Private Beauchamp- Requiem for a dung beetle

Posted By Uncle Jimbo

UPDATE: It appears that even dung beetles have fellow travelers, clown prince John Cole of Balloon Juice disparages me, poorly. But you know me, I will savage him manana.

Because some people enjoy projecting their weaknesses on me, I do not advocate that anyone hurt the pissant, let alone frag him. Give me a break people, he slimed his whole unit as scum and I pointed out that he might should watch his ass. Really, 'Ya think?

From our comments and the most excellent readers on the internets.

On a related thought, let's see if we can do something to build the morale of his unit; they're gonna need it. Maybe like what Grim did with the Marines?

Posted by: FbL | July 26, 2007 at 10:26 AM

FBL: you're right on target.

Uncle Jimbo: roger that

Posted by: warvet48 | July 26, 2007 at 10:30 AM

OK so now we need contact info for A Co. 1/18 for an email campaign to reboost their morale, I will look although y'all will probably scoop me. I emailed Kirk Luedeke the PAO who has been fielding questions thus far, I will advise

So he is unmasked, kudos to JD Johannes who had him pegged down to Company level. I just wonder how the other members of A Co. 1/18 feel about how their buddy Beauchamp described them. And just to note, I had this to say about this POS when this came up.

Scott Thomas is a lying sack of shit. Every unit has a Scott Thomas, the whiny pissant whose brilliance is never recognized and who is always being abused by the chain of command for stuff that's not his fault. It would be normal to hear folks  telling him to STFU and do his damn job.

Well just take a look at this little pissant's previous literary efforts, and I'll be honest I would pay good money to knock that freakin' smirk off his face.

Every morning I get up and say I'm Scott Beauchamp, in the army, living in Germany, and this is my life, and I'm going to be treated like shit today and do landscaping and janitorial work and practice killing people and there could be no other way to appreciate what I had or what I'm going to have once I get out other than enduring this now when all I really want to do is teach history and lay around and read and hustle around and repair the world (tikkun olam) and sift through knowledge and improve culture and learn how to sail and work in soup kitchens and start a family and really, I mean REALLY study the best the western civilization has to offer and facilitiate the mystery and power through everything I do, but I cant do it without getting through this army experience first, which will add a legitimacy to EVERYTHING i do afterwards, and totally bolster my opinions on defense, etc, and of course its making me a lot less lazy, just because im not use to being lazy any more, etc.

As I said every unit has a Private Beauchamp who is more or less universally disliked as a whiny loser. No one understands them and they are always getting screwed over. They always have aspirations to grandness coupled with an absolute uselessness and laziness that ensures they will never achieve it.

The incidents described by Private dung beetle did not happen in the way he described them, but some event containing morsels of truth did and then our fabulist enbellished it to match the narrative of the voices in his head. They tell him the war is evil and consequently he and the folks around him are compromised and now agents of evil. He was just doing his part to ensure that people get the truth as it should be, damn the facts.

That being said, my character, my experiences, and those of my comrades in arms have been called into question, and I believe that it is important to stand by my writing under my real name.

Your character, or more accurately, your complete lack of it has already been noted and your experiences, being mostly fiction matter little. If any of them happened, you will face punishment, but as we know telling BS stories is not a crime. As far as writing under your own name, as I noted above JD Johannes had already identified you down to Company (100+ troops) level and you used your first and middle names as your pseudonym you freakin' pinhead. You were already fronted out and I would assume it was some members of your unit that "politely" invited you to name yourself. You are a disgrace Beauchamp, a wannabe intellectual lacking the brainpower to do much more than embarrass yourself in public. Well Bravo, you have shown yourself to be  a back-stabbing petty BS artist. Congratulations on that. Now you need to get busy watching your back, 'cuz if you think you were disliked and unloved before......Heh. Now your time is up, we are done making fun of you, Uh buh bye.

Comments

[MICHAEL in MI]

Excellent work outing this guy. And an excellent smackdown, Uncle Jimbo. I am off to read the other blogs reporting on this today...

[Grimmy]

Sounds like an AstroTurf. A pos leftard who joined the military so that he can have the "cred" to slam the military.

[Jim]

Do we know for sure that this is Scott Thomas, or is this just someone claiming to be him? Although, I don't know why you'd want to set yourself up for that kind of pain... 15 minutes of fame maybe?

Jim C

[FbL]

As others have said elsewhere, this is a win-win for the anti-military types: if it's true, it's "proof of the horror that is the U.S. military at war." And as a bonus, they can complain he's being oppressed when he's brought up on charges (or at least an Article 15). If it's not true, they'll say he denied it all just to save his skin (or the Army is covering it up). As a bonus they can talk about how he's being oppressed for being investigated and administratively punished for being a lying POS.

It occurs to me that the added bonus is that he stays with his unit, continuing to be distruptive to morale and readiness when if this wasn't a PR/political issue they would be reassigning him back home to get him out of the way and reduce the distraction while things are investigated.

There really aren't words to describe what a filthy human being he is. Yes, he deserves a "blanket party," but that'll just inflame (and justify the mentality of) his supporters.

*sigh*

On a related thought, let's see if we can do something to build the morale of his unit; they're gonna need it. Maybe like what Grim did with the Marines?

[warvet48]

FBL: you're right on target.

Uncle Jimbo: roger that

[Mikey]

It is very easy to figure out what he is like when every thing he writes is me, me, me. He is your typical narcissist, totally frustrated that no one else can tell what a supremely awesome person he is, resulting in a massive chip on his shoulder and the overwhelming desire to say something, anything, to get attention.

He is now about to learn that unlike what the Hollywood people say there actually is good attention and bad attention and he is going to eyeballs deep in the latter.

[otcconan]

File under "priceless":

That being said, my character, my experiences, and those of my comrades in arms have been called into question, and I believe that it is important to stand by my writing under my real name.

Oh, the irony. Hey Scott, it wasn't US who called in the question the character of your "comrades" (love how he uses the Soviet Union's terminology here), it was YOU. Perhaps you should have just kept your piehole shut.

[MICHAEL in MI]

"It’s been maddening, to say the least, to see the plausibility of events that I witnessed questioned by people who have never served in Iraq"

Oh that's rich. I continue to be amused (and annoyed) by the efforts to make this a "right-wing" attack. The fact is that this guy's stories have been questioned and proven false by Military Veterans, many of whom have either served in Iraq or are currently serving in Iraq. But of course, that is the last line of defense when you have been caught: try to discredit those who have outed you as a fraud.

[MICHAEL in MI]

FbL - Absolutely excellent idea. Is there any way we can find out the contact info for his unit?

[FbL]

As I said above, we need to find a way to mitigate the distraction and morale dump that Beauchamp is/will be to his comrades and command, since they're unlikely to be able to ship him home as would be proper (thanks for highlighting my comment, Jimbo). With that in mind...

