Herr Panzermensch -- excerpts

EXT. HUMVEE – NIGHT

Cohen and McKinley both lay on their backs; they pass a cigarette back and forth between them, each take a smoke as the other one speaks. They’re underneath one of the humvees so that the glowing tip of their cigarette won’t give away their position if there are any Iraqi scouts nearby.

COHEN
Peace in the Middle East? No I don’t think it’s going to happen any time soon.

MCKINLEY
Really?

COHEN
Well look; we’re talking about peace in the Middle East, and we’re already in two different wars in the Middle East at the same time

MCKINLEY
Yeah, but think if we could set up a democracy here. You know, an actual democracy in the middle of this place; what that’d do for the region

COHEN
It won’t do a single thing if they hate each other. No democracy can really survive that. If you want peace in the Middle East, the only solution is education. look at the Jews and the Arabs; always dehumanizing each other with their propaganda, always saying that the other is insignificant because they believe in a different religion. Like I said, there’s only one thing that’s going to change this place, and that’s education, education, education.

MCKINLEY
Well if the problem is their differences, then I think I’ve got a solution. Why don’t we just invade everybody? I mean, we’re already in Iraq, so why stop there? We invade every country in the Mid East, we kill their leaders, and then convert them to Christianity
(beat)
And why not? I mean, if the problem is that they’re different, and we force them to all be the same, then there will be no more fighting between them. Peace.

COHEN
I know you’re from the south and all but that’s just…

MCKINLEY
I’m not being serious, I’m just being… you know…

COHEN
Hypothetical?

MCKINLEY
Facetious

COHEN
That's a big word for a Texan

MCKINLEY
Real Funny. My point is that these people are different from each other, and no amount of education will do anything other than teach them exactly how vastly different they are. Education won’t solve anything worth a darn. I mean, sometimes the more you understand something, the more you come to hate it because you come to learn exactly how alien it is from you and your own beliefs. But As far as Christians are concerned, think about what the good book says, that stuff that Jesus was always talking about. Love. The only thing that’s going to stop these people from hating each other, bring peace in the Middle East, is not education, it’s love.

----



INT. SHOWERS – NIGHT.

Fredericksburg is in front of his locker. He has his pants on without a shirt.
He looks behind him to see Jackson at his locker, fresh out of the shower, just wearing a loose towel.

FREDERICKSBURG
Jackson. We need to talk.

JACKSON
really?

FREDERICKSBURG
Yes we do. What you did today was way out of bounds.

JACKSON
Oh no, I cut off some bastards ear. so what? I wanted it. You all wanted it. I was just the one that has the goddamn balls around here to do it. It's a taste of his own medicine. What is he gonna do, jonny, *sue* us? Our unit doesn't even officially exist, for fuck's sake.

FREDERICKSBURG
That’s not the point. We’re professional soldiers, not thugs. We don’t do that.

JACKSON
Soldiers? And how the fuck are we any different than ‘thugs.’

FREDERICKSBURG
We have a code, we have honor. We don’t cause unnecessary harm. We take care of our own. We never leave a man behind. We –


JACKSON
 Never leave a man behind? No matter what? That’s just stupid. What if he's a shitbag who deserved it? That guy today, he got what he deserved.

FREDERICKSBURG
Well… I .

JACKSON
Can’t think of anything, can you, Jonny?

Jackson turns away and begins rummaging through his locker. Fredericksburg turns away for a second and then he swallows and clenches his fist

FREDERICKSBURG
I am you commanding officer and you will listen to me! You take my orders, understand? And you don’t ever call me Jonny; It’s Fredericksburg! We were all on edge about the torture mill today and about that dog, but at the end of the day, this wasn’t about that. You had to get your kicks in. You just wanted an excuse to cut somebody’s fucking ear off, didn’t you!
(beat)
Answer me!

JACKSON
Jonny… I’ve. Had. Enough.

Quick as a flash, Jackson grabs the knife out of his locker and leaps at Fredericksburg. his towel falls off and Jackson is naked, sitting atop Fredericksburg’s naked chest, putting him in a chokehold with one arm and holding the knife and Fredericksburg’s temple with the other.

JACKSON
Don’t call me Jonny. Only my friends can call me that. It’s Fredericskburg to you, mister
Oh, well I’m sorry, but isn’t gonna work that way, Joooooooooooooony-boy.
What? What’s the matter, Jooooooonny? Am I being a big bad meany? C’mon, order me to get off you. What’s that? That’s right; you’re shit, and you can’t make me do shit. You think ‘cause some fucking big shots slaps ‘officer’ on you and a pair of bars on your uniform that you deserve my respect?

Buck enters the showers

BUCK
Hey!

FREDERICKSBURG
Get off… Please. don't do this.


JACKSON
Now, Jonny, I want you to squeal. I want you to beg in front of me. Like that dog. C’mon. beg. Why, is someth—

Buck tackles into Jackson, knocking him off of Fredericksburg. They roll around for a sec and then both disengage, leaping away from each other, vying for the advantage in standing fight. But Jackson has it. He kicks Buck away from him and as Buck rolls across the floor Jackson's gotten a hold of his knife again. He cocks it back and Buck sees he's completely at Jackson’s mercy. Jackson throws the knife – sideway, the tip embedding into one of the lockers. Jackson grabs his stuff and begins to leave towards Buck.
As he passes Buck, Jackson puts his hand on Buck’s shoulder and whispers into his ear.

JACKSON
I want you to remember this moment. What could have happened, and what didn’t.

Jackson let’s go of Buck’s shoulder and walks out making sure that he broadsides Fredericksburg with his shoulder on the way out.