naw, they're just a bunch of poor rejects that can't afford to buy dog food, so they were forced by their poverty stricken lives to join the military.
Liberals are such retards!
Let them speak- it just furth
December 16, 2006 - 15:05 ET by NazarethLet them speak- it just further widens the divide in this country, and moves centrist liberals to right even more- They're too ignorant to realize the damage they do themselves and their party of perpetual outrage.
http://sacredscoop.com
What an over-rated idiot. Wha
December 16, 2006 - 15:30 ET by bigtimerWhat an over-rated idiot. What part of 'volunteer army' does he not understand, from all walks of life Matt....you simpleton.
Hollyweird is just that weird....unpatriotic and pathetically weird.
Classless ungrateful spoiled brats.
Who listens to these soulless twits.
"Once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public, there will be no shutting them again." - Grover Cleveland
36 isn't too young to volunteer for the Army!
December 16, 2006 - 15:34 ET by Eric TurnerYou know...at the age of 36, Damon is still not too old to volunteer for the military either! He should put his money where his mouth is. I wonder if his new-born daughter will join when she comes of age?
Amazingly, in my 21 years in service, I knew a number of individuals who joined out of patriotism, service and devotion to country, out of a sense of obligation to our forefathers and our children. I even knew some who didn't actually need the money (a few, not many).
But another commenter is right, he (Damon) obviously hasn't seen the pay scale for E-1s through E-3s or even E-4s for that matter. I didn't start making decent money till I had been in for 14 years and was a E7. (But hey, no worries! I get a $4 a month raise starting in January on my retirement salary! I'll try not to spend it all in one place.)
I actually thought he was a decent guy till he had to open his mouth about this. Why do they all think we join because we're financially despondent or unable to work in the civilian sector? (rhetorical question - doesn't need answering). I was going to go see the movie - not now. I had interaction with the CIA during my time in Military Intelligence, bunch of thieves (saw them steal other analysts' research time and time again and claim it as their own) and egomaniacs for the most part.
Ah! NOW we see the violence inherent in the system. Come and see the violence inherent in the system. Help! Help! I'm being repressed!
Another Hollywood idiot
December 16, 2006 - 16:18 ET by gxa99I'm an E-7 in the A.F. with 22 years of "service". Whenever I hear someone from Hollywood ask "Why don't the Bush daughters volunteer?", knowing the same liberal elitist never served or volunteered for his/her country, it makes my blood boil. The utter hypocrisy and ignorance that comes out of their mouths never ceases to amaze me. I wasn't aware of Damon's anti-American anti-miltary stance. Now I know, and now every G.I. I meet will know. He's fallin' into the depths of the Hollywood fantasy land of "We don't need a military". Poor bastard. But never fear, I'll be retired before that power hungry bitch Hillary ever takes office (or Barak Hussein Obama), and will make it my mission to expose the both of them for their "military ignorance", I can't wait!
Damon
December 16, 2006 - 16:29 ET by iveseenitallDamon --Another Hoolywood ignorant know - nothing with his jaws flapping. No brains, no experience ----nothing. Fun to write about, but never take a wet-behind-the-ears liberal child seriously.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Cf. Mr. Clooney's call below
December 16, 2006 - 16:49 ET by SMGalbraithCf. Mr. Clooney's call below for military intervention in Darfur.
Apparently, some "chickenhawks" are more equal than others.
SMG
"Damon also takes a shot
December 16, 2006 - 17:15 ET by winston smith"Damon also takes a shot at the President's daughters for not volunteering themselves."
It's already been well established that most of those fighting in are not in poverty and don't need the money but Damon, like the rest of Hollywood just go on repeating lies and myths as if they were fact. BTW, I wonder if Damon took a shot at Chelsea for not volunteering in Somalia or Bosnia!
So, when is this empty-head
December 16, 2006 - 17:20 ET by marvlSo, when is this empty-headed moron gonna follow his own precepts, and enlist in the Army?
Damon didn't insult the mil
December 16, 2006 - 18:09 ET by polliwogDamon didn't insult the military. All he said was that some of those who are fighting "have to go" for financial reasons or whatever. I can't agree with him, it's an all-volunteer force, so nobody "has to go". But there's no insult to the military there unless you completely misread his statement.
