Talks to Watch

You Can't Handle the Truth! - A Few Good Men (7/8) Movie CLIP (1992) HD

13M views · Oct 21, 2012 · 2:39 · 0 HN recommenders · 4 mentions · discussed 2017–2026

The courtroom scene from A Few Good Men in which Col. Jessep, played by Jack Nicholson, shouts 'You can't handle the truth' at Tom Cruise's character.

Why Hacker News points people here: Used as a reference or joke about authority figures who think they are above the law, and occasionally about sympathy for the military.

What Hacker News said 4

Cites itrayinerJun 2026

“As I get older, I'm more sympathetic to Colonel Jessup”

Colonel Jessup scene on military protection.

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It's because Americans and many Europeans under the shield of the U.S. military and have never in their lives felt a moment of fear about external threats.[1] They never have to meaningfully confront the central fact of their existence: that they enjoy a vastly disproportionate share of the world's bounty in a way that would be impossible without overwhelming military power. I suspect people living in say Ukraine don't talk like this. [1] As I get older, I'm more sympathetic to Colonel Jessup: this video .

in “Why I'm Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass” · view on HN
JoketoploadMar 2017

“For those who didn't get the joke, I want to point you to this moment of decision in A Few Good Men.”

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Thanks! For those who didn't get the joke, I want to point you to this moment of decision in A Few Good Men. (spoiler alert) - this video

in “The Night Watch (2013) [pdf]” · view on HN
JokeoctopocMar 2021

“To be clear this is a reference to this scene”

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To be clear this is a reference to this scene: this video edit: it's a scene where this exact conversation is playing out.

in “Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets” · view on HN
Jokeuser3939382Mar 2023

“They believe they are the law, not that they're subservient to it.”

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I can only imagine the people running these organizations share the perspective of Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men this video They believe they are the law, not that they're subservient to it.

in “Secret Service, ICE break the law over and over with fake cell tower spying” · view on HN