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2007-07-26 Home Front: Culture Wars

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Posted by trailing wife 2007-07-26 11:57|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 "...My pieces were always intended to provide my discreet view of the war"

I think he meant discrete.

Also, I call shenanigans on this,

"...I was initially reluctant to take the time out of my already insane schedule fighting an actual war in order to play some role in an ideological battle that I never wanted to join."

It seems obvious that he wants to be part of the ideological battle. Otherwise his reporting would have events that show the Coalition forces in a positive light in proportion to their actual occurance.

Posted by mhw">mhw 2007-07-26 12:44|| http://hypocrisy-incorporated.blogspot.com/]">[http://hypocrisy-incorporated.blogspot.com/] 2007-07-26 12:44|| Front Page Top

#2 This young leftist is living in a dream world whose sides are about to implode upon him.
You reap what you sew, ahole.

Posted by wxjames 2007-07-26 12:49|| 2007-07-26 12:49|| Front Page Top

#3 My pieces were always intended to provide my discreet view of the war; they were never intended as a reflection of the entire U.S. Military.

I call bullshit. The two are inseparable and smearing one smears both.

I was initially reluctant to take the time out of my already insane schedule fighting an actual war in order to play some role in an ideological battle that I never wanted to join.

A mhw noted, it's pretty difficult to imagine that this clown didn't forsee the ideological usefulness of his writings. I hope general command cleans this guy's clock.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-07-26 12:52|| 2007-07-26 12:52|| Front Page Top

#4 Pvt Andy Warhol, reporting for my 15 minutes of fame, sir.

Posted by anymouse">anymouse 2007-07-26 12:55|| 2007-07-26 12:55|| Front Page Top

#5 If in fact there is indeed a "Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp" and he penned the anti-American, rat-bug garbage for The New Republic, then this is more evidence that simply wearing a uniform does not qualify one as a "better" citizen than does that have not worn the uniform.

I'll take wheelchair-bound Charles Krauthammer, who obviously could never serve in the military over any number of scumbags that have worn the uniform, e.g., Lee Harvey Oswald, John F. Kerry, Marcos Zoulitsas (founder of the vile Daily Kos), and now PFC Beauchamp. Seems the latter has spent too much time reading Erich Maria Remarque and John Dos Passos.

Posted by Sigmund Freud 2007-07-26 12:59|| 2007-07-26 12:59|| Front Page Top

#6 Corrections:

#5 If in fact there is indeed a "Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp" and he penned the anti-American, *rat-bag* garbage for The New Republic, then this is more evidence that simply wearing a uniform does not qualify one as a "better" citizen than *those* who have not worn the uniform.

Posted by Sigmund Freud 2007-07-26 13:00|| 2007-07-26 13:00|| Front Page Top

#7 they also serve who sit and post to Rantburg / LGF / etc....

(and now if you'll excuse me, i'm off to check the Chocolate Distribution Network in preparation for the next big Taliban kill...)

Posted by Querent 2007-07-26 13:12|| 2007-07-26 13:12|| Front Page Top

#8 So he's a real guy. So I guess he'd have some friends in Alpha Company, 1/18 Infantry, Second Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division to corroborate what he wrote, yes?

Posted by tu3031 2007-07-26 13:12|| 2007-07-26 13:12|| Front Page Top

#9 my pseudonym has caused confusion

Errr....correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that was the whole point of a pseudonym.

Posted by Swamp Blondie 2007-07-26 13:17|| 2007-07-26 13:17|| Front Page Top

#10 Scott Thomas Beauchamp's blog is here. Last update: 9/8/06. He writes like a grad student in the English department:

Sunday, September 03, 2006

english songs about commerce and love written by machines

I'm somewhere in Kuwait. Its a dry hot, like what suicides feel when they stick their heads in the oven. I'll send a mailing addy out as soon as I get one. I'm currently living off of bottled water, bob dylan, and umberto eco. I miss everyone so much...you have no idea. cant wait till i'm back in the states this winter with my bride-to-be. I love you Priscilla. I'll hopefully get a chance to call everyone soon.
love and peace
scott "scabies" beauchamp

Bob Dylan and Umberto Eco? Bob Dylan and Umberto Eco? Pretentious, overrated, liberal-Boomer nostalgia music. Pretentious, overrated, unreadable lit-fic that only pretentious Boomer liberals could love. Figures.

(Real men read Tom Clancy and listen to Tom Petty, but I digress.)