I have to disagree with just about all of what he said, but let's not make up insults where there are none.
Let's not sugar-coat his nast
December 16, 2006 - 18:36 ET by winston smithLet's not attempt to sugar-coat his nasty, misinformed statement -- he plainly stated that we have a "military class" in this country that join the armed-forces for "financial reasons". And that is a flat-out lie as well as being a direct insult to all those men and women who join, fight and die for love and respect of country.
Are you saying that absolut
December 16, 2006 - 19:13 ET by polliwogAre you saying that absolutely nobody joins the military for primarily financial reasons? I've known a few.
I joined the service for two
December 17, 2006 - 07:59 ET by Andrew H.I joined the service for two reasons--the first was because it was the right thing to do and the second was for the education following active duty... it worked. I suspect I'm more educated now than Damon.
So when he says he supports Obama, he's coming from an uneducated point of view. I and my family will stick with the GOP because we understand the difference between a capitalistic economic system and a socialist experiment.
Liberalism is a convenient lie.
Did you take the job you curr
December 17, 2006 - 08:07 ET by ChemicalOperatorDid you take the job you currently hold for money? Money is part of any job, and being a soldier is a job. That does not mean all the people who become soldiers are forced to because they are too stupid to do anything else. Ultimately each person takes any job for there own reasons, some will be financial but like the good Marine above me, I believe most will be education related.
If you have looked at entry level pay for the services you would realize that financial reasons are very low. You can make the same pay working at an entry level retail job. The education benefits after you get out of the service is one of the biggest benefits you get from the service, right after the values and ethics you learn. Coupled with your new found sense of self discipline, I find most soldiers who go to college after serving make better students, then the party kids that come straight from High School to College. That is a topic for another day though.
This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.
Polliwog
December 16, 2006 - 18:43 ET by Noel SheppardP,
Forgive me, but I think it is you that are misreading his statement. After all, isn't it insulting to those who enlisted that did so for reasons other than financial? For all those I know in the military -- including a nephew -- who did not volunteer because they needed the money, this is certainly an insult. In fact, I don't know anyone in the armed forces who is there for financial reasons, and I guarantee that each and every one of them would be offended by this insipid implication. ns
"For all those I kno
December 16, 2006 - 19:01 ET by ckc1227"For all those I know in the military -- including a nephew -- who did not volunteer because they needed the money, this is certainly an insult."
Yep, it is an insult, and it's not true. But let's pretend for a moment that Matt is right. So what? Isn't that why most people work in the first place, no matter what their job? Does Matt work for free? Do garbage men pick up garbage because they love picking up garbage? Of course not, and that's why his entire thesis, even though flat out wrong, is flawed to begin with. Almost everyone works the job they work because they need the money. If they didn't need the money, most of them wouldn't work.
ckc
December 16, 2006 - 19:25 ET by Noel Sheppardckc,
Great point. And, as it pertains to Damon, it appears that he is willing to star in movies that glorify war even though he is opposed to it. As such, it is okay in his mind for him to sacrifice his principles for money, but anathema for folks to join the military to make ends meet.
I guess this is another Do as I say, Not as I do moment. ns
Nobody is making any global
December 16, 2006 - 19:32 ET by polliwogNobody is making any global statement about military personnel; there are a variety of reasons for joining up, and personally I don't care why they signed up, they are worthy of respect in any case.
Should I be offended if someone said "some white people are retarded", just because I'm white? Of course not. If someone said "all white people are retarded", then that might be offensive, and I think that's what people are misreading here. Damon's statement is only that there are some. Of course there are some. Perhaps the vast minority, but there are still some. Those that are not in that "some" - those that joined because of patriotism, love of country, believing in the cause, or whatever - should not be offended by that.
I don't know anyone in the military who is as easily offended as you guarantee. I find them to be generally pretty thick-skinned.
Polliwog
December 16, 2006 - 19:53 ET by Noel SheppardP,
Once again, and with all due respect, you are parsing words, and playing with semantics. Damon said "we have a fighting class in our country that is comprised of people who have to go for either financial reasons or, I don't think that that is fair." He didn't mention any other reason, did he? The only reason that he stated was financial, correct?
