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Us Troops Get Culture Cards

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by Callen Bair and Felix Salmon
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Oct 04 2007 12:00am EDT

U.S. Troops Get Culture Cards

U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are being dealt a new hand: The Wall Street Journal reports today that in the coming months, they'll receive packs of playing cards that feature monuments, ancient archaeological sites, and instructive text — "This site has survived for centuries. Will it and others survive you?" and "How would you feel if someone destroyed [the Statue of Liberty's] torch?". The hope is that they'll aid in what Matthew Bogdanos has referred to as the "preservation of the heritage of humanity."

The cards are, of course, reminiscent of the decks depicting Saddam and his cohorts. The latter became hot lots on eBay in 2003, and spawned spin offs ranging from "The Deck of Weasels," identifying opponents of Operation Iraqi Freedom to "The Deck of Republican Chicken Hawks," outing Republicans who support the war but have previously skirted military service.

Maybe the new deck will inspire a "Deck of Looted Antiquities"? A "Deck of Shady Antiquities Dealers"?

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