And how's this for stream-of-consciousness"

Thursday, August 03, 2006

pro patria, non "dulce" non "et decor"

Sliced writsts recovering from barbwire night mission in a furnished 1600's bedroom window open to the stars strained notes The Magic Flute from further down the hall when I'm off work early she brings me coffee and a fresh stack of freshly pressed laundry while struggling through The World According to Garp auf Deutsch...warum?...now you are a citizen of the world, son, so she rents a car to take me to Bamberg this weekend and maybe plane tickets to London the next because through a month of silence and guilt and regret, reciting the Zarathustra quote over and over in your head, "I've always carried a disdain for creatures who considered themselves kind merely because they were clawless"..and you "get it" and you "understand" and you see yourself maybe not for the first time and finally a perfect rearrival of yourself, doch, ja, meine mereshweinkin ist sehr schon...die Welt ist deins...do you come to terms with the past or accept it or apologize and bow or cut free and run...then, of course, theres the war, and your dreams about a haunted barn...but she wakes you up practicing for an opera performance and then drives you to work...three days of perfect tears, the colors red and blue, at least thats what he said...the library closes and you're already drunk...you run six miles...you lift weights...you bullshit with seargent Justify to get out of guard duty...you aim a little low and to the left and follow the glow of the tracers across the targets at night and the slow down slow down slow down in your sweaty head till you can hear them chruning and grinding slower maybe than constellations in the sky...

Oooohh! A Wilfred Owen reference in the title! His Poetry I prof will be so proud!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that first part read like he was doing a little TDY with one of the local Frauleins while in Germany? And he puts that in the same blog as the "I miss you" post to his fiancee?

No class.

Posted by Mike 2007-07-26 13:24|| 2007-07-26 13:24|| Front Page Top

#11 If this alleged Private does exist, he will shortly discover that his life has become very complicated.

First and foremost, he will need to explain to a whole lot of people what he knows about any suggestion of war crimes, who if anyone he reported this to, and if there is anyone else in his chain of command that will soon be testifying in corroboration.

If by his admission, he participated in war crimes, then he will soon learn to appreciate a special accommodation provided for him in Kansas, for say, the next 30 years.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-07-26 13:32|| 2007-07-26 13:32|| Front Page Top

#12 As has been noted elsewhere in the blogosphere, PV2 Beauchamp has just set himself up for several bad days at his unit. I'm fairly certain his entire chain of command is going to want to have a series of little discussions with him.

No, I have no sympathy for this mental defective either. He is either going to
a: have to admit that he made up a bunch of BS, or
b: get prosecuted for various violations of the UCMJ.

My money is on a. And TNR is going to have to admit they've been snookered again. Heh(tm).

Posted by N Guard 2007-07-26 13:37|| 2007-07-26 13:37|| Front Page Top

#13 Are you questioning his narcissism?

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-07-26 13:39|| 2007-07-26 13:39|| Front Page Top

#14 Don't know about you guys, but I'm questioning his narcissism, his patriotism, his veracity, his taste in literature and music, and his spelling and punctuation.

Posted by Mike 2007-07-26 13:44|| 2007-07-26 13:44|| Front Page Top

#15 Among others, PVT. Beauchamp may want to acquaint himself with THIS article:

878. ART. 78. ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT
Any person subject to this chapter who, knowing that an offense punishable by this chapter has been committed, receives, comforts, or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial, or punishment shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

unless of course it is all BULLSHIT! and if it IS, then he should know that THIS splendid provision comes into play:

934. ART. 134. GENERAL ARTICLE
Though not specifically mentioned in this chapter, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, special or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion of that court.

Posted by Justrand 2007-07-26 13:51|| 2007-07-26 13:51|| Front Page Top

#16 Are you questioning his narcissism?

I'm questioning his literary skills. They are teh suxor. The aroma of superannuated piscines attends his every sentence. And this guy got an MFA in creative mastu -- er -- writing? Granted, it only was from the University of Missouri[1]. Ol' John Barnes, who used his mad semiotician skillz to conclude that "Scott Thomas" was a graduate of an "elite" MFA program, one of the top twenty in the nation, must be feeling mighty foolish about now.

I think he meant discrete.

And neither he nor the editors caught it. It's a sign of the end of civilization, I tells yah.

(Real men read Tom Clancy and listen to Tom Petty, but I digress.)

Real men read Kipling and listen to Johnny Cash.

[1]Speaking as an only-somewhat-sheepish U. of Missouri grad.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2007-07-26 13:52|| 2007-07-26 13:52|| Front Page Top

#17 Hey! Nothing wrong with Umberto Eco in small doses!

I can see how large ones would drive you crazy, though.

As for Mr. Thomas, anyone else suspect that he'll be in front of a court-martial within three months?

