VICE
7 HN recommenders · recommended in 8 months, 2014–2023
1:29:11 · 10M views · May 27, 2013
Ben Anderson's VICE documentary shows embedded reporting on Afghan security forces and US Marines in Helmand during the troop drawdown, exposing incompetence, drug abuse and corruption.
Recommended during Afghanistan withdrawal threads as a sobering look at why the transition to local forces was failing.
12 comments from Hacker News
Vice news has (or had?) some actual journalists. They hired Ben Anderson whos Afghanistan and Iraq reporting was really impressive. Especially "This is what winning looks like". this video If i recall correctly he made the footage when embedded via the BBC and (re)published it on vice? Still incredibly impressed of the footage he managed to shoot as an embedded journalists. I would guess in no small parts due to the integrity of Major Bill Steuber. Unfortunately that seems to have cost him his military career. He is now a security guard in Manhattan. [LINK] Afterwards Anderson mentioned the required style of reporting at Vice negatively (the camera focusing on his reactions) but he stayed with them for a while. Not sure if he is still associated with them. edit: Fixed timestamp & He left vice last year [LINK]
Their youtube channel used to deliver incredibly raw and direct coverage of world events other US news sources seemed to be ignoring. Over the last few years though I've become increasingly annoyed with what content of theirs I saw, it's definitely changed. Their coverage of the rebuilding efforts and failures in Afghanistan for instance was very illuminating and well done, I highly recommend giving this a watch though it's very upsetting: this video
If you haven't seen the VICE special This Is What Winning Looks Like [0], watch it. As a sibling comment said, there was no plausible path to success. It was just a tremendous waste of time and resources, many of which just ended up in terrorist hands. [0] this video
For a fascinating insight into the disaster that was supposed to be the training of and transition to local security forces, I highly recommend the 2013 documentary "This Is What Winning Looks Like": this video
"Old Vice": this video "New Vice": [LINK] > A @VICEUK video producer once responded to me: "I don't understand why this is so difficult, all I want to know is if you can do the job" when I brought up the issue of my safety covering sensitive topics in China, and how I'll take the fall while her team leaves unscathed. > Naomi: Off limits stuff: I don't talk about my relationship status or my sexual orientation. China is China and it's a complex issue that is sometimes dealt with in pragmatic ways- and my focus is on other issues. It's just a lot of trouble here. > Vice: "LOL. We outed you on an international stage and also went out of our way to get your Patreon banned, buh-bye!" Hopefully they can regain their conscience and quality.