We all know that. But here’s exhibit #57,431. As they’re making all sorts of handwringing, weepy, soldiers-are-victims, the-U.S.-government-is-evil, war-is-always-wrong paens to their own superiority, and flushing millions of dollars down the toilet in the process, there are stories like this out there that, properly made, would be huge freaking blockbusters.

I mean, come on!

Oded Fehr as the Afghan army colonel, Guy Pearce as the Aussie sniper in the comments, Russell Crowe as the Australian artillery commander, Ewan McGregor, Kenneth Branagh, and Daniel Craig as the British officers in charge, Brendan Fraser and Tobey Maguire wearing the maple leaf, Søren Pilmark as the Danish intelligence officer, Michał Żebrowski as the Polish demolitions expert, and Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, and Markie Mark as American soldiers, with Arnold Vosloo as the insane Taliban commander and Art Malik as his very competent, scary number two.

The thing freaking writes itself! It’s a big-budget Wages of Fear for the twenty-first century!

When losing a truck could mean losing a province
When losing a province could mean losing a country
When losing a country could lose a war
And when losing a war could bring down a civilization
They put it all on the line

Ah, Don LaFontaine, would that thou hadst lived to voice it.

Confucius, Œc. Vol.

Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu.