Human Terrain System too evil for real scientists
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Our privileged class of pampered elites safely ensconced in their ivory towers is whinging again about those who dare contribute to our common defense. In this case one group of these wankers objects to our use of anthropologists in the Human Terrain System, a project designed to help the military understand the local populations so we can better work with them.
Anthropologists should not be helping U.S. military forces gather information about Afghan villagers and their way of life, a study commission sponsored by their academic organization said today.
The American Anthropological Association, in a study commissioned a year ago, called such work with the Army's Human Terrain System (HTS) program in Afghanistan "incompatible" with the ethics of the profession.
"When ethnographic investigation is determined by military missions, not subject to external review, where data collection occurs in the context of war, integrated into the goals of counterinsurgency, and in a potentially coercive environment ... it can no longer be considered a legitimate professional exercise of anthropology," the AAA' s Commission on the Engagement of Anthropology with the US Security and Intelligence Communities said in a report released today.
I wonder how they would like to work at the University of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan where they would have the option of studying the greatness and majesty of Islam and how all other cultures are pigs and dogs. They would flourish under the open system of academic discourse that would allow them to come to any conclusion supported by the Koran as interpreted by those pillars of free thinking the freakin' Taliban.
What pathetic drivel, and they justify it by the code of ethics of their profession. Now I understand that science needs guiding principles etc., but this is just using that to rationalize their dislike of anyone helping the evil knuckle draggers who keep them safe. These rough men are better as an item of study to determine what makes them so evil. Yeah well we'll keep that in mind pencil necks.