The military refuses to court marshal Bowe Bergdahl for desertion yet it's allowing the progressive left to besmirch Chris Kyle's service
— Johnny Reb (@ARebelYell) May 26, 2016
Comic book faggots turn Captain America into a villain, media tries to destroy Chris Kyle's legacy. Can't boys and men just have heroes?
— Georgia On My Mind (@MyMindOnGeorgia) May 26, 2016
American Sniper” Chris Kyle was revealed to have greatly embellished his military service record, documents revealed today. Conservatives, who consider Kyle a hero for shooting more people than any other sniper, had a hard time handling the news. Many blame the “liberal media” for uncovering the truth, some refuse to believe that it is real and, inevitably, some chose to blame President Obama.
As kids, most of us loved fairy tales. We believed in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy…and then we grew up and realized that fairy tales aren’t true; they’re merely stories invented to entertain innocent, impressionable children.
Of course, some never quite grow out of their devotion to made-up truth. These easily propagandized and manipulable folks are called “Conservatives.” They may have stopped believing in childhood fairy tales, but they wholeheartedly buy into adult fairy tales- ones designed to support a specific moral/ideological/theological framework. When creating such fantastical tales (propaganda), it helps to have a Hero of the Cause ©- a brave, strong, resolute (and White) male who ignores significant personal risk to serve his country and safeguard all that’s Good, Right, and Holy. They serve with one thought central in their mind- keeping the Fatherland Homeland free from evil Islamofascists who hate us for our freedom and liberty.
The not-entirely-surprising news that “American Sniper” Chris Kyle embellished his military service record has caused some on the Rabid Right to come unglued. Rather than face the truth that the hero they’d invested so much emotional and ideological capital in was not nearly what he portrayed himself to be is proving more than some can process. Unable to function in the world of reality and truth, they’re dealing with their considerable righteous butthurt by blaming everyone but themselves…and Kyle.
It would be comical if it wasn’t so ignorant, malevolent, and thoroughly dishonest.
Anyone who talks badly about Chris Kyle or veterans like him are nothing but trash who don't deserve to breath the air they fought for.
— Todd Swoope (@ToddSwoope) May 26, 2016
The inconvenient revelation of Kyle’s puffery is especially damaging to the industry built around the myth that he was a heroic warrior whose selflessness and sacrifice helped keep America safe. The premier of “American Sniper” played to a crowd of 30,000 True Believers at Texas’ AT&T Stadium. Kyle’s autobiography was a best-seller…though it now appears it belongs in the fiction section.
Conservatives constructed a false mythology around Kyle after his unfortunate death at the hands of a fellow veteran he was mentoring. The Far Right’s addiction to “war porn” fed the rush to canonize Kyle as a True American Hero. That it was an exercise in self-interested revisionist history designed to support the prevailing propaganda was beside the point. Conservatives believed the mythology to be true; ergo, Kyle was a selfless hero and brave Defender of the Faith.
This mythological construct became inviolable and beyond reproach (Goebbels’ Big Lie theory writ large). God helpanyone who dared to question the “official” beatific version of Kyle’s story.
It's not casual that @ggreenwald and @theintercept go after #ChrisKyle: "American Sniper"'s success was one of first signs of rejecting PC.
— Travis Bickle (@TravisBickle52) May 26, 2016
This is by no means intended to belittle Chris Kyle, who sacrificed much for his country and returned from war a profoundly damaged human being trying to make his way as best he could. He was killed while trying to help a fellow vet, and he should be remembered kindly. My beef isn’t with Kyle, though his dishonesty is troubling. No, my problem is with Conservatives who elevated Kyle onto a pedestal as a Hero of the Cause © and refuse to accept or process the news that their inamorata was deeply flawed and dishonest. Their addiction to war porn and an wholly fictional Amerika uber Alles fantasy dishonors the memory and service of the man they’ve canonized.
Kyle- as with all who’ve served- should be honored for his service and his sacrifices. There’s much in his service record that’s admirable and laudable…but it would be dishonest to focus on that and gloss over the reality that he lied about much of that record. The truth of Chris Kyle should be addressed in its entirety, not cherry-picked to support the creation of a Hero of the Cause © in the service of Right-wing war porn fantasies.
Those Conservatives crying crocodile bro-tears over having their selectively constructed narrative debunked should be ashamed. They’re the ones who’ve exploited- in some cases profiting off- Chris Kyle’s story. They’re the ones who’ve chosen to lash out instead of admitting the man they’ve elevated to virtual sainthood was, like any of us, a flawed and imperfect human being. This disservice to Kyle’s memory should be cause for shame…but if there’s one thing armchair warriors on the Rabid Right consistently lack, it’s the capacity to acknowledge any emotion remotely resembling shame.
Chris Kyle deserves better than to be used for propaganda purposes.