I just got off the phone with Patti Bader (Soldiers' Angels) and she said she is willing to do anything helpful to boost morale for the Company, we just have to tell her what they need. I think a massive email/writing campaign needs to be part of anything we do and that can be powered by the blogs, but what are your ideas on how SA can help? Keep in mind there are the established activities of SA, but SA is capable of a great deal of flexibility and speed in meeting any new type of need.

[MICHAEL in MI]

Heh. I should have scrolled back up to the top of the post before posting my last comment. Good update, Uncle Jimbo. :)

[Mr.Sparkle]

His account certainly gains a bottom level of credibility now that he has attached his name to it.

[fontman]

A STATEMENT FROM SCOTT THOMAS BEAUCHAMP
Source: The New Republic

As we've noted in this space, some have questioned details that appeared in the Diarist "Shock Troops," published under the pseudonym Scott Thomas. According to Major Kirk Luedeke, a public affairs officer at Forward Operating Base Falcon, a formal military investigation has also been launched into the incidents described in the piece.

Although the article was rigorously edited and fact-checked before it was published, we have decided to go back and, to the extent possible, re-report every detail. This process takes considerable time, as the primary subjects are on another continent, with intermittent access to phones and email. Thus far we've found nothing to disprove the facts in the article; we will release the full results of our search when it is completed.

In the meantime, the author has requested that we publish the statement below. --The Editors

"My Diarist, "Shock Troops," and the two other pieces I wrote for the New Republic have stirred more controversy than I could ever have anticipated. They were written under a pseudonym, because I wanted to write honestly about my experiences, without fear of reprisal. Unfortunately, my pseudonym has caused confusion. And there seems to be one major way in which I can clarify the debate over my pieces: I'm willing to stand by the entirety of my articles for the New Republic using my real name.

"I am Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp, a member of Alpha Company, 1/18 Infantry, Second Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division.

"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 wanted Americans to have one soldier's view of events in Iraq.

It's been maddening, to say the least, to see the plausibility of events that I witnessed questioned by people who have never served in Iraq. 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. That being said, my character, my experiences, and those of my comrades in arms have been called into question, and I believe that it is important to stand by my writing under my real name."

--Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp

[MICHAEL in MI]

Uncle Jimbo - You might want to add another update to this post with the comprehensive roundup that Michelle Malkin has: Scott Thomas Steps Out of the Shadows

[dellbabe68]

Soldiers' Angels will be happy to send some support to his unit. Someone contact either Patti or myself with their contact info. I know lots of angels will respond. Thanks.

[Ron Coleman]

Well, did this guy basically buy himself a health insurance policy by publishing this stuff? I am sure he is untouchable now, notwithstanding his fragging fantasies.

[Tugboat706]

A. Freaking. Private. They took a story some PRIVATE made up and annointed it as gospel? Unbelievable. Not that I'm down on the most junior enlisted grades, as many are fine people who can be trained to be great members of the team... but damn, most Privates don't know their ass from a hole in the ground! Fer god's sake.

Anyhow, good smackdown, Uncle J.

[FASTAC 6]

I notice in the one of the excerpts above that Beauchamp uses the phrase "tikkun olam". On the off-chance that he is Jewish, I'd like to put on record that some of us believe tikkun olam consists of serving in the fight against America's enemies.

[Tugboat706]

On second thought, the only way it'd be more laughable was if it was a fresh 2LT.

[ArtbyRuth]

Pvt. Thomas- could you be any more like Stephen Glass for crying out loud??

Same narcissistic view of life: "woe is me..." and same way of embellishing the truth to suit TNR's Liberal views in order to gain the attention he so badly needs.

It is sickening how TNR fell for this again.....their hatred of the military and this war will taint everything they do from now on.

Can't wait to e-mail the unit Pvt. Dung Beetle came from. Glad to do it!!

[ST333]

Why does a little b!tch like this go into the Military in the first place? If he's so smart, what exactly did he think he was signing up for, the Peace Corp? They should give this "rotten apple" a chance to walk before he effects the morale of those around him. I hate p*ssies and whiners

[FbL]

ST333, check the link to Michelle Malkin above. He did it for a future "writing career." What an incredibly silly, narcissistic idiot he is...

[Mr.Sparkle]

Michelle Malkin complaining about bad writing?

Joke?

[FbL]

Mr. Sparkle, could you at least ONCE stay on topic? I recommend the MM post because she has a great round-up of the milbloggers on this topic (with about a half-dozen of her own lines); it's moving so fast that no one milblogger is on top of all the facts.

[MajMT]

"...all I really want to do is teach history and lay around and read and hustle around and repair the world (tikkun olam) and sift through knowledge and improve culture and learn how to sail and work in soup kitchens..." perhaps, under the provisions of Article 134 UCMJ for punitive discharge for an OTH discharge, we might find a way to expedite his lofty goals. Certainly this will improve his unit morale.

[Chas]

New to the blog. Love what you do here. One thing bothers me about this turd. If these things really happened why did he not do his duty and report them? Probably because honor is not in his vocabulary.

[billo]

I was in the Army for eight years, with an additional four as a DoD civilian. I was a Medical Examiner who worked on a few of these accusations of abuse some years ago (not in the current conflict) when they resulted in loss of life. What The New Republic and their ilk fail to report on is how seriously we took (and I presume still take) this stuff. It is *not* accepted, and there are a number of us who are paid quite well to devote our time to taking to task people who do this kind of thing. It is not part of Army culture, and is not tolerated by those within its mainstream. I and those I worked with have no patience for it, not only because it violates Army Values, but also because it is unprofessional.

Mr. Beauchamp's complaint that folk who don't know anything are displaying disbelief is a diversion. It is those of us who *do* know how seriously we take this stuff because we worked it who find his claims incredible. There have been bad units with bad leadership. There have been bad soldiers. They are not tolerated. If the behavior he describes really was endemic, then there would be other leadership issues that would mark the unit. It's not tolerated because such units and such leadership result in operational liability.

Mr. Beauchamp is not immune to investigation simply because he bragged of his crime. I sincerely hope that he gets a chance to observe *exactly* how strongly the behavior he describes is discouraged within the military legal system. Perhaps TNR will report on that

[Sue]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,445133,00.html

Someone should send the editors of TNR this story from 2006. Might show where he got the idea for his story.

[wingnutx]

"It’s been maddening, to say the least, to see the plausibility of events that I witnessed questioned by people who have never served in Iraq. "

I'm questioning him and I've served all over that shithole.

"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. "

Bullshit. Nobody forced you to send that bullshit to The New Republic.

"That being said, my character, my experiences, and those of my comrades in arms have been called into question, and I believe that it is important to stand by my writing under my real name."

You expect us to believe that you have character? If the events are true then you are a fucking slimeball. If they are false then you are a lying slimeball.

I still call BS on tons of this. Wearing the top of a child's skull over your own, for instance.

[Sue]

Read the story I linked above. He took that story and made it personal to him.

[warvet48]

I reiterate from an earlier post:

I am convinced that this Beauchamp created these stories for personal ego trips rather than to pass along truths. Time will tell now. Hopefully the investigative aspects will find him out!

