Welcome To War

While I really appreciate the effort you guys are making and am looking forward to the rest of the series....I failed to see the story in this particular pod.

I hear you talking about involving the ideas and stories of those voices who don''t make it into the "framework of western discourse."

I heard none of those ideas and voices in this pod....except for the guy who comes up to the car door window and says he loves america.

I learned the credentials of all the producers and that they are a bunch of sweet surfer dudes

I heard how much of a hassle it was for you guys to travel through a worn torn area.....who would have thought???

I also saw a lot (too much) footage of lebanon all blown to hell......big surprise.

You guys did have some good, very basic talking points on Lebanese politics and current events.

I felt like this whole adventure through the region took place from the back seat of the car. The good stories are always on the ground, dudes.

Honestly, I kind of got the impression this was a video of you guy''s surf trip that you brought home and decided to cut it into a story about the conflict.

Is there actually any surf in Lebanon?

I hope the forthcoming pods will be a little more connected and in pace with the topics at hand.

I share the horror with smorrisey.

I commend their boldness to go guerrilla into a Lebanon. But they did little in the form of journalism or collecting of indigneous impressions of the conflict.

This isn''t actually going to end with them catching some phat surf?! It is isn''t it. Oh, fuck...

Who is paying for their project? Looks like a bunch of trustafarians on summer break on dad''s credit cards.

Without more reflexivity about their motives and how they are funding this operation they are thoroughly embedded in that most unsavory form of Western praxis: tourism and that most Occidental of "Western discourses" of the Other, shopping for wild and wack images of crazy places and farout things.

And I understand that the emphasis in on the ''Bul'' in Hezebollah, but the laughing about it in the background with the crazy blonde hair was utterly disrespectful.

Oh, boy, looking forward for confirmation of my worst fears...

So all the problems with Lebanon are because the IDF is sealing off the country, is that correct. I''d like to ask these three "young" men a question. If some one was to attack me and I broke his arm, so that now he can''t work and make money, is it my fault his kids will go hungry because I was protecting myself?

Oh by the way, it is now July ''07 , was the kidnapped IDF soldier, you remember, the one that ignited that war ever released? I think I missed anything about that in their little story.

I just watched their second pod Oil Bomb on TV and it was way better than the first one.
<a href="http://www.current.tv/pods/conflict/PD06653">link</a>

Seeing guys who are so young and have so much experience in Middle Eastern studies blows my mind. I googled and found their website <a href="http://blakkbox.org.">link</a> They also have a girl member who has yet to appear in the pods. I also found a piece they did for Vice Guide to Travel.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz_vxhkXgD8">link</a>

Anyway, Oil Bomb was way better than the first.

I think they are 1 for 1 now.

May pod 3 can act as a tie breaker.

I am super interested.

it''s good to see people interested in different perspectives from the norm!

I want to see more, more, more of blakkbox.

For the first time I feel like I am not being spoon-fed ideas from mainstream media. Did any network report on the environmental repercussions of the July War? Maybe, but not too many. Does it directly affect us? Of course. In addition to the tragic loss of life in Lebanon(and Israel) last year, we now have an oil spill that, reportedly, will take about 10 years to clean up.

Whereas you may not agree with blakkbox''s "style" of reporting, you have to give these guys credit for going where no one else would, not even the TV cameras that were supposedly reporting "the truth".

First impressions might not be so nice. I really think what blakkbox is doing is amazing. These guys came home alive to share their experiences, and more importantly, experiences and stories that are not riddled with every other media slant.

I am very much looking forward to what is next.
Keep it up, guys. It''s refreshing.

Love every minute of this. More please!

I remember watching all the news reports about this conflict last summer, but they never explained who or what Hezbollah really was. I found it hard to comprehend what the fight was all about, and this movie helps to explain how the fight started. A movie about the different mindsets of the different groups in this conflict would be great- like why did this whole war start over two people? Why are people afraid of the different power groups? Why do these groups hate each other? Was there some backstory before the kidnappings of the two soldiers?

Great movie!

this is inspiring. it inspires to look for the truth and adventure in the most remote places. im going into the air force to be an avionics tech most likely.

all said id love to be one of you guys. you guys are living a dream. lol. i love your manifesto on your website.

peace.

Hi, this is Charlie from blakkbox. Thanks for watching and interacting. To tell you the truth, I wish our adventure did end with us catching some "phat surf." Lebanon has sweet little peaks, but they require Med. storms. There were none last summer and I blame Israel. (Usually we surf Leb in the winter.) Our time did end with Josh and I getting ''napped, which is almost as good as getting shacked.
I also wish that we were trust fund kiddies. If I was, I''d do forearm bashes with Brandon Davis over mimosas at Hyde every night. Blakkbox pays for it''s messes in secret ways and, boy, have there been some messes. Somalia, Syria, Honolulu...messes. Blakkbox moves from trouble, to trouble, to Dubai sushi parties, to trouble.
Finally, I wish that I knew what happened to those kidnapped IDF soldiers. I have a feeling that if/when they get returned they''ll have troubled spines like John McCain.
Thanks again for watching - keep the questions flowing.

p.s. if you''d like some light reading, go to <a href="http://www.globe.tv/surf/globaleye/">Global Eye</a>.

This is great, we really need more videos like this, such videos really show the first hand what is going on in the world,

it really removes some of the ignorance going around

I NEVER post on websites but I just HAD to for this. Whether you agree or disagree, Blakkbox LOOKS different and there''s something to be said for that. "News" is either delivered in a stodgy way (CNN) or a "hip" way (Current) but it''s all the same. The same aggressive "unbiased" attitude. Blakkbox is reacting to what is around them in a unique way. I''m excited to see the rest of these pods as well as future trips!

great job guys

These guys are on to something.

These three guys are awesome! I want more...

this production was quite a production from start to finish. big ups to TG (editor) & the BlakkBox guys for making this happen. If you liked the first one get ready for the rest. This series seriously rocks.

I disagree with Blakkbox''s perspective but I like their style. News is always delivered in the same way but these guys do it differently. Even though I disagree with what they say. I think they should go to Tel Aviv and film from the Israeli side.

This was very interesting to see. I hope to see more.

This film is very interesting, and I hope to see more about this. It seems real to me, and gives me a deep impression.

Blakkbox are fluent in Levantine Colloquial so it made sense for them to go to Lebanon. We had a Current Vanguard correspondent Jaron Gilinsky in Israel the same time these guys were in Lebanon. If you wanna see what it looks like to to be in a Hezzbollah Katyusha rocket attack click here. <a href="http://www.current.tv/pods/news/PD03937">link</a>

tg

blakkbok's form of video documentation shouldn't be confused with traditional journalism - and that's why I love it. Theirs is a personal diary of their own seat-of-the pants experience. Just wait until they get kidnapped by militants...

I really enjoyed watching a video as well as comments of the issue in a different style as done here. Its raw with real life footage that really allows the viewer to experiance the war.

This is a very helpful video. Please put these guys on again..Thanks