h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

First of all, EXCELLENT entry! I don't agree with everything you wrote, but now I know that I have no choice but to read that book.

Not too long ago, there was a similar incident during fighting in Afghanistan. They kept their "never leave anyone behind" attitude and more soldiers died than needed to.

well you don't ever leave anyone behind it's important


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True, true, but this is where I get in trouble and p**s people off. First off, though, I've never been in the military, I've never been in that sort of situation and personally, I would most likely react the same way. I see someone down, I want to help. My concience would kill me if I just left someone laying there bleeding.

However, is it logical to go back for someone if that act would jeapordize the mission? is it logical to commit more manpower to recovering a downed comrade if in doing so, more lives would be lost?

That is one of the aspects of BHD that I really did respect. The men's adherence to that hard and fast rule and some of the unfortunate consequences that ensued.

and what part of war really is all that logical?
Emotion and doing the right thing often defiy logic


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Military leaders have a saying: Mission, Men, Myself.

You have to put the mission before the men. You try to do it with minimal losses, but people will die in military operations (including training). The next priority is the men. There's a bond between soldiers, and they're willing to take extraodinary risks to save a buddy. The reason is that no one knows when they're going to be the one trapped or wounded.

Rangers are very strict about the rule. They'll risk their lives to bring their buddies out alive or dead.

"That is one of the aspects of BHD that I really did respect. The men's adherence to that hard and fast rule and some of the unfortunate consequences that ensued."

What is it that's being respected here. Hollywood dialogue?

Uh, no... the fact that the men were willing to risk their own lives for those who had fallen, that's what I respect. It takes a lot of courage and loyalty to not turn and run like hell when all around you is bloody chaos.

But are you basing that on what you saw in the film. Considering that the soldiers of most nations do that, unless they're the "bad guys" in the eyes of hollywood at the time.

Does that make you respect the person less because other's also do it? That's like makeing the argument that you don't respect the hard work your teacher does because there are teachers all over the world that work hard. Now Apparition assuming that you saw this film and I am guessing here that you didn't like it...was there any part of the film that you did like? Actualy I would open that to anyone who saw the film but didn't like it overall I was just wondering what part you might of liked


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Tacsatduck - that's not what I'm saying and I never intentionaly gave that impression.

"That is one of the aspects of BHD that I really did respect. The men's adherence to that hard and fast rule and some of the unfortunate consequences that ensued."

I merely asked wether this was based from fact of what was seen in the movie.
"That is one of the aspects of BHD that I really did respect." referencing the movie

"and some of the unfortunate consequences that ensued."
Is this based on the movie or fact?
a simple question isn't it, after all people who defend this movie say things like it's just a movie not documentary

Personally I think he was saying that seeing it in the movie got him thinking along the lines of the logic of the "never leave anyone behind"...he pondered what he would do in a similar situation and tried to use reason to question that reaction....So if you take from that the Movie is what inspired the thought and the actual people making those types of decisions inspired the respect...which I think is what he might of been saying in post 7 that it wasn't the actors but the people that the movie was portraying....

now
"****But are you basing that on what you saw in the film. Considering that the soldiers of most nations do that, unless they're the "bad guys" in the eyes of Hollywood at the time****"

It looks in this post you are questing why he should respect someone for making that decision even though others do the same thing and that is what I replied to...It may of not been what you were intending but that is what I read into it and wanted to clarify

I understand your reluctance to grasp that even though the movie didn't get everything historically correct and that this was not a documentary there are things that it did show that you can take with you.....one of these being the "never leave anyone behind mentality" and if you look at the real scenario and the movie you get to see "some of the unfortunate consequences that ensued."

Even a fictional story can get you thinking about real life....it's important to remember to not take it as a history but that doesn't mean you can not take anything away from it

Now again was there any part of the movie you did like Apparition?


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Actually I've ony seen the making and endless previews. I don't watch hollywood war movies in or around the time of america having a real life conflict. I may have watched it if it apealed to me and if it was made before september 11.

I'm asking questions becaue I haven't watched it.

"Even a fictional story can get you thinking about real life" I think this is what makes non americans dislike the film. Many non american don't share hollywoods view of the world or of the american military. My countries anti nuke stance means that if I were ever to have any real life contact with it I would have to travel 1000's of km. An expensive prospect when you're a long way from anywhere.

I am not sure I got that last bit....Why would you have to travel

By the way I don't share Hollywood's view of the American Military myself...but I don't let that get in my way of having some fun at a movie theater.....for one thing they never show the hurry up and wait that is 90% of all military operations because it's pretty dang boring but it is a fact of life for someone in the military...(that's one of the reasons I always carry a book with me now)...Even though there were some very big inaccuracies in the movie they did do some of the things were pretty accurate though....one of the funnier ones is the guy put in the office just because he can type and no one else can...this sort of thing happens but you don't usually see it in a Hollywood shoot'em up movie....plus the guys actually looked realistic mostly young guys and the Delta force guy's weren't all shockingly huge rambo types.


Oh and BHD was made before Sept 11 it just had an interesting release time.


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"I am not sure I got that last bit....Why would you have to travel"

US military ships aren't allowed here because of the US governments' neither confirm or deny policy about nuke power/weapons. So with traveling, I'll never experience contact with the US military.

"Oh and BHD was made before Sept 11 it just had an interesting release time. " - really? That is a very long time to wait to release a movie

It was reliced in Nov here in NY I belive I will check the dates of production to be on the safe side but I am pretty sure that it was fillmed before hand....usualy they are filmed 6 months to a year before being reliced to add in special affects and editting....thats why after sept 11 including the spider man movie has shots with the twin towers in em


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