U.S. Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima [1945]

The raising of Ego. Pictures like this one usually have a horrible story behind. Only irrational people would like the story behind this. Terrible…

“The raising of Ego”?????
Lessee……..Japan invaded China, killed millions.
Bombed Hawaii. Invaded Burma, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, French Indochina, Alaska, Singapore.
The U.S. declares war - on the country that attacked us.
Then some no-brain decides to label a picture like this “The raising of Ego”?????
Oh, puh-leeeeeeez.

[…] From today and during some future posts, I’m writing about some of the most world’s famous photos. Today I want to write about the U.S. Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima [1945]. […]

The most reproduced photograph of all times was undoubtedly Che guevara’s one

there are no winners in a war. so please stop criticising japan. anybody could conjure up a list of dirt and bad history of any country and especially the united states. reality is its dimwitted egotists like yourself that cause wars to happen. and i agree with matias. che guevera’s image has been reproduced the most. this photo is rarely seen in australia and europe. america is way too ethnocentric.

I find it sad that the american indian in this photo was treated badly and ended up drinking himself to death

Hugh Askew dont justify the war saying that bullshit of China, how many people die because U.S? FMI? Bush and his friend Bin Laden? and all the motherfuckers that live in your country?

[…] famosas que tem grandes histórias por trás de sua captura. Entre elas, temos a conhecida foto de Joe Rosenthal, dos soldados americanos hasteando a bandeira no Monte Suribachi durante a batalha de Iwo Jima na […]

Hey Gonzalo, how many people do die because of the U.S.? How many people live because of the U.S.? Even if you were right about the US causing the deaths of so many people (and I know a lot of people are dead from this war, its the unfortunate causes of war. But think of how many saddam would have kept killing if we let him stay in power.), you can not at all compare us to Japan in the 30’s and 40’s. Japan invaded China and slaughtered the Chinese for world domination. They talked to us about peace while at the same time striking us while they were never once provoked by us. WWII might be the most justified war there ever was, and you’re calling the reasons “bullshit”? Read a history book, douche, cus youve got a lot to learn.

And back to my other point. The United States does more humanitarian work than any other country in the world. Yeah, we’re the richest, but we also give more to charity than any other country. And I’m not just talking gross donations, I also mean we give more to charity than any other country, both in total amount, and as a percent of GDP. Whatever country you’re from is lucky that the United States is around, because without countries like us and Britain who have the balls to stand up to crazy motherfuckers like Hitler, the Japanese Empire, Saddam and Bin Laden, you’d be speaking german or japanese or some other crazy language right now, and just hoping your nazi-ass overlord doesnt beat you down.

Millions for defense, but not a cent in tribute!
(if you dont know what this means, again, go back to your history books)

oh and Tony, how do you have the balls to defend Japan in World War 2? They were completely in the wrong. We’ve gotta do more than criticize them, we’ve gotta beat them down! And we did! I understand war is terrible. And I am never for an unjustified war. I even hate reading about people who die in car crashes in the newspaper. But there are somethings that have to happen. Japan was raping China! How do you possibly justify not fighting them in a war? How do you possibly justify leaving them be? They would have just kept on raping china. Until it was completely raped. Then they would rape India, Australia and every other country that they could. And they would have come after us. And they did come after us. So what do you propose we do in that situation? Just sit and let them invade California? Let them rape our countryside? Fuck no, dude. The United States did what it had to do. And the US would have been completely justified in attacking Japan before they attacked us. If they could stop Japan from raping, pillaging and murdering all those chinese, it would be worth it. And thats what America does today. We dont wait until we are the ones being oppressed. We stop it before it gets that far. And then people like you yell that its not fair, america should mind their own business, blah blah blah. Ask the people being persecuted that we save if they mind. Ask them if they want us sticking our noses in their persecutor’s business. Then come back and try to feed me the same bullshit youve been spitting.

“First they came for the Communists but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists but I was not one of them, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews but I was not Jewish so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”

-Martin Niemoeller

I’m sure the photographer, Marines and Corpsman did not think that the photo would be used to speak badly about America… This photo represented hope to the American people, who were attacked by the country in which the picture was taken. In that time, people joined the militaty because they thought it was their duty to defend their country, just as many other citizens of other countries believe. The picture also helped the campaign for public support of WWII. Some of the men in the picture gave their lives shortly after, so have some restect for them, and take it at face value…

People will always have bad things to say about America. As if they and their countries are flawless… America has done good and bad, so has EVERY other country in the world. But when another country runs into a problem we are the first people that they look to for help… Americans are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. One country is mad that America got involved, another is mad that it took America so long to get involed. So say what you will. When the time comes, your country will need support. And we American “motherfuckers” will be your best friends. And as we sit in debt from supporting your country, you will forget what we have done for you and others … Fickle is best to decribe it.

-Semper Fi

Un saludo desde España.

Tenéis un gran país que he tenido la suerte de visitar dos veces (durante varias semanas) este año. Muchos de los tópicos negativos de los que me habían hablado se han venido abajo.

Os admiro y aprecio el cariño que guardáis a vuestros conciudadanos que murieron lejos de vuestro país (sobre todo en la 2ª Guerra Mundial) para que otros podáis vivir hoy mejor. También nosotros los europeos nos hemos aprovechado del sacrificio de muchos americanos.

¡Un fuerte abrazo!

showing what you have to do to get it done.

Since people tend to insist on it for other photograohs, I’ll state it here too: this photograph is staged for propaganda purposes.

Another propaganda myth from Americans: “we give to charity more than any other country”. Sorry, my well-brainwashed friend, in 2007 USA was number 7 in the list of coutries giving charity. The top of the list is occupied by those “socialist” countries from Northern Europe.

My grandfather fought in that war and was there during the photo shot. When the video was taken he is in the foreground on the right. I’m told this is a cropped version of the original photo and he is in that, too. I would love to see the actual video & photos of that day but can never seem to find one. When I watch the commercials on TV my family rushes to the television to see Grandpa in the corner but its so fast we usally miss it. I am proud to say that he was there and happy that he lived to tell us about it.