Still the damage is done. Even though TNR doesn't have a broad readership (as mentioned in some other posts) this is starting to branch out wider and wider.
The left must love this Beauchamp and his tales. It's only a matter of time before this really hits MSM.

----------------------------
I do think it would be great if we could do something for the morale of the troops this idoit has blatantly screwed over. Emails, Soldiers Angels etc. (as mentioned above)

[Soldier's Mom]

According to AKO, he is currently at Schweinfurt GE. Someone said he was probably demoted by Article 15 action -- maybe he never made it to PV1! My question is (and I'm just a dumb Army civilian), isn't some of what he has said and done covered by the UCMJ? And if so, couldn't and shouldn't something be done to him in that vein? Not that I'm vindictive or anything but my son is an SF soldier and I would personally like to see this guy at the bottom of a hole covered in about a ton of dung without a breathing tube. But then, since he spews so much of it, he might make it -- we'll cover him with truth -- he'll die!

[Sue]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,445133,00.html

The skull scandal in Germany refuses to go away. Two days after tabloid Bild Zeitung published photos showing German soldiers playing with a skull in Afghanistan, the paper now says it has dozens more photos in its possession -- some of which it plans to publish on Saturday.

[Soldier's Mom]

BTW -- anyone wants his e-mail, I have it -- send me an e-mail at valerie dot conley at verizon.net

[socialism_is_error]

"...but I cant do it without getting through this army experience first, which will add a legitimacy to EVERYTHING i do afterwards, and totally bolster my opinions on defense, etc,..."

Seems that he has adopted the Kerry life plan.

[jtb-in-texas]

There are a dozen (at least) violations of the UCMJ in his "Diarist" pice.

He'd be luck to be locked up before his unit got into a firefight and let him come home a hero...

However, from his own blog entries, it sounds like he's just an eight-ball who isn't allowed away from latrine duty or motorpool activities...

You all know the type... lost a stripe because of drug or gambling problems off-base and not trusted by anyone else in his squad...

He probably scammed his "facts" from kimsoft.com and a variety of other third-rate "fake but accurate" sources...

[Suihei Deloi]

FbL - I am totally down with that. I think an email campaign would be a great idea. Not sure where to jump in, but if someone has good contact info, I can be reached at suiheideloi at hotmail dot com.

Man, this Thomas clown reminds me too much of a PN on my 1st boat. Called in a bomb threat to the ship. Only one problem. We were underway - and the number the peon called was the berthing for all of Combat. Not too bright.

I'd like to see Thomas/Beauchamp court-martialed. I just hope I'm not looking at a future John Kerry wannabee. Last thing this country or the rest of the planet needs.

[Devil Dog Dad]

Poor poor Scott Beauchamp, stuck in the Army mowing the grass, cry me a river volunteer.

Private, you have disgraced yourself and the Army. You sir are one of the lowest forms of life there is - except maybe Kerry, Murtha, etc.

You have shown you have no honor and if you could even slightly understand what that means, you would immediately apologize to your unit. This will not happen because from your writings I judge you to be a self centered user.

Let's hope your "buddies" throw you a blanket party tonight.

[songdongnigh]

Poor itty bitty thing. What a piece of work. This guy is lower than a barracks thief and needs to be dealt with accordingly. Lets hope his cr*p doesn't tighten up the restrictions on military bloggers.

[Wink]

Sorry guys, you have it all wrong.. Mr. Beauchamp is probablly a fine soldier.. and the stress and pressure of this unjust war have simply become too much for him. I sense frustration from him because he is doing the right thing everyday, and nothing good seems to come from it.. he doesn't need a Court martial and sent home.. he needs HELP!.. professional, ARMY help..

he CAN be rehabilitated, and made into a better soldier.. we CAN rebuild him.. quicker, faster, stronger.. it just takes time.. and a willing mind :)

Screw letting him out to go home and tell more stories.. define him as a Section 8, and get him the LONG TERM help he so desperately needs.. maybe in 12-15 years of therapy, he could rejoin those of us in the real world.. after all, don't our soldiers deserve our very very best?

:)

sweet Dreams Scooter

[lowandslow]

"He took that story and made it personal to him."

Nice catch Sue.

[Kaitian]

Blackfive,

I looked at his Myspace which there's a comment from MajMaj stating this
"Ok since you are in frankfurt what you need to do now is get with USO and they will be able to help get you back here. tell me the story on a message just so i can let anybody who asks know".

I shot off a message through myspace on what's "Scott Thomas" status is right now. I told him why I'm asking which was regarding the "Shock Troops" article.

[MoReen78]

What a douchebag. Even his picture makes me want to knock his teeth in.

[Ann E.]

FbL is right- the other people in the unit need to know we support them. Thomas must be really insecure to need all that attention. What a sorry excuse for a man.
Some of my friends do not have computers, but would write letters of support.
Could you get a physical address for the unit?

[SFCMAC]

Hey Jimbo,
great smackdown!
This is what I posted on the little chickenshit's "blog":

Hey Beauchamp, you want a little cheese with that ‘whine’?
My gawd, what pathetic BS. How old are you? Three?
Every morning you get up, you are first and foremost a Soldier, sweetpea. I’m an Iraq war Veteran twice over, and your little rant makes me want to vomit.
I saw your “diary” in the New Republic and I get the feeling you’ve got a reputation as a whiny problem child. I ran across a few of your type as an NCOIC, and my stock answer for them is this:
You were not drafted, you enlisted. You are now a Soldier in the United States Army and your primary mission is to fight and win the nation’s wars. If you cannot handle that, do us all a favor and GET OUT.

If you really have the integrity and guts to stand by an accusation, you don’t hide behind a pseudonym; you directly confront those you accuse instead of publishing your crap on a website notorious for smearing this country and the military. Your feckless statements are a disgrace and you certainly don’t do anything to honor your fellow Soldiers with your tripe. I seriously doubt that any of what you say is truthful.

I want to see the responses from your fellow troops in the 1st Infantry Division. I’ll bet they have a few choice words for you.

[Poppy]

I think I'm more pissed off about The New Republic. They in their Ivory Tower where they enjoy slamming the military (Like Foer) and then refuse to have an open discussion on their site. They only allow subscribers to post for fear alot of smart military types will clean their clocks.

If Foer really believes in his WRITER. Then open your site to allow the free flow of information. Or set up a blog where we can set you straight on things you know nothing about.

First thing I would ask them is to post a picture of the square glock casing. I got 1,000 dollars of BooChump can produce one.

[Soldier's Mom]

There is a web site for Alpha Company, 1/18 -- here is the URL:

http://www.1-18in.2bct.1id.army.mil/alpha.htm

[SlimGuy]

Sue

I found the same link you did and since that story was flapped over in Germany before he deployed it could be a starter story for his own skull stuff meme.

Also has anyone besides me picked up on the "Diarist" term is something almost unique to the Kos Kids.

