Iraq not so bad??

Question

I've been shocked lately by soldiers who have been to iraq and they say it's not that bad, some even say they like it and wanna go back. Has any of you heard this?

In the news, all they talk about is the violence, and i talk to a soldier and they say it's not that bad, they say the worst part is the weather. Any other troops who feel this way?

Answer 1

Yes, I've heard that.

Answer 2

That is pretty shocking to me too. Maybe some of these soldiers are stationed in places with little violence so they feel lucky. I know there have been a lot of desertions and other soldiers complaining; I think you have to figure what the total numbers are of those who like it and those who don't.

Or maybe it's possible to get 'hooked' psychologically to that type of dangerous lifestyle, anyone remember Jamie Foxx's character in Jarhead?

Or maybe they are getting some "special treatment" from the locals over there...

Answer 3

this just depends on your job.
if your a mail clerk you never leave the base or camp you're stationed at, where you have pizza hut phone calls regular mail, internet access videos games ect.... the list goes on and on.
the camps have become fortified cities with everything to make the service person forget they're in a warzone.
meanwhile we can't get any iraqi outside the base 3 solid hours of electricity. this was one of the biggest complaintsi heard through our interpeters, iraqis that worked on the base would tell their family and neihbors how great it was on base and they could see how different their life really was, and resented us. there was even a rumor that our base was actually stealing the town's electricity to power up our "entertainment centers" and was puplished in the newspaper.
soilders and marines outside the wire will tell you a different story, they probably won't be as bleak as cnn, but anyone who has ever been seen both sides will tell you we don't need 12 kinds of ice cream or airconditioned trailers, i think if we stoped pampering ourselfs and put our mail clerks (and other support elements) in the field, on guard, or along the border we would be in a better shape and the viloence wouldn't be as common.

Answer 4

Well, my boyfriend is currently over in Iraq, and he can't wait to get home. With all the stress and distance, he would rather be home. He doesn't really complain about the weather or anything, but I'm sure he's not enjoying it. It depends on who you're talking to on whether or not they think it's bad or not. Being in the military has it's pros and cons.

Answer 5

Were you talking to a recruiter? Just ask yourself how many timeshares are in Iraq. I think after seeing some of the wounded veterans on television, that I find it hard to believe that anyone would enjoy present-day Iraq unless he were from there. Perhaps it will one day again be the "Paris of the Middle-East", as some people used to refer to it.

Answer 6

While it's not an enjoyable place to hang out and there are people there who want to kill you, I do believe the media overplays the violence.

Put this into perspective, more Americans are killed by drunk drivers in the state of Florida each year than the fighting over in Iraq.

Answer 7

the notion that this or that country is bad are all media hype. living in any other part of this world (apart from your country) doesn't mean that it's not safe to anyone. it is, mind you. violence is part of everyday and can occur anywhere. however, being caught on one, yes, it's terrifying. but otherwise, visiting another country or being station anywhere, you'd know the good side of the country which is never exposed.

remember, to make the news, best is to bring out the worse rather than the best to make an impact to your viewer/reader.

Answer 8

My son is is Iraq, the Iraqi people genuinely appreciate us being there. I send tootsie rolls and suckers for my son's platoon to pass out to the kids. The news you are listeninng to is democratic liberal media. If you have a radio, try a Canadian station or the BBC. You can't get REAL news in this country.

Answer 9

Yes, it is not nearly as bad as the media makes it sound. Most of the common Iraqis are glad to have us there, but the media will not make money off those kinds of stories, so they don't and the American people for the most part do not believe our leader when he says it, so we are just left with the biased medias stories. I was in Afghanistan before I was injured, but I keep in contact with some men over there and that is exactly what they all say.

Answer 10

Forget about getting any good news out of Iraq from most news outlets. Most people in the media WANT the US to loose in Iraq - if only to give a black eye to Bush.

Answer 11

i think it just a small area in iraq that's bad, and the rest is okay. so i guess it depends on where the soldier was stationed, and most of iraq is fine.