Now, if he had said comprised of financial, personal, patriotic, family, etc., etc., then you have a point. However, the only reason he gave was financial, and he said "I don't think that that is fair." If you're not offended by that, fine. But please don't tell me what I should and should not find offensive, or imply that I am somehow thin-skinned for having a different view of what is. Fair enough? ns
Is your interpretation that
December 16, 2006 - 21:02 ET by polliwogIs your interpretation that Damon's usage of "fighting class" refers to all members of the military?
Yeah, he didn't mention other reasons, and it would have been nice if he had clarified that point. Maybe he did in the actual conversation; all we got was a sound bite. I'm just saying that my reading is that he didn't mean to say anything about the good men and women who joined for other reasons, he was just pointing out this one subset because it related to the point he was making.
Polliwog
December 16, 2006 - 21:19 ET by Noel SheppardP,
Yes it is. After all, when one makes a generalization, one isn't normally intending to refer to a small quantity of the population, correct? Hence the term "generalization".
Furthermore, I'm not the only writer coming to this conclusion. Here's what Editor & Publisher -- hardly a right-leaning media outlet -- had to say:
I quite agree. ns
ns -- you're wasting your tim
December 16, 2006 - 21:28 ET by Jack Bauerns -- you're wasting your time.
The guy is being wilfully obscurantist. Maybe he has a weird need to abase himself at the feet of a celebrity.
Proud member of the all-powerful and vast militarist/industrialist/capitalist/zionist-bagelist complex
Feel Your Pain
December 16, 2006 - 21:54 ET by acumen"People who are so passionately partisan politically or ideologically committed basically say, ‘Because he won’t report it our way, we’re going to hang something bad around his neck and choke him with it, check him out of existence if we can, if not make him feel great pain." - Dan Rather
I suspected so. I didn't re
December 16, 2006 - 22:30 ET by polliwogI suspected so. I didn't read "fighting class" as a generalization (for the military) at all. It sounded to me that he was referring to the "fighting class" as a subset of the military, those that are "have to" join the military for financial reasons.
No doubt, regardless of what he really meant, he's put his foot in it.
You know what he said and wha
December 17, 2006 - 03:34 ET by Dan The Man 2You know what he said and what he meant, stop being a JFK sophicant.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.
Hey Mr Hollywood Damon, the a
December 17, 2006 - 01:44 ET by joe conservativeHey Mr Hollywood Damon, the army doesn't need any more drunks in their ranks.
Quote: CHRIS MATTHEWS: Do y
December 17, 2006 - 02:25 ET by Ron was RIGHTQuote: CHRIS MATTHEWS: Do you think if you waterboarded Cheney, like in the movie, that you'd get a different truth out of him?
I realize that chrisy gave up all trace of objectivity years ago but this question is just beyond the pale. I mean we are talking about a sitting American Vice President. The man one heart beat from the most powerful man in the world. These are strange days we live in.
Its funny. I took a 60k yearl
December 17, 2006 - 07:49 ET by ChemicalOperatorIts funny. I took a 60k yearly cut in pay to join the Marine Corps. Though according to liberals I didnt. Cuz you can only join the military if your a poor stupid kid with no future. They should get to know some of the Armed Forces before they speak on matters they have no knowledge of.
This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.
The quite delicate Matt was p
December 17, 2006 - 09:15 ET by AlgerHissThe quite delicate Matt was portrayed correctly in that hit movie Team America as a dolt.
Rochester, Minnesota: A Fem_Leftist City!
M A T T D A M O N !!! C
December 17, 2006 - 10:11 ET by cunservatyveM A T T D A M O N !!!
Cunservatyve military medical guy
If you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on Paul's vote!
This kind of crap ticks me of
December 17, 2006 - 10:10 ET by cunservatyveThis kind of crap ticks me off, because I'm a medical professional serving in the military...and I've been to Iraq and Saudi Arabia on separate occasions. I love the military life, and most of the folks I know in the service are fairly intelligent--no one is going in for "financial reasons," because the pay isn't better than the outside. Just ask any military doctor you know whether they're getting rich serving their nation.