Every one else talks about blog posts and other terms, but that word is something they almost have a lock on.

[Tully]

He extends his self-defense to his "comrades in arms" in order to spread the blame. I doubt if his "comrades" will appreciate his hauling them into his claims.

He was writing scenes about war atrocities before he ever left Germany--including the "half a face" thing."

Nutburger.

[Soldier's Mom]

I sent an e-mail to his 1SG and asked for an e-mail address that we can use to show support for the rest of his company. If and when I get a reply, I will post it. I sent it from my personal e-mail since I work for a general officer I didn't want it to look like it was an official brigade request.

[oldschool]

Guys like this individual always brought stuff down on their unit, it was generally handled in basic by the sqd ldr and platoon guide. they either got straight or they suffered the consequences. i seriosly doubt that this individual has ever been any thing but a slacker, whiner and remf. It is sad and typical that such a weak puke is given a forum for his inability to succeed. There was not then and i'm doubly sure now a combat unit that would tolerate this individuals presense.

[Tantor]

Uncle Jimbo: "As I said every unit has a Private Beauchamp who is more or less universally disliked as a whiny loser. No one understands them and they are always getting screwed over. They always have aspirations to grandness coupled with an absolute uselessness and laziness that ensures they will never achieve it."

Sounds like Lee Harvey Oswald, doesn't it?

[Poppy]

Here is another one that shows just how stupid/naive this guy is:

From his blog: (http://ghostsonfilm.blogspot.com/)

Beauchamp: "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. ....."""

Then a priceless comment by reader JOE:

Suicide by oven has nothing to do with heat dry or otherwise. The technique involves a GAS oven which is UNIGNITED. The cause of death is inhalation of gas not baking your head which would probably be impossible.
Also, probably best to just forego trying to come up with novel and artistic ways of describing the heat in Iraq. Micheal Totten just did a good job recently but he's REALLY talented. For you, just say 'it's hot' or even 'its very hot'

------------
Think TNR knew their diarist was a doofus??

[Heartless Libertarian]

"telling BS stories is not a crime."

Article 134, UCMJ. Conduct prejudicial to good order & discipline.

Art. 92, Failure to Follow Lawful Order or Regulation (Media ROE)

And, if he's been fibbing, there may be something about making false statements. I don't have my copy on hand at the moment.

[Poppy]

Ace is reporting that Beauchamp didn't get his job because he was a journalist, or smart, or could count to five without tripping. Apparently he's engaged to a girl that works at TNR.
Should have guessed it was a Plame' affair. The girl got her idiot bo the gig.

[Kat-Missouri/USA]

Yeah. I was just reading over at Malkin's that his wife works for TNR and another site said that John Barnes had him nailed. The fellow apparently was at Univ of Missouri in Colombia's creative writing program before he decided to run off and get "real" experience for his fictional writing LOL. Go figure. And, if you read any of his old stuff, he has himself imagining all sorts of interesting, really wordy, bad fictional war scenes and killing people.

This guy is a crock.

[Tom W.]

"As others have said elsewhere, this is a win-win for the anti-military types[.]"

The REAL win is being provided by General Petraeus and all those serving under him.

Don't let this ridiculous boy-man with his mediocre literary "talents" get you down.

He's a generic, a zombie like all the other sanctimonious antiwar pissants. They sound exactly alike.

They're the first people in the history of the planet to discover the horrors of war, and by God they're going to tell the rest of us idiots, who are mindlessly waving the flag without knowing that our boys are being turned into hideous atrocity-monsters! By the war!

Not a very original story line, and the writing style that uses five-mile-long run-on sentences is pretty over, too, at least as far as the publishing world is concerned.

Don't let this twerp get a rise out of you. He's a cartoon.

[MaryAnn]

Eeewwwww! He has a girlfriend?!?

[Soldier's Mom]

MaryAnn:

Noooooo -- he said he had a wife. Furthermore -- with the lights off and a paper sack over their head, they all sort of look the same!

Sorry guys -- just had to let it out!

And you know what -- UM-Columbia actually has a pretty good creative writing program -- if you join the service and deploy, (and he as ASKED to leave) -- he is probably just trying to get his student loans excused!

[zzbruno]

I hope this putz was in the Creative Writing Program at MU and not Journalism school. I graduted with a BJ (let it go, fellas) in 1983 and back then it was the #1 J-School in the US. I think it's slipped since then and has become decidely more left wingish (maybe it was the switch to all digital cameras?).

I do miss Booches and listening to Mike Shhhhannon on the Cardinal's Baseball Network!

[zzbruno]

by the way, I recall there being a great book on writing eulogies and orations for wakes out a couple of years ago; if anyone can recall the title, I'd like to pass it on to Frankie Foer at TNR. It's clear he's presiding at the wake of TNR and it will surely come in handy for a guy who's got a problem with quality prose.

[Soldier's Mom]

Someone mentioned Articles of the UCMJ. Would any of these apply?

ART. 117. PROVOKING SPEECHES OR GESTURES
Any person subject to this chapter who uses provoking or reproachful words or gestures towards any other person subject to this chapter shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

ART. 107. FALSE STATEMENTS
Any person subject to this chapter who, with intent to deceive, signs any false record, return, regulation, order, or other official document, knowing it to be false, or makes any other false official statement knowing it to be false, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

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.

That portion of Article 134: "...all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces..." ought to be enough to get him!

[roryslife]

Check out his myspace page and the comments. It appears he broke up with his German??? around April 21st. Possibly to get married to the TNR chick?

[ajacksonian]

Not just the UCMJ... as the Treaties made by the Nation are binding upon all citizens, not going through channels to report war crimes, which the 'mass graves' incident *is*, is a civil crime us US Code. From that TNR also has much to answer for, also, beyond the sedition parts of the US Code. The citizen does have a duty to responsibly use the freedom of speech and the press and to ensure that the international agreements the Nation has signed up to are adhered to. When problems arise, those Treaties and the Congressional laws to enforce them then give the channels of recourse, none of which is to first *print it*.

It is not just a lone idiot ideologue, but a problem on the civil side if anyone dares to take it up from the DoJ. Actions do have repercussions and by our common agreement as citizens in this Nation, upholding the laws and agreements the Nation has signed on to cannot be put at danger by our freedom of speech unless they endanger same. That is patently *not* the case here as the 1899 Hague Convention is quite clear on what the status of such sites is. While those are of conduct in war, the freedom of speech and the press are used by the citizens to uphold same and divulging information before reporting it to proper channels is also a crime, above and beyond the morale destructive aspects of it.

But that is just me, I do have strange thoughts of citizens actually using their rights and being held accountable for them.

[ga11az]

I think everyone here needs to relax and cut the kid a break. Joes sometimes do and say stupid things, things worse than fooling around with old bones, killing dogs (and it's possible with a BFV), and making fun of the disfigured. Joes also embellish war stories. I imagine his unit has bigger things to worry about than the readership at TNR. And I doubt their morale is going to be lifted by getting "we support the troops" e-mail from a bunch of nutters that obsess over a dumb private's bloggings and whatever UCMJ action is coming his way. Take a break from the comment boards and go to a recruiting office if you want to make a contribution.