Posted by The Doctor 2007-07-26 13:53|| 2007-07-26 13:53|| Front Page Top

#18 Correction:
Nothing wrong with Eco in small doses. But real men read Patrick O'Brian and listen to Celtic music, with an emphasis on Irish drinking songs.

Posted by The Doctor 2007-07-26 13:54|| 2007-07-26 13:54|| Front Page Top

#19 Angie: Kipling & Johnny Cash? I'm cool with that.

Posted by Mike 2007-07-26 14:02|| 2007-07-26 14:02|| Front Page Top

#20 Angie: Kipling & Johnny Cash? I'm cool with that.

Maybe somebody will arrange for this Beauchamp guy to fall down into a burning ring of fire.

Posted by Jonathan">Jonathan 2007-07-26 14:11|| 2007-07-26 14:11|| Front Page Top

#21 You're all right! Michael Goldfarb of the Weekly Standard has been in email contact with Major Kirk Luedeke since last week. Here's his today response to Mike.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Reaction From FOB Falcon

In response to a request for more information, FOB Falcon PAO Major Kirk Ludeke sent this along:

Mike-

We are in the midst of a formal investigation into the allegations Pvt Beauchamp has made. That's all I can say for now.

Respectfully,

Kirk

Major Kirk Luedeke
Public Affairs Officer
4th IBCT, 1st ID
DRAGONS

Posted by Sherry 2007-07-26 14:16|| 2007-07-26 14:16|| Front Page Top

#22 Real men read the Picayune.

Posted by Mike N. 2007-07-26 14:16|| 2007-07-26 14:16|| Front Page Top

#23 Heh.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-07-26 14:20|| 2007-07-26 14:20|| Front Page Top

#24 After it is revealed that PV2 Beauchamp is spinning pure bullshit into propaganda, I hope his supervisors find other things to keep him busy and out of trouble. Anyone want to bet this turns out to be a REMF?

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2007-07-26 14:48|| 2007-07-26 14:48|| Front Page Top

#25 Recently joined up. The business connection to TNR was in place when he went in, or not too long thereafter I would guess.

I suspect we'll find more people who appear to have enlisted in order to besmirch the military in the runup to the 2008 election.

spit

Posted by lotp 2007-07-26 15:23|| 2007-07-26 15:23|| Front Page Top

#26 Also, it seems PV2 Dickhead was a PFC. (E-3 now down to E-2)
On Malkin's blog this email:
Im active Army & an Iraq vet.

I just pulled up Scott Thomas Beauchamp on the secure Army Knowledge Online website. It lists his current rank as PV2″. (That data is kept accurate via pay records on that website.)

In his Sep 06 blog post he listed his rank as Private First Class. That indicates that without a doubt he was busted at least one rank as part of Article 15 proceedings under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and he likely has a strong ax to grind with his chain of command.

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2007-07-26 15:27|| 2007-07-26 15:27|| Front Page Top

#27 Darth beat me to it. I was going to question you 'active-duty' guys as to why someone who has been in the service as long as this fool could still be a private.

I guess the operative word is 'fool'.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2007-07-26 15:32|| 2007-07-26 15:32|| Front Page Top

#28 Are you questioning his narcissism?

LOL! Seafarious, that's a keeper.

Posted by xbalanke 2007-07-26 15:40|| 2007-07-26 15:40|| Front Page Top

#29 Go read Ace. Don't ask why, just go read.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-07-26 16:02|| 2007-07-26 16:02|| Front Page Top

#30 #13 Are you questioning his narcissism?
The funniest line I've read all day. Kudos!

Posted by eLarson 2007-07-26 16:04|| http://larsonian.blogspot.com]">[http://larsonian.blogspot.com] 2007-07-26 16:04|| Front Page Top

#31 Get rid of the turkey shoot patrols, and you won't have any of this nonsense. US troops prevail when they take it to the terrorists. When they march to show the flag, they take sniper and IED kills. I read the unit websites; the troops need to be delivered a winnability context. And they need to get it by September.

Sorry folks, the President lost me on the Euro-missiles, Kosovo, return to the Islamic Center (DC) and revised 2-state imposed suicide against Israel. We need a hardliner and not some goof who wants a Saudi financed library.

Posted by Chusomble Wittlesbach1010 2007-07-26 16:06|| 2007-07-26 16:06|| Front Page Top

#32 Real men read the Picayune.

Yeah, I just buy it for the articles. Yeah, that's it.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-07-26 16:12|| 2007-07-26 16:12|| Front Page Top

#33 not some goof who wants a Saudi financed library.

