Hot off the presses - Toys

[cantdog]

There's something going on in the Fort Hood area, which you or your church may well hear of shortly. It's called Toys for Troops.

Well, you know, it really is a bit paternalistic. What they don't tell you about paternalistic ideas is, they do work. The word is, the troops like the idea, and the kids seem to like it too, to a degree.

Any comments?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

War is such hell. All I can think about is the way the insurgents targeted the crowds of children that gathered when the GI's were handing out candy.

It's a sweet gesture, and I'm sure this guy's heart's in the right place, but it just says so much about the naivete of the American mindset to think that we can win hearts and minds by handing out toys in the midst of all that chaos and hatred and fear.

 

[Guest]

Good things can come of this

During the Berlin Airlift in 1948, at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport, pilot Gail Halvorsen one day met some Berlin children who stood at the fences to watch the planes. Touched by their happiness when he gave them two pieces of gum, he cajoled his crewmates into pooling their candy rations. For the next several weeks, they dropped candy to the children, using handkerchiefs as parachutes and signaling a drop by wiggling the plane’s wings. A German journalist, having been hit in the head by one of the packages, wrote a story about the man the children called the "Candy Bomber" and "Uncle Wiggly-Wings." His secret was out, but embracing a perfect propaganda story, the air force encouraged his kindness. The men on base began donating their candy rations and soon packages of candy, gum, and handkerchiefs arrived from the States. The project, called Operation Little Vittles, delivered 23 tons of treats to children all over West Berlin.

A friend of mine who lived in Berlin in the middle 1970's, told me she met many adults who recounted getting candy from the air. It was a very favorable memory they had of an otherwise anxious time.

More info here

 

[cantdog]

I share your pessimism, and your assessment of his and the country's grip on reality, Zoot. I fear this will cause more sneers than smiles, upon the Iraqi side of the line. But it will doubtless improve troop morale, anyway, so long as the incidence of raids during distributions is low.

Cops here carry teddy bears in their black-and-whites, and the city ambulance used to do that, as well, when I ran the thing. Traumatized kids can frequently achieve distraction and even comfort with them. The context is so radically different, though. I wish I could share the Pollyanna spirit which prompted this, but I am not sanguine.

 

[LadyJeanne]

If a Beanie Baby can comfort a child, I don't think there's anything wrong in making the attempt. I'm disturbed by comments like this one, though (from cant's link):

"He hopes that if the children can learn early on that Americans are looking out for their best interest, they will be more accepting as adults."

 

[cantdog]

Yep, evidently we plan to occupy Iraq when the six year old of today is all grown up.

 

[impressive]

Yep, evidently we plan to occupy Iraq when the six year old of today is all grown up.

Or merely not to turn that little six-year-old into a suicide bomber.

*sigh* They mean well. I'm still cynical ... but when our military is resorting to Beanie Babies to complete its mission ...