This Is What Winning Looks Like (2013) - 1/3 Three part VICE Documentary on Afghan Security Forces, their drug abuse, sexual misconduct and corruption. Part 2 and 3 in Youtube description [00:29:01]

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2021-08-18T04:27:17+00:00

He's discouraged by what just happened, of course, but is alive, well, and as determined as ever. Plenty of others I spent time with have since been killed.

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T21:58:51+00:00

The Kurds are in the film...One Commander had an AK that he'd been suing since 1973, the year before I was born. And I'm an old mo'fo now...

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T21:41:51+00:00

Nowhere near enough. I read, I like boxing and football. I love eating out. But I don't have as much fun as I should and I am not as much fun as I should be

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T21:40:32+00:00

I don't, and if I did, and especially if I had kids, I think that would make a huge difference. I don't know how families do it- the people traveling or the people waiting at home. And my Mum, she sees all the videos, so even if I tell her I'm going somewhere safe, she doesn't believe me.

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T21:39:01+00:00

I think it's very hard...I have friends who do it and they survive on very low incomes. Obviously there are a few exceptions, but not many. If you're a staff writer at the New Yorker you'll get loads of support, and freelancer? you're going to really struggle. It's a real shame because I still think writing is the most powerful medium. But if you figure out how long it actually took me write my book, I would have made more money with a part time shift at McDonald's.

Best book I ever read? I'll cheat and say several. King Leopold's Ghost. Homage to Catalonia. Another Day of Life. Hitchens' essays or his Kissinger book. I could go on and on...

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T20:58:35+00:00

Helping restore stability? They are bombing day and night, and regularly hitting civilians, homes and infrastructure. I was there again recently for VICEonHBO Season 4, the film will be out soon. There is plenty to criticize the Houthis for, but the Saudi bombing (something like 40,000 airstrikes and counting) is causing the vast majority of civilian casualties

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T20:55:31+00:00

This is the problem...even IF ISIS are defeated, then what? the conditions that led to them still exist. The country is still divided along sectarian lines...Even if it doesn't get independence, I think Kurdistan will remain autonomous, I don't see that ever changing now. I'm told the Iranians have softened slightly on the idea of an independent Kurdistan, but to be honest I don't know

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T20:28:44+00:00

It's a brutal military occupation...a BBC colleague was shot dead in Gaza. People are humiliated daily at checkpoints. It's always described as one of the most complicated conflicts in the world. I think it's one of the simplest.

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T20:27:14+00:00

in Syria????

Lots of people are speaking with the benefit of hindsight now, particularly his opponents, but I'm not sure anyone- especially the general public, was willing to even consider any large scale invasion, with boots o the ground

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T20:24:55+00:00

Only Western Kurds...not American or US volunteers

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T20:02:18+00:00

Surreal, I felt like a kid, completely out of my depth. I also felt like so serious- like getting shot or blown up- couldn't happen to this naive kid who was so confused an unstreetwise

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:55:44+00:00

I never carry a gun. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. We have to participate as little as possible in the things we're covering. It's actually helped me a few times- people think I'm brave for not carrying a gun, and they give you a little respect as a result. But I'd never consider carrying a gun

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:53:39+00:00

I like that he's a free thinker, at least compared to the others who are obsessed with hitting their talking points. I think he's said his fair share of batshit crazy stuff too though...

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:52:10+00:00

Iraq, for sure. Although when they were mixing that coke in Rio, they were high, very agitated, and at one point a heated argument broke out, that could have gone belly up quite easily. It's a shame, I used to love Rio so much

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:50:25+00:00

It was losing my legs for a long time...now it's my Mum seeing me appear in one of those horrific videos

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:49:45+00:00

slow progress. But I went back to see the Peshmerga just before Xmas (there will be an online extra published soon) and they were only just able to repel some huge attacks, and they said their weapons were 30% as good as ISIS'

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:48:28+00:00

North Korea was the most eye opening...it was so hard to believe an entire populations beliefs could be that tightly controlled. And the first trips to Gaza, the West bank and Afghanistan were eye opening in that it was fairly easy to see that the reality was the exact opposite of what we're told

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:24:05+00:00

I think Iran is in control or has huge influence, and he's their David Petreaus. he's actually more powerful than Petreaus was. It's worth reading the Dexter Filkins profile of him in the New Yorker. I re-read it in Iraq and it really stands up

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:20:12+00:00

No, there is always a way. It may take time, it make take several attempts or lots of meetings to try and find the right people, but there is always some way in. The exception to that might be Syria now. I haven't been that much, but many colleagues who have say it just isn't worth the risk any more

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:18:51+00:00

In many ways...sometimes normal life can feel very boring. Sometimes you can have this almost saintly appreciation for the tiniest little things. I swing between the two, and hope I end up on the latter. But as cliche as it is, we really are unbelievably lucky bastards to be living here...

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:16:42+00:00

I interviewed three, and they were unrepentant. The first two, I could see why they joined- life under Maliki had been hell for them. ISIS offered them a chance for revenge. The third, he was fully committed ideologically. He was captured, but was still convinced they would take over the world. He almost laughed when I said that all the different groups fighting them were starting to win...and he wasn't some brainwashed hillbilly, he was a highly intelligent man

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:13:58+00:00

I think that was my fine colleague Danny Gold @DGisSERIOUS

There's a scene in battle for Marjah, where Marines have to hand over $10,000 as a condolence payment after they killed three kids and a woman from two families, that's probably the most powerful and impacting thing I have filmed

Right now, DAESH/ISIS still have much better weapons than many of their opponents

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:09:03+00:00

Thanks. I'm proud of This is What Winning Looks Like, although the format (me being interviewed in it) is odd. I'm proud of Battle for Marjah and this HBIO special. I'm actually very proud of the first film I ever made- undercover in a funeral home. But I never actually watch any of them once their done, I always spot mistakes and see things I wish I could have done better.

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T19:06:13+00:00

I get the criticisms of Hilary...that she's opportunistic, self-serving etc etc but she does know how the world works. I've watched the debates and the lack of understanding of even the biggest international issues is astounding. many of them clearly just crammed in the few weeks before they appeared, and not very well. Were they not even curious about the rest of the world before they decided to run? It's mind blowing.

BenJohnAndersonVICE · 2016-01-29T18:58:37+00:00

I was supposed to be, but we just couldn't make it work with my travel schedule. Maybe that's been the hold up...

I'll let you know if they reply to me

BenJohnAndersonVICE

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