Now that's gonna leave a mark.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-07-26 16:35|| 2007-07-26 16:35|| Front Page Top

#34 Maybe somebody will arrange for this Beauchamp guy to fall down into a burning ring of fire.

At least he won't have to live like a refugee.

Posted by Mike 2007-07-26 16:41|| 2007-07-26 16:41|| Front Page Top

#35 Read Seafarious's link. And the link to the guy who uncovered the confirmation via the wedding site.

Two things:
1) after the CIA got caught doing the nepotism thing with Mr. Valerie Plame, what made TNR think it was a good idea to do the same?

2) I don't know if the registry is still up, but no matter what: I'm cool with the towels we have. Totally and completely.

Posted by eLarson 2007-07-26 16:46|| http://larsonian.blogspot.com]">[http://larsonian.blogspot.com] 2007-07-26 16:46|| Front Page Top

#36 It seems like TNR's Ms. Reeve has known Scotty since her days with The Columbia Missourian at the Missouri School of Journalism:

Mid-Mo. protesters hit D.C.

By ELSPETH REEVE and DANIELA VELÁZQUEZ

April 26, 2004 | 12:00 a.m. CST

Washington Hundreds of thousands of people descended on the nations capital Sunday to protest recent U.S. policies regarding womens reproductive health. Included in the throng of marchers were more than 100 young men and women from the Columbia area. I dont think theres usually enough men at these kind of events, so its really important to show up and support it, said Scott Beauchamp, who endured a 24-hour bus ride from Columbia to attend Sundays march. I think its really a civil rights issue.

Posted by Steve">Steve 2007-07-26 17:21|| 2007-07-26 17:21|| Front Page Top

#37 He's looking more and more like a mole. He should have stuck to stories that are true instead of making up stuff to feed his Liberal Ego. Talk about removed from reality. Sheesh.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2007-07-26 18:15|| 2007-07-26 18:15|| Front Page Top

#38 Mark Steyn is on Hewitt's show as I type this. He says there are some "lurid war fantasies" in Beauchamp's blog archives written before he got deployed.

Posted by Mike 2007-07-26 18:21|| 2007-07-26 18:21|| Front Page Top

#39 Here's one example of a "lurid war fantasy", from nearly a year before Beauchamp got to Iraq:

Monday, May 08, 2006

i make me feel stupid

"Shit, I don't know...put a 556 in his head"
On the street below the mans brown face dissolves into a thick red mist. The lights in the cities houses shut off in unison. Elecricity rationing. Water rationing too. You ever tried to survive for more than a few hours in hundred and twenty degree weather without water? In the streets the kids bodies start convulsing in semi-orgasmic rhythms. Their pants fill up with shit and piss and the smart ones sneak out to the fields to hidden caches of water jugs and trinkets of candy from the american soldiers.
"See that sarge, kids digging or something?"
"Well, better safe then sorry. Cap his ass Leclaire."
"You sure sarge?"
"Well, im either right or wrong. And if I'm wrong im still right because i could have been right even though i was wrong."
They watch the sliver of red sun fall slower and slower, silhouetting the little barbarians falling bodies. The Chaplain turns and walks back towards the FOB in contemplation. Gotta rack out early tonight. Handing out bibles in the marketplace tomorrow, early. Unintelligible rap blares out of the open doors of the HUMVEE.

Posted by Mike 2007-07-26 18:36|| 2007-07-26 18:36|| Front Page Top

#40 Another choice excerpt:

My goal is to become an incompetent leader that gets fragged by 30 something NCO's at a forward operating base in Sadr City.

Be careful what you wish for . . .

Posted by Mike 2007-07-26 18:55|| 2007-07-26 18:55|| Front Page Top

#41 Yeah, he might be ahead of schedule...

Posted by tu3031 2007-07-26 18:58|| 2007-07-26 18:58|| Front Page Top

#42 Makes you wonder how many provocateurs are out there. As lotp noted, this could all be a political operation -- imagine somebody like Soros placing leftists in the Army to sow disinformation and then go out and run for political office. (And that's my entire daily allowance of paranoid theorizing.)

Posted by Jonathan">Jonathan 2007-07-26 19:09|| 2007-07-26 19:09|| Front Page Top

#43 Our boy Scott seems to be aiming either for the political route or for a book contract w/ TV appearances galore.

Posted by lotp 2007-07-26 19:30|| 2007-07-26 19:30|| Front Page Top

#44 So, the wonder-boy Baghdad TNR correspondent turns out to be a baby-troop with delusions of adequacy, and a really pathetic, bathetic fantasy life... who out of all the milbloggers in theater, got a cushy gig because his significant other happened to work at TNR.

