BoatBanter.com - View Single Post

Mr. Luddite

On 9/3/2014 3:29 PM, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 9/3/14 3:22 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 9/3/2014 3:11 PM, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 9/3/14 2:49 PM, KC wrote:
On 9/3/2014 12:57 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:42:29 -0500, Califbill
wrote:

"Mr. Luddite" wrote:

It was a response to your "Well, that might be the answer you
mustered
out old military farts want,but it sure as hell hasn't worked so
far, has it?" comment.

Yes, it has worked. Our policies may be flawed but the military has
done
everything asked of it and more.

Off the subject, but I often reflect on my military time and
compare it
to my career as a civilian. My experiences are somewhat unique (I
think)
in the respect that I was military for the first 11 years of my
adult
life before ditching the uniform for a suit and tie in a civilian
career
that eventually included owning and running a small company
consisting of about 100 people.

Contrary to what you may think, the US military is incredibly
efficient.
The schools, equipment and methodology used to train people with no
previously acquired skills or formal education still amazes me.
Unlike
the civilian world there are no office politics, no special
privileges to
a select few. It is a true, equal opportunity employer with
"opportunity" underscored. I've said many times that I received
more in
knowledge, education and experience than I gave in return during
the 9
years of active duty and 2 years in the reserves.

Most of our failures regards the military and perceived failures are
more
likely to be followed back to some liberal arts grad, who went in to
politics. And told the military what to do do and micro managed the
military. How many of LBJ and his advisors were not liberal arts
grads?

Yeah Harry loves those liberal arts majors, like Rumsfeld (Princeton
BA PoliSci) Cheney (Univ Wyoming MA in PoliSci) Wolfowitz (Univ
Chicago BA PoliSci) GW Bush (Yale BA History) GHW Bush (Yale BA
economics)

Harry went to Yale with them and thinks he has come a lot further and
touched more lives than any of them... kind of like the way he bitches
about Steve Doocey, one of the most liked guys in TV...

The anti-intellectualism expressed here by you righties is just frippin'
hilarious. Human intel gathering is best done by humans with liberal
arts educations. Of course, few of you even know what a liberal arts
education encompasses. Hell, most of you righties can't even follow a
thread without drifting way off course.

I was discussing our failures in human intel, *not* waving the flag for
the wonderful accomplishments of military personnel. Bilious Bill as
usual cannot follow any conversation without tripping over it. Fretwell
throws in neocons and their college majors, and, of course, the
newsgroup psychotic is off in outer space, as usual.

I'm not talking about photo interpretation, or about figuring out what
scientific data means...I'm talking about using knowledge of language,
history, personality analysis, cultural differences...the tools a field
agent uses to gather human intel. You know, the kind of stuff that
indicates where Osama might have been hiding, or what was on his mind,
or who he spoke with, or who he slept with, or what he liked to eat for
dinner, or who he trusted...the sort of info you get via human
interaction, the sort of info you do not get by waterboarding, the sort
of data you do get via effective practice of tradecraft.

this is funny as hell.

Yeah, we know you're the official military flag waver, and I've read
how boot camp was a wonderful experience for all you mustered out
oldsters. Yahoo.

Don't get your underwear in a bunch. Not everyone is cut out for
military service.

BTW ... "Boot Camp" is a very small part of a typical four year
contract, but it's one of the parts you never really forget. Bit of a
"culture shock". In later years it's fun to share experiences with
others who experienced it.

It's entirely understandable that you have no respect for the
experiences of others. You didn't do it, therefore it should have no
value for anyone. Correct?