The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

[LynahFan]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

I say all of this to get to this greater point he made: The people who tout their military records the loudest to impress others - especially the ladies - were the guys who never spent any time in the muck (censored for board sensitivities), with your rifle aimed at the enemy and the enemies' rifles aimed right back at you. When he got home from the war, and he heard people talking about being a big, bad soldier, he would engage them so that they'd say where they served or what their MOS was, and rip them down because without fail they weren't anywhere near true danger. Eventually, he just rolled his eyes at them as he figured that it would be best not to end up in jail someday. Those soldiers who were in it deep, they tended to be quiet about their service records. They knew what they did, and so did those close to them. It didn't matter to them what others might think. To this day I think of that when people like to champion their time in the service as some great and valiant effort.

This matches my experience, too. My high school econ teacher was the nicest, most soft-spoken man you could ever hope to meet. It wasn't until 3/4 of the way through the year when we were talking during some slack time and we asked about his background. We had to draw out of him that he'd served 3 tours in Vietnam as a Green Beret - holy smokes! De oppresso liber, indeed.

[burd]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

I didn't even know my father earned a silver star in WWII until I was in my late teens. He just never spoke of it. If fact, he had occupation responsibilities after the fighting stopped and had many good things to say about the Japanese people.

I have since seen pictures of him during the war, and he looked like he was ready for the morgue himself.

[Old Pio]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Nice serious article by a usually funny guy, Drew Magary, on the stupidity of whuppin' your kid. Submitted here because the type of knuck who preaches war is also inevitably the kind of gorilla who espouses "spare the rod, spoil the child." In the immortal 4-word summary of an entire character by Ring Lardner, "'Shut up,' he explained."

Aside from your own well developed prejudices, what evidence can you adduce establishing that it's "inevitable" that supporters of a robust foreign policy also favor beating children? The 4-year old that big ape Peterson "spanked" had injuries to his scrotum! I can't imagine any more than an infinitesimal minority of Christians would approve of that. While it's true that a great number of evangelicals (or at least the people who purport to speak for them) advocate corporal punishment and quote the Leviticus Codes (among other old Testament references) to justify their position, they do not represent anything like a majority of Christians. It's impossible for you not to know this. But spreading around religious intolerance is all part of the job description, isn't it?

[geezer]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

I didn't even know my father earned a silver star in WWII until I was in my late teens. He just never spoke of it. If fact, he had occupation responsibilities after the fighting stopped and had many good things to say about the Japanese people.

I have since seen pictures of him during the war, and he looked like he was ready for the morgue himself.

Dad of a friend served in intense combat in Vietnam but hasn't been willing to talk about it for a few decades, other than to occasionally say very disparaging things about the country and its climate. My friend found a picture in a book which he's 90% sure includes his father, but has gotten the hint enough that he is unwilling ever to show it to him for verification. It just isn't discussed, too much of a downer.

[theprofromdover]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

I have five cousins who served and this sums up exactly what they've told me. The more people pound their chest about their service, the more likely they were in a rear station refilling TP orders. The ones who saw action do not want to talk about it.

My son was awarded a Bronze Star on one of his Iraq tours. I found out long after he returned.

[Rover]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

I didn't find out until 30 years after his service that my uncle had killed an enemy soldier in Vietnam, but once I found out it made a lot of sense as he always seemed not to care much about anything presumably since he came back (I was born several years after he served) after having done that.

[Old Pio]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

I'm supposed to justify my service to a bunch of feather merchants? The principal issue here, IMO, is not what I did while in uniform. Rather, it's that I haven't "learned my lesson." If I expressed the same opinions as y'all do on the use of American military power, I'd imagine you wouldn't characterize my occasional references to my service as "bragging." Rather, I'd be an example you'd quote. The buried premise in all of this childish prattle is the only veterans allowed to have opinions at variance with yours are Audie Murphy and Alvin York.

[WisconsinWildcard]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hide behind the general's credentials all you want.

But the vets he deals with are the ones who are damaged in one way or another. Not the vast majority who aren't.

This just shows me you have no idea of what the VA does....

I will leave it at this. The ability you have to strawman my position is impressive (since I really just made an observation and a quote, no position whatsoever) but I deal with delusional people all day (they tend to be a ****load more friendly) so I tend to weary quickly when on the interwebs.

[burd]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

This just shows me you have no idea of what the VA does....

I will leave it at this. The ability you have to strawman my position is impressive (since I really just made an observation and a quote, no position whatsoever) but I deal with delusional people all day (they tend to be a ****load more friendly) so I tend to weary quickly when on the interwebs.

Hey doc, what do you call what Pio has? Can you get it just from reading his stuff?

[solovsfett]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

What is the point of going to war somewhere where no stable government (sans a dictatorship) can exist?

The Iraq (and Afghanistan for that matter) experiment has proven that these folks want to live in the 12th century. Let them.

That's a good point, however...they don't want to live as you say "in the 12th century" solely apart from us, that's not good enough for ISIS, AQ, or any other group who reads so literally words written 1400 years ago. They want the entire world to live that way and are willing to lop off heads, fly planes into buildings and who knows how much worse it will get if they're left to their own devices? That's what makes this a war that could last not decades but centuries, and will no doubt reach into 20 or more countries pretty easily if it hasn't already.

[FreshFish]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Good opinion piece. Should be read by those who "believe" in corporal punishment. Might get them to reconsider...

It seemed to me that, if/when done properly, "corporal" punishment is never about inflicting actual pain, it is merely done to evoke fear: "don't do this, or else!" and leave the dread of the "or else" to be sufficient. For example, in Catholic elementary school, "corporal" punishment would be more about shaming a person in front of his peers, you'd stand up, stick out your hand, and get a yardstick across the knuckles. The sting would fade in 90 seconds, the shame of public humiliation would last far longer.

fundamentally, it is the idea of a parent's disapproval being so very strong, that is the message required to discipline the child, not any actual physical pain. the shock that a parent would hit should be far stronger than any actual blow.

[joecct]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Fresh Fish

Erasers at 20 paces!!

[FreshFish]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

That's a good point, however...they don't want to live as you say "in the 12th century" solely apart from us, that's not good enough for ISIS, AQ, or any other group who reads so literally words written 1400 years ago. They want the entire world to live that way and are willing to lop off heads, fly planes into buildings and who knows how much worse it will get if they're left to their own devices? That's what makes this a war that could last not decades but centuries, and will no doubt reach into 20 or more countries pretty easily if it hasn't already.

It seems to me that the fastest and best way for us to win this war is for us to help liberate their women and then let them do the rest. Help educate them, teach them how to drive a car, help supply them with birth control, help enforce laws against rape, encourage a system of property rights that allows them to own land and livestock and businesses outright. Free their women from subjugation to their men.

The war would be won within two generations.

[Old Pio]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

This just shows me you have no idea of what the VA does....

I will leave it at this. The ability you have to strawman my position is impressive (since I really just made an observation and a quote, no position whatsoever) but I deal with delusional people all day (they tend to be a ****load more friendly) so I tend to weary quickly when on the interwebs.

Look, you said what you said. And to make sure we got it you repeated it. And it was and remains moronic. Don't blame me for your inability to express yourself clearly. And whatever it is the VA does, they haven't been doing it as well lately as we have a right to expect, have they?

[Old Pio]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Hey doc, what do you call what Pio has? Can you get it just from reading his stuff?

Another deep thinker.