My daughter had this really keen fantasy, of this twerps' commander lining up the whole unit at attention, with Pvt. Beauchamp standing at attention, while the Commander reads the entire TNR stories, with frequent requests for any troop who knows anything about the reported incidents to come clean.

Yep, he will indeed be quite well known about his unit.

Posted by Sgt. Mom 2007-07-26 19:37|| www.celiahayes.com]">[www.celiahayes.com] 2007-07-26 19:37|| Front Page Top

#45 Run for office or publish the book & hit the TV shows in the runup to the election. Actually, earlier, to force a withdrawl before the surge can be completed.

I am sitting here seething at seeing this AGAIN in my lifetime. Winter Soldier was bad enough.

Posted by lotp 2007-07-26 19:56|| 2007-07-26 19:56|| Front Page Top

#46 ooops ... didn't refresh my cache and thought that next to last comment of mine went into the aether.

Posted by lotp 2007-07-26 19:57|| 2007-07-26 19:57|| Front Page Top

#47 There's discussion over at Blackfive, that his unit might need some moral boosting after this. They might need to know, we know, it ain't them.

Me, I'm gonna support whatever they come with, and will pass the word around. (not busy at work this month, so I got lots of time!)

I'm so impressed with these guys and gals serving "over there" -- many folks have been calling them the "Next Greatest Generation."

They deserve a name of their own -- I like what a Marine General called them:

In reading Grim at Blackfive the other day, Grim posted the transcript of the Department of Defense Bloggers Roundtable with Major General Walter E. Gaskin, Commander Multinational forces-West via Teleconference from Iraq..

The words caught me, held me, stuck in my mind. General Gaskin had the words to describe them.. The Millennium Kids.

Words the Marine Major General Gaskin used, "The Millennium Kids".... to quote him: What I've found out is, this is truly, truly the best generation of our generation. The Millennium kids have a feeling that they want to do something to better themselves and they want to be challenged.

I got to take Major General Gaskin at his word..... the best generation of our generation.... The Millennium Kids.... had he thought about this? I don't know... but I like it... the Millennium Kids....

Posted by Sherry">Sherry 2007-07-26 20:00|| 2007-07-26 20:00|| Front Page Top

#48 ...imagine somebody like Soros placing leftists in the Army to sow disinformation and then go out and run for political office. (And that's my entire daily allowance of paranoid theorizing.)

What you're suggesting might not be too far off the mark if Soros is a paranoid schizophrenic with delusions...oh, never mind!

Posted by Natural Law 2007-07-26 20:02|| 2007-07-26 20:02|| Front Page Top

#49 he mistyped:
My goal is to become an incompetent leader that gets ~~fragged~~ shagged by 30 something NCO's at a forward operating base in Sadr City

seriously, though... I hope he sleeps with one eye open and likes eating by himself. He's not gonna have many friends in the motor pool. Lying that disparages your "comrades" has that tendency. Perhaps his TNR wife can get him called home early? Whoops, I bet that marriage isn't long for the earth, business backlash and all... Sorry Beauchamp, you woulda been a great CU Indian Lit Prof

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-07-26 20:23|| 2007-07-26 20:23|| Front Page Top

#50 So, John Barnes got it right about this guy yesterday in the article referred to here at the RB - he's an MFA grad student.

Barnes nailed it in 1.

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2007-07-26 21:04|| 2007-07-26 21:04|| Front Page Top

#51 I'm sure later this week members of his unit will be questioned about the events in Shock Troops. I'm curious to know what they have to say.

For the record, the bit highlighted at the end of the article was from the TNR comment thread, not my own thoughts. There is now a formal investigation into Pvt. Beauchamp's allegations, it seems the private is married to a TNR staffer, and someone at TNR has been fired for talking to bloggers. This tempest is outgrowing its teapot.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-07-26 21:07|| 2007-07-26 21:07|| Front Page Top

#52 Son doesn't ever remember seeing him at either of the Mizzou papers or the city paper in Columbia Mo. Suggest his importance there was self inflated.

In addition MFA students as compared to Journalism Dept didn't get any important positions and were usually quietly squeezed out to make room for the journalism students.

Also, points out that many MFA students were ones who couldn't tough out the journalism dept. In blunt words - FAILED.

Posted by 3dc 2007-07-26 22:29|| 2007-07-26 22:29|| Front Page Top

#53 Ouch, 3dc. Our thanks to your son. Based on the samples of the Pvt. Beauchamp's writings that I've seen, I'm not sure how he survived in the creative writing program -- it's not like his stuff is actually readable.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-07-26 23:09|| 2007-07-26 23:09|| Front Page Top

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