[Jon Swift]

Of course, you're not suggesting that someone in his company should frag Beauchamp, not in so many words. But accidents do happen. Heh.

[Grimmy]

TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I--CRIMES

CHAPTER 115--TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES

Sec. 2388. Activities affecting armed forces during war

(a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully makes or
conveys false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with
the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United
States or to promote the success of its enemies; or
Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or
attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of
duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully
obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to
the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so--
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty
years, or both.
(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate subsection (a) of
this section and one or more such persons do any act to effect the
object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall
be punished as provided in said subsection (a).
(c) Whoever harbors or conceals any person who he knows, or has
reasonable grounds to believe or suspect, has committed, or is about to
commit, an offense under this section, shall be fined under this title
or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(d) This section shall apply within the admiralty and maritime
jurisdiction of the United States, and on the high seas, as well as
within the United States.

*****************
Publishing falsehoods that are designed to act as hostile propaganda is a criminal act for all involved.

[Soldier's Mom]

I am not sure who you are ajacksonian, but as for visiting a recruiting office -- if you had the common sense of a june bug you would have noticed that most of the posters here either are now or have been members of the military. I have two sons that are Army vets -- one still active as a Special Forces soldier and I have worked for the Department of Defense for over 25 years. From your language, I think you probably aren't even an American -- or at least not born and raised over here -- no biggy, bus some of your comments, i.e., "And I doubt their morale is going to be lifted by getting "we support the troops" e-mail from a bunch of nutters that obsess over a dumb private's bloggings and whatever UCMJ action is coming his way." are not only stupid, you just plain don't know what the hell you are talking about. I know that my son has told me that ANY form of written support while in a war zone is majorly appreciated. So do us all a favor -- either come out of hiding and give us your real name and when you were in the military and when you served over there, or just plain shut the "f" up!

[FbL]

I think everyone here needs to relax and cut the kid a break. Joes sometimes do and say stupid things... I imagine his unit has bigger things to worry about than the readership at TNR. And I doubt their morale is going to be lifted by getting "we support the troops" e-mail from a bunch of nutters that obsess over a dumb private's bloggings and whatever UCMJ action is coming his way. Take a break from the comment boards and go to a recruiting office if you want to make a contribution.

ga11az, I suggest you get a grip and do a little reading 'round these parts before jumping in with a comment. It will save you from looking stupid.

[warvet48]

Ca11az says:

"I think everyone here needs to relax and cut the kid a break. Joes sometimes do and say stupid things, things worse than fooling around with old bones, killing dogs (and it's possible with a BFV), and making fun of the disfigured. Joes also embellish war stories. I imagine his unit has bigger things to worry about than the readership at TNR. And I doubt their morale is going to be lifted by getting "we support the troops" e-mail from a bunch of nutters that obsess over a dumb private's bloggings and whatever UCMJ action is coming his way. Take a break from the comment boards and go to a recruiting office if you want to make a contribution.

Ga11az:

You are something else. I've done my time both at war and during peacetime and am a retired, 100% disabled vet due to the first Gulf war.
So I've already made my contribution. And tho there may be some sad "Joes" as you call them, this man brings discredit and defamation to the troops he serves with.

What contribution have you made?

I take umbrage whenever someone insults the integrity of our servicemen. You obviously feel content to let that happen. You have little sense of pride or service if that is your position (and if you ever served?).

Another point: You may not know about our prior email campaign to support the Fighting 6th Marines. That generated 20'000 emails. And In all the times I've been forward deployed, whether for war or peace, letters of support were great for morale. These Emails have the same effect.

If you find it soo f**king hard to simply send an email to show some support to the troops. Then STFU!!!

[FbL]

Soldiers' Mom, that was ga11az (Very well said, though). On Blackfive the author of a comment is BELOW the comment. Yeah, it's confusing. ;)

[bluliner10]

Ga11az, nice strawman, guess you think that only vets can call this guy out or actively serving? I am both, 13 months in al Anbar and Balad AO's. What this guy does is despicable, he chimes that his "brothers" are committing war crimes for fun, unless desecration of the dead doesn't meet your definition. Fraudelent and dangerous use of military vehicles is another so I think the dog hunting would make for a pretty good Courts-martial offense also. No this POS is a bald face liar and brings discredit on those who wear the uniform. Obviously, you and your strawman argument are not much above that either. So while people like you continue to feed the enemy propaganda machine...I will go on HONORABLY serving and you can STFU.

[warvet48]

bluliner10: Thanks for your service! And you were right on target with Ga11az.

Now if anyone wants a change from ga11az and S.Thomas Blowchump.

Step over to Vets for Freedom
for some people we should get to know (Real Patriots).

http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/patriots/default.aspx?sid=10

sorry I don't know how to paste the link. so just copy and paste to the URL/address block...

[JLawson]

For every dung roller like Beauchamp, there's a hundred like this guy.

Ranger's Daily Briefing

I've watched as he worked his way through the OCS selection process, and he's got a definite love for this country and ambition which extends far beyond the laundry list of stories Beauchamp uses to impress the ladies with to get his ashes hauled.

But one thing I noticed - if this is the same Beauchamp who writes the blog linked up at the top, he's got one hell of an editor to take that crappy style of his and turn it into something readable.

[JihadGene]

Personally I'd like to see someone photo chop-shop Scott BeauChump's picture showing a John Kerry Face, or a Murtha, or Harry Reid, or a Nancy Pelosi. Yeah Buddy! A Pelosi face over Scottie's...I like that! Maybe, even a Hillary face...ooooo....too scary!!!

[bthun]

I've not had the opportunity to spend much time reading the news on our little fellow as it developed in the past few days, so my regrets if this question has already been beaten to death, but... with a title like "Shock Troops" is not the punch line and the perspective of his tales from the dark side given away at the get-go?

I too will watch with interest to hear what his fellow troops have to say about their buddy Beauchamp. Blanket-party is my first thought, but that's just a remembrance of an old fashioned show of affection for the gifted.

[Jon Swift]

It really is inspiring to see how everyone here is supporting the troops by plotting the best way to take revenge against Pvt. Beauchamp and implying, without quite saying, that someone in his company should frag him.

[redc1c4]

just a thought:

will "Ranger Up" give us a discount on a bulk purchase of
"Blue Falcon" T-shirts, so every troop in A-1/18th INF (M) can have one?

*that* oughta do wonders for their morale..... especially if they are personalized with something like "I was screwed by "Scott Thomas" and all I got was this kewl t-shirt." %-)

redc1c4,
full of something out in the PRC

[douglas]

I notice SoldierNoLongerinIraq isn't posting around here suddenly...
Wonder why not?