However, the training and education is a draw; it was for me. The implication that the military is full of idiots who had no choice is a stupid one. I know many enlisted folks who have masters degrees, and I know a lot of officers with PhDs.
And while Matt is urging the Bush twins to join an ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE, maybe he should join up for a stint too, just like Pat Tillman (the Arizona Cardinal who had NOTHING ELSE HE COULD DO TO EARN MONEY).
Cunservatyve military medical guy
If you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on Paul's vote!
cunservatyve,Thank you. For
December 17, 2006 - 10:40 ET by Blondecunservatyve,
Thank you. For your service, and for your cogent points, above.
The thing to keep in mind is that these idiot statements are spouted by people who are TOO STUPID to learn anything on their own....they believe all of the tripe they hear from the MsM and from people who ought to know better, but just can't help themselves....i.e. John F'ing.
So not only is Damon a know-nothing jerk...he's a hypocrite to boot. If he is so against the military, why'd he take parts in Saving Private Ryan and Courage Under Fire? I'd bet you he says he "supports the troops", though.
Disgusting.
Actors like Damon think they
December 17, 2006 - 13:53 ET by GalvanicActors like Damon think they know all about war and life in the military, because they've portrayed soldiers in film. They base their characterizations on direction from the screenwriter or director, who themselves usually draw their images from other Hollywood products.
They are out of touch with real military people, and haven't a clue as to what motivates them to join or continue to serve. Damon assumes that they join for "financial reasons," the claim espoused on Capital Hill by Congressman Charlie Rangel. This myth --- disproven by DoD statistics -- relegates the vast majority of military members to poor youth who can't find employment or the resources to attend college.
But this reasoning subordinates or minimalizes an individual's motivations like patriotism, service, and a sense of purpose. I'm sure Damon thinks of himself as a patriot, and for whatever reason, he opted not to serve in the armed forces. That's OK; that's everyone's option.
However, Damon's quote --- presuming that the US has a 'fighting class' motivated by 'financial reasons' -- vice an all-volunteer force with deep-rooted patriotism and commitment to service, is in fact AN INSULT any way you slice it. By suggesting as his comment does, that our warriors are victims of an unjust economic model and have no choices but to join, he unwittingly demeans every one of them.
Having 3 years of enlisted Army service and 21 years of commissioned Navy service, I think I've experienced US military service in the all-volunteer force from a variety of roles and perspectives, and I find Damon's description naive and insulting. Yeah, I'll say it: He's stupid.
You told it and it's true
December 17, 2006 - 14:15 ET by tumbler_2007Matt is stupid, but he thinks he's quotable.
I venture to say he's not even a fair actor. The kind of money paid for his work is obscene under the circumstances. He and others like Alec Baldwin and Sean Penn are basically robbing the studios.
My arguably good actor is Nicolas Cage. I don't know what his politics is. But he has a substantial enough career.
"The kind of money paid
December 17, 2006 - 15:32 ET by Galvanic"The kind of money paid for his work is obscene under the circumstances. He and others like Alec Baldwin and Sean Penn are basically robbing the studios."
I can't blame an actor, or musician, or athlete for taking all the money someone is willing to pay them; that's free market dynamics. Would I pay to see Damon, or Baldwin, or Penn? Nope. They may get a lot of people's money, but they don't get mine.
Cutting salaries
December 17, 2006 - 15:34 ET by dagdaI think enough people are voting with their feet that studios are cutting salaries, including Tom Cruise's.
Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. Dwight Eisenhower
Remember y'all, John Wilkes
December 17, 2006 - 22:56 ET by liberal_bug_zapperRemember y'all, John Wilkes Booth was an actor and hated the Republican President. Actors are usually those who are separated from reality (not always, but usually) and think they know more than the common man because of their position.
They're usually wrong.
What in the heck do the Bush
December 17, 2006 - 23:59 ET by msh1973What in the heck do the Bush twins have to do with the war in Iraq? I have a great idea, why doesn't Damon and his liberal friends serve in the US armed forces. What a little hypocrite!
Matt Daaaaamon! You are no
December 18, 2006 - 15:06 ET by awffp1890Matt Daaaaamon! You are not worthy enough to lick the boots of an American soldier, yet you don't hesitate to take large sums of money to act the part of a soldier. You are pathetic.