Rant New TV Drama about young soldiers

[John A Silkstone]

I believe that UK channel 4 is setting out a new drama titled ‘Mark of Cain’ in January. It’s about a group of young soldiers serving in Basra in 2003.

The two main characters are 18-year-old privates on their first tour of duty. They return home with "trophy photos" of Iraqi detainees and are shocked by the reaction they provoke when they show them to friends and family.

Though the drama is fictional, it is based on testimonies of British soldiers who served in Iraq.

Channel 4 director Kevin Lygo said: ‘It shows in a realistic way how young these squaddies are and how difficult life must be for them.’

To me, the events that have happen to POWs in modern day wars are down to the lack of proper training and resources for our young troops today. The government is run by a large body of people that have never been in any of the forces and those that have don’t have the pushing power to get things done.

Silky

 

[Hollis]

There is a web site 25thaviation.org. It has a discussion on the cultural mindset created during the Viet-Nam war that was not reflective of the actual facts. That Cultural mindset led to the with drawl of US troops and the eventual defeat of SVN.

A TV show if it is well written for the right purpose can help citizens to understand the situation in Iraq or it can create or add to a climate of hostilities against the "military" efforts in Iraq by citizens.

Some how, the media does not seem to be interested in presenting a view that will be helpful in understanding the situation in Iraq.

 

[rotorwash]

Right you are Hollis.

Under "Viet Nam" on the "Tet 68" thread, page 2, I posted an article named "Media vs Military" that begins to address what you suggested.

RW