What I'm floored by is how stupid this guy was to leave such a trail of material showing what a lousy writing, self-centered, bizarro he is. Not to mention the 'precursor' stories he wrote before ever getting to Iraq. That he was TNR's darling guest writer pretty much seals the deal on the question of whether or not there's lefty bias in the media.

As for 'cutting some slack' because sometimes people do stupid things- Well, when I was young and stupid, I paid the price for my stupidity. Now he will too. That's how the REAL world works, but I do understand how a writer (who's never done anything else except enlist to 'bolster' his writers cred) wouldn't quite grasp that.

[douglas]

Oh, and I marvel at the fact that an editor wouldn't at least Google someone so they knew what they were getting. Had Foer done that, he could have seen how bad his blog writing was and just skipped the whole idea. But I guess when you're desperate for a BF to bad mouth the troops, you take what you can get.

[Uncle Jimbo]

"

just a thought:

will "Ranger Up" give us a discount on a bulk purchase of
"Blue Falcon" T-shirts, so every troop in A-1/18th INF (M) can have one?

*that* oughta do wonders for their morale..... especially if they are personalized with something like "I was screwed by "Scott Thomas" and all I got was this kewl t-shirt." %-)

redc1c4,
full of something out in the PRC"

Oh Mr. Neck,

That is just beautiful.

Cordially,

Uncle J

[Digger]

This was left for Balloon Juice,

They really are an ill sort!!!
JW Says:

To All,

You all are very twisted, you have no idea what it’s like to serve this nation with pride. Many of you may have attempted, but you failed. There are so many that do 20 yrs service and still don’t get it, (you were the REMF’s) you will never be anything other. I do thank you for your service and so does the nation. For those of you that have never served, you might want to stay away from any conversation involving it. You have nothing but an idealist outsider opinion and no knowledge what so ever. Not that your not, afforded an opinion, but your dads and grandfathers service gives you, zero IQ in military matters, even if you have a PHD in such.

In the service combat arms and direct combat service support are those that carry the weight, take the losses, and see what causes you to cringe. They also cringe, but they are the ones who make your life a free one and fight and give their lives so others may someday share in that freedom.

So before you judge the character of a combat arms service member and his thoughts about how a POS should be treated, remember your own actions when some ass cuts you off in traffic and what you do or what you would like to do to them. They were just an inconvenience to you.

This soldier and his words, could cost the lives of others!

July 26th, 2007 at 10:08 pm

[The Liberal Avenger]

Wow. The unbridled hatred here is horrifying.

You guys really need some help.

Shame!

[Kat-Missouri/USA]

Sorry Lib...a liar is a liar. a cheat is a cheat. I'm afraid, having read some of Scotto's previous works that his current works are regurgitations of his pre-deployment fantasies rounded out with some "one day at band camp" experiences that he learned through osmosis from his actual 11B combat buddies and general conversation in the DFAC.

His service not withstanding, he's an idiot, wannabe Hunter Thomas who plagiarizes other people's works (yes, some of his pre-deployment works are bad cut and pastes from other writers; several phrases in particular about the "crystal balls" was from a poem; he's not even original).

Sorry, he's a liar and a cheat. I don't have to give him anything just because he wears a uniform.

And Lib...I would think you would be much more horrified by the thought that some of this fellows fevered writings were actually true such as wearing skulls, ridiculing the injured or randomly killing dogs. That was almost truly horrifying except, well, it's probably the biggest bunch of crap anyone's written since the "Dewey beats Ike" headlines.

[Kat-Missouri/USA]

Sorry...make that "Hunter Thompson". But, to round this out, BadBrad, JAG officer commenting at Hotair contacted one of his buds through myspace:

Also, Got this from a guy who knows him in Iraq… he was pretty freaked out that I messaged him out of the blue (thought he was in trouble) and had no idea what the uproar was about or that this was such a “bid deal”. I guess he hasn’t read the latest installment of the “fake but accurate” literary style of Scott Thomas aka Scott Thomas.

His exact quote to me several months ago when i asked him about some of the things he wrote was. ” just because it didn’t neccarly happen to us doesn’t mean it isn’t true”.

ahhhh… “fake but accurate”

And, shockingly, Turns out Private B. is NOT a top 80% soldier.

as for private beauchamp him self. he just received is 2 article 15 for going awol for three weeks up at BIAP after he returned from R&R. not a model soldier despite that i have considered him a friend up untill now.

Yea, I suspected something like this may not make him very popular right now…

I won’t have him wanting to mke things sound more intersting over here to make more people want read his writing reflect me in a negative light!

I’m shocked… shocked, to find an agenda at play here!

BadBrad on July 26, 2007 at 11:23 PM

I think that about seals the deal. TNR got "fake but accurate" drilled in the shorts by the husband/fiancee of one of their staffers. Or were complicit. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say they did not follow the basic rules, "trust but verify". Must have missed that last part in Journalism 101.

[bluliner10]

Kat scores an A+! What is horrifying that some would pine for the day when we could take our 10%er's out behind the paintlocker and give some good ole' fashioned counselling or that somebody thought a neat tale of combat 'heroics' meant wearing a child's skull as a party favor? I suppose it is okay no, it meets with your general opinion of us, that we would rather laugh and harass a seriously wounded individual, because we just become inhuman during combat?
Liberal avenger, I called the writer of such fiction a POS. Which he deserves in any definition. He lied about his exploits and called his brothers sadistic criminals. May as well call me a baby killer too, and while you are at it. Spit at me. That is really what you want to do and say. You and John Cole and your ilk, are disgusting and worthless human beings. You are not worthy to breathe my air, but not only do I allow it. I defend it with my life. Like little woodticks you suck the life blood out of my country and demand more. If things don't go your way, you stand up and scream all sorts of vulgar and insane things under the guises of Free Speech and "Truth to Power". However, if somebody says something you disagree with it is HORRIFYING. LA you are nothing. Never will be anything more than a tree-feeding buffet for worms.

To my own Semper Fi...to the idiots STFU!

[Steve J.]

ArtbyRuth writes: It is sickening how TNR fell for this again.....their hatred of the military and this war

I think you should check out TNR a little more closely. For its support of the war, some of us call it "Joe Lieberman Weekly"

[SlimGuy]

The trolls are having their moments trying desperately to disrupt the thread , but even they have to realize this has the hairs on the necks of all vets and those currently serving standing up so much they are going to only be treated as speed bumps.

This sh*t has to be countered and all the connecting of dots by all the blogs posting on this situation and the stuff being developed in the comment threads are really putting the whole story line together.

There are too many net droppings revealed after the tool identified himself that point to motives and other possibilities.

He can try to delete his own tracks, but others have already archived them so it is a useless cover.

Also following him down there are many other social contacts he has that will not also be purged.

What I find interesting at this point due to researching his close friends is they are uniformly silent on his story points and his identifying himself.

The emails and IM's between them must be spending a lot of bandwidth, but if you follow down the first order and second order personal links to him, it's like it's just another day. Strange for such a high profile person not to even be commented on.

[Steve J.]

it's probably the biggest bunch of crap anyone's written since the "Dewey beats Ike" headlines.

