Don S. Davis supports our troops

[lady-lirenel.livejournal.com]

In a recent Gateworld interview, Don S. Davis, who played General Hammond on Stargate SG-1 was asked about his view on the military:

GW: You said that Hammond was influenced by your experience in the Army. How has the Army influenced you?

DD: Well I'm one of those people that I wouldn't have the life I had today if I hadn't been in the service. I never believed that the Vietnam War was justified. It was a lie. It was built on a lie. I think the Iraq problem is the same thing. But the military doesn't start wars. Politicians do, either to line their pockets or because they're stupid or because they've obligated themselves to somebody who has said, "I need a war. Go fight one." And so they are in control of the military. And they put out propaganda, and say "We're threatened unless we do something." And then a war starts.

The people that have to fight it very often know that they're going into harm's way not for a valid reason, but they've got to do it. And it's been that way throughout history. "Into the valley of death rode the five hundred." They knew they were riding into the valley of death. Today's no different.

I get very angry when I hear people abuse the American military. Sure, there have been some incidents of some mistreatment of prisoners, but how can today's public be so short-sighted not to remember the atrocities that these people were committing?
How can the public forget the Japanese treatment of prisoners in World War II? What the hell right does Japan have to complain about a couple of bombs when they were the instigators of the Bataan Death March? Men, women and children. And the Germans? They may make a good Volkswagen, but how can you ever forget what happened in World War II? And Bosnia, and Serbia.

One of the problems with mankind is that we are an animal that distrusts animals not like our pack. And there is always going to be someone with their own agenda that's going to cause our pack to try and kill the other pack. That's the nature of the beast. But within each pack, there are good people who take up the sword to defend their kind.

Boy, that's going to get me in a lot of trouble! [Laughter]


You can find the rest of the interview at http://www.gateworld.net/interviews/intimate_portrait_part_2_o.shtml