Truman, not Ike.

[SlimGuy]

Seriously this guy is into social networking sites and he has a small group of regular commentors and if you reach down to that next level , with all the attention he is getting on the web, it's like to them it is a non event.

You would think that their personal blogs linked through his net presence would have some going to bat for him and others dissing him out after he came forward, but it just by all of them a non event.

Someone tell me how likely that is. I call BS.

[douglas]

I think you should check out TNR a little more closely. For its support of the war, some of us call it "Joe Lieberman Weekly"

Perhaps you should examine a bit more closely- TNR was supporting the war when Beinart was the editor. Now it's Foer. Different editor, essentially, different paper. That was as of February 06.

Loved this photo caption there:
Franklin Foer, 31, is eager to "produce journalism that people read."
Nothing in that quote about accuracy!

[Kat-Missouri/USA]

Thanks for the correction steve. the point was fictiononal crap as the reality. though, I admit it ruined the screed. LOL

[Arch]

If Scott Beauchamp wants to become a writer, he needs to buy a copy of E.B. White's Elements of Style. The 100+ word sentence he wrote is, in itself, a war crime. I'm sure the army is preparing him well for his likely civilian vocation - janitorial service.

BTW, I would not count on having young Franklin Foer as a sponsor at TNR when Scott exits the military. In fact, I would not count on having TNR around either. Their paid subscriptions are down 40% since 2000.

Darwin was right.

[Arch]

Uncle Jimbo:

Went over to Balloon Juice and I did not feel the love. Pretty nasty lot, that.

Arch

[Samantha West]

It's beautiful to watch the liberal controlled media called to the carpet.

During the 60's and 70's Beauchamp's confabulation would have been printed, and the only recourse for responsible people of conscience would have been to write a letter to the editor, and then hope that it was published a days, or more likely, weeks after the fact.

Today the internet allows people of a like mind to congregate and to take immediate action to counter the fabrications of self-absorbed, self-righetous and self-serving manipulators like Beauchamp, Silverstein, and the media who publish the irresponsible disinformation fabricated in their tiny minds.

These people delibertly cause harm. It is their intent to harm the nation and those who volunteer to protect it. They are as much the enemy as are the terrorists.

Beauchamp is guilty of treason in my book and should be tried thusly. I will not call him private as that, and all US military ranks and titles, are due respect in my home. He is unworthy.

And for the little tripe (ga11az) who commented that our troops would not want to receive email from we nutjobs... have you, personally, ever corresponded with any of our deployed military? Have you given your phone number to a SNCO so one of his Marines or soldiers or airmen who gets no mail and has no one to call can have someone to talk to? I doubt it, or you wouldn't have made such an erroneous remark.

Finally, during my years of writing letters, sending packages and taking phone calls from our deployed military, I have heard many stories, had several inappropriate requests (from my wily grunts that I still love very much), but I have yet to find one who does not have compassion, even if it is tucked away deep inside. I'm not saying that those people don't exist in our military, but if cruelity and discompassion ran rampant throughout the military, I would have seen it by now.

[warvet48]

"Went over to Balloon Juice and I did not feel the love. Pretty nasty lot, that."

Uncle J: Arch got the same feeling I did. No warm and fuzzy over there.

But did you note how they could only focus on us saying mentioning how Beauchamp should have a good a$$whoopin. They ignore the fact that what this guy says is fabrication and harmful to the military.

Just goes to show what another straight up leftist (and his little group of followers) are made of.

I wonder how they would act if someone insulted their family members? Would they be angry? or would they just say "it's ok, he was just stressed out"? "leave him alone".

When you have no balls that's the way it goes.
-----------------------------
For liberal avenger:
this Blowchamp character deserves the animosity directed towards him. He's causing problems not just for himself...but to good soldiers serving in Iraq, who haven't done the BS he spews.
If he only said things that harmed his own image, there wouldn't be near the uproar.

I doubt that you and the other trolls can begin to understand the real problem that this ahole presents. So basically just STFU!!

[warvet48]

Jon Swift first says
"Of course, you're not suggesting that someone in his company should frag Beauchamp, not in so many words. But accidents do happen. Heh."

Then you come back later and say:
"It really is inspiring to see how everyone here is supporting the troops by plotting the best way to take revenge against Pvt. Beauchamp and implying, without quite saying, that someone in his company should frag him."

Swift, the only one who says anything about fragging him in this thread is you!

The guy deserves an a$$whoopin at least, and certainly punishment by any legal recourse UCMJ or whatever.

Don't insult our intelligence by first sugesting he be fragged...and then coming back and accusing the rest of us of saying it.

So Jon Swift STFU!

What we seek is that he be found out and dealt with as he should be, for causing the damage he has caused. All for his ego tripped literary BS stories.

[warvet48]

Oh yeah...Jon Swift.

If you were paying any attention to the posts you might have noticed that methods of supporting the troops are being brought into play.

In particular the possibility of another emailing campaign, Soldiers Angels and their group are looking to help. We,re just waiting for the pieces to fall together. Once they do, stick around and you'll see how we work to support the troops.

This blog is just another method of support. I just assume your twisted way of looking at things doesn't allow you to see that. Look at the whole website, then comeback and comment about "supporting the troops".

[John Cole]

You and John Cole and your ilk, are disgusting and worthless human beings. You are not worthy to breathe my air, but not only do I allow it. I defend it with my life. Like little woodticks you suck the life blood out of my country and demand more. If things don't go your way, you stand up and scream all sorts of vulgar and insane things under the guises of Free Speech and "Truth to Power". However, if somebody says something you disagree with it is HORRIFYING. LA you are nothing. Never will be anything more than a tree-feeding buffet for worms.

GFY, Jarhead.

You don't know the first thing about me, you clearly have a lot of anger issues to deal with, and I am sick of morons like you thinking that because you serve you are somehow better than the rest of us. For the record, I served, too. And never did I think it entitled me to more of a voice than my fellow citizens. Pompous inbreds like you really need to look up the word sacrifice, or, at the very least, consider what the "service" aspect of military service is...

Additionally, I am not some leftist latte sipping commie who hates the troops or runs around levelling false accusations. I spent WEEKS attacking people over the spurrious and, in my opinion, scandalous white phosphorous nonsense several years back.

My position on Beauchamp has been clear- who cares? Really, while you all are trying to excuse your chest-thumping groupthink by claiming "TERRIBLE CRIMES HAVE BEEN COMMITTED" and whipping yourself into a lather screaming about how much this hurts the troops and it just can't be true, the rest of us are looking at you and wondering what the hell is wrong with you. First, the enemy doesn't read TNR. They really don't. Al Qaeda in Iraq is not going to justify their next IED because Beauchamp reported that some GI's made fun of a woman in a mess hall. Saying otherwise is absurd.

Second, I don't know how many people read TNR, but I never even heard of Beauchamp until I saw the hysterics brigade massively linking the issue on memeorandum.com. Your childish and goonish antics and response have given this story 100 times the play it ever would have received. Seriously- try this at a bar tonight- as if anyone knows who Scott Beauchamp is. Then, enjoy yourself trying to explain to people who just looked at you quizzically and shrugged their shoulders that IT IS A SUPER BIG DEAL AND THE TROOPS ARE IN DANGER AND THAT MICHELLE MALKIN THINKS IT MEANS THE LEFT HATES AMERIKKA. Seriously, have fun with that. The absurd response has given this stupid story far more legs than anything the TNR PR department could dream up.

Finally, is it possible that Beauchamp is just the company shitbird and many of these claims, while rooted in truth, are exaggerated? Absolutely. Are you telling me that you have no faith in his NCO's taking care of this, and that unless you keyboard comandos go crazy and make sure Beauchamp is publicly executed, he is going to get off scot free for lying? Sheesh- as a former NCO, I am a little miffed you all have so little faith in our current Army's non-coms.

So stop your petty and thuggish calls for violence. Stop acting like I am the enemy, when I am not (although I am having fun watching you chest-thumping morons make fools of yourselves). And for the love of everything holy, get a sense of perspective.

[Laughing Wolf]

Traffic down at the juice plant? Just a suggestion to the readers, but may I suggest not feeding hits to John, Jon, et al?

[Arch]

To Liberals their anti-war, anti-military, anti-American diatribes are a game. They have never had to kiss a six-year old son goodbye, maybe forever, and tell him to tale care of his Mom and his little brother. They don't understand that the guys in their unit who are slandered really are your brothers. To them it's all about power and fame.

The media don't get it either. America has a free press so that the people can be told the truth, not lies and Left wing propaganda. No matter what the facts are, they look at them and ask, "How can we tell this story to reflect ill on the military? the war? the administration? the conservatives? America?"

Truth in the US main stream media has been obsolete since February 27th, 1968 when Walter Cronkite came on TV and said, "For it seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate."

That was the first major lie and it worked.

Our objection to TNR and Beauchamp is that they lied. What part of lied does John Cole not understand?

[Fenris]

Arch, good call RE: Elements of Style. I read the POS's original article before this hellstorm started, and I think my facial expression must have looked like somebody was holding a fresh dog turd under my nose. Just because Michael Herr made that stream-of-consciousness nonsense work doesn't mean just anybody can, huh?

” just because it didn’t neccarly happen to us doesn’t mean it isn’t true”. JFC

[John Cole]

Arch, good call RE: Elements of Style. I read the POS's original article before this hellstorm started, and I think my facial expression must have looked like somebody was holding a fresh dog turd under my nose. Just because Michael Herr made that stream-of-consciousness nonsense work doesn't mean just anybody can, huh?

Finally a point of agreement- Beauchamp is a terrible writer and a pretentious shit. About that, there is no argument.

[Arch]

John Cole:

Private Beauchamp is factually challenged - a liar. No burned woman contractor, no graves, no Bradley dog-shooting joy rides. His stories were false.

I stand by my recommendation he get a copy of EOS.

Arch

[blackflag]

Uncle Jim,
Thanks for working up this post, you pretty much nailed the punks personality in your description. Every unit has one of those douche bags, the guy that knows it all and the guy the no-one likes. I really hope his SGT and CO chap his ass for this.

[Devil Dog Dad]

Hey John, I don't know you from that dog turd under your nose. What has torqued me off is that TNR would publish lies and add to sapping the country's morale. I would guess my thuggish mind would say 95% of the Media (TNR included) wants surrender and loss. Do you get that?

[John Cole]

Hey John, I don't know you from that dog turd under your nose.

Now, now. That is no way to talk about Uncle Jimbo.

[Devil Dog Dad]

Hey John, laugh-- thought I'd never start.

[Jon Swift]

Of course you didn't suggest outright that someone frag Scott Beauchamp. You just want to remind his fellow soldiers how much they should hate him so that they can take it into their own hands to "deal" with him. Harshly. And if things go a little too far, in the heat of the moment, you know, well that certainly would be a pity. But that wouldn't be your fault, would it?

[CTRepublican]

Hey, Jimbo!

When will the "savaging" begin?

I need to know when to microwave the popcorn.

Love,
Atlas Shrugs

[Kat-Missouri/USA]

Johnny get angry, Johnny get mad
give me the biggest lecture I ever had
I wanna cave man
I wanna brave man

Johnny show me that you care, really care for me

Look, here's the point. If TNR has 60,000 readers, that is 60,000 readers who got the "shock and awe" treatment from Foer, Beauchamp and possibly Reeves. This is about Journalistic integrity and whether ideology plays a roll in how news is reported. Or, in this case, how fantastical fabrications are reported as "news from the front".

In one sense, John is right. Chest thumping about kicking Beauchamps' butt sounds nice, but is a) unproductive and b) no longer necessary as the first riff of the day from the Wapo indicates Sir Scott is already in a mass of crap he probably isn't swimming out of too soon. From his history, this isn't the first time he's ever been "before the man" and frankly, based on that history, may have been the real motivator for his stupendous writing. He just got demoted and an article 15 at the end of may, early June for being AWOL for three weeks. My guess is, aside from his desires to be a writer, this was his version of "scorched earth". But, as sometimes happens with arsonists, he stepped into a puddle of gasoline as he was striking the match.

Back to the main issue, which all this research and fact finding was a part of, a news organization with a previous reputation for printing BS has printed BS again on the assumption of truth based on the sole association with a staffer. And spread it to at least 60,000 subscribers plus whoever ventures to read it on the net. That's before these blogs got hold of it.

That is the salient point here. There are a couple thousand other writers in the military out there who tell the story of this war without having to create it out of whole cloth, embellish or otherwise fabricate events. The fact that some of them haven't spent a few fruitless years pursuing creative writing or feeling the need to relegate their company, command or battle buds to Genghis Khan status appears to keep them unquotable and unreadable by the general mass. Largely because they don't go around seeking paid jobs as an inside "reporter". They already have a job. But they can't be trusted, like these alleged "vetted" sources of organizations like TNR because they do not represent the desired story line: ie, war is hell, pity the poor soldier who we secretly know just wishes to up and leave the dehumanizing disaster that is Iraq.

IN the end, that is the real issue here. Scott has hung himself.

And, I am particularly interested in the idea that this should just be quietly swept under the rugged when assuredly, had this been left alone, someone outside of TNR would have picked it up and ran with it. Allowing many more credulous consumers of the news to be mislead.

That is where the rubber meets the road.

Kind of like, you know, when that little communist, Italian news station and paper ran with the "white phospherous=chemical weapons" thing you allude to? If the story gets traction, all the response in the world will not slow down the onslaught.

Spot on Kat.

John Cole,

As a former NCO myself well over 30 years ago and recalling how the enlisted folks used to react to no-loads like Pvt. Beauchamp by using the much storied blanket party method is not the same as advocating for one, much less a fragging on which Jon boy seems to be obsessing.

I