[non-sports] A U.S. Marine e-mails Andrew Sullivan
John Rogers
we took over from the 82nd Airborne. Your writing about the Abu Graib
prompted me write this. It is an explanation of why so many in the
military favor Bush, even though we are the ones suffering the most
because of his mistakes:
It is an old military maxim that blunders can be forgiven, but a lack
of boldness cannot. There will always be blunders. The simple becomes
difficult in war. Take for example the following question: what is 2+2
equal too? An easy question right? Now imagine I gave you 15 such
questions and you had 2 seconds to answer them. Most likely you would
answer some and leave the rest. Looking at those questions you missed
in isolation I might say, "What kind of blathering idiot are you? You
can't even answer simple questions like 2+2=4". That is why Armchair
Generals are so annoying. They look at one thing in isolation with all
the time in the world to think about it and say confidently "the
answers obvious". But when you are out in the fight everything looks
different. Nothing is ever seen in isolation. You never have enough
time. You never know more than 1/10 what you need to know. There will
always be blunders.
But the job has to get done anyway. And to get this kind of job done
boldness is essential. A leader who never blunders, but who doesn't
take the fight to the enemy is worthless. A leader who sets about to
win - win ugly if needs be - is priceless.
One thing the Marine Corps taught me is that a 70% solution acted on
immediately and violently is better than a perfect solution acted on
later. My experience has proven this true time and again. The sad fact
is however, that a 70% solution is a 30% mistake. And those mistakes
can be hard to take. In WWII for example, 700 soldiers drowned in a
training accident in preparation for D-Day (that is about how many
combat deaths we've experienced so far in Iraq).
There is a scene in the movie "We were Soldiers" that says it better
than I can. In the scene a young soldier on the ground is giving
directions on enemy positions to aircraft flying overhead. The
aircraft then dropped Napalm on the enemy. At one point the soldier
gets the directions wrong and stares horrified as the Napalm is
dropped on his own unit. The soldier is shaken beyond belief. He sat
there doing nothing - paralyzed by his mistake. Then his Commanding
Officer gave him the confidence to carry on. The CO told him to
"forget about that last one" and "you're keeping us alive here". And
so the soldier swallowed his guilt and kept doing his job and thereby
saved the unit. That is what a 70% solution looks like in real life.
And those are the 70% solutions that win wars.
Most people and events are beyond your control. Most questions you
don't have time to answer. Most facts you will never know. But you
have to press the attack anyway. No matter how ugly it gets, you keep
going until you win.
Kerry doesn't understand that. Everything he did during the Cold War
and everything he says about this one states as much. He represents
those who would never blunder, but who would not take the fight to the
enemy. He would just sit there - like the soldier in the movie -
paralyzed by America's mistakes."
http://www.andrewsullivan.com/
John Rogers
AU Class of 1985
The Al Del Greco of Atlanta
"I will choose a path thats clear.
I will choose free will."
rich hammett
> "I was stationed at a base (Al Taqqadum) South-West of Fallujah that
> we took over from the 82nd Airborne. Your writing about the Abu Graib
> prompted me write this. It is an explanation of why so many in the
> military favor Bush, even though we are the ones suffering the most
> because of his mistakes:
> It is an old military maxim that blunders can be forgiven, but a lack
> of boldness cannot.
That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
with their dicks.
Other people have said that fools rush in where angels fear to
tread. Is the military better than angels?
rich
> http://www.andrewsullivan.com/
--
-to reply, it's hot not warm
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
\ Rich Hammett http://home.hiwaay.net/~rhammett
/ "Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world;
\ than the pride that divides
/ when a colorful rag is unfurled."
Charles Beauchamp
> Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, John Rogers:
>> "I was stationed at a base (Al Taqqadum) South-West of Fallujah that
>> we took over from the 82nd Airborne. Your writing about the Abu Graib
>> prompted me write this. It is an explanation of why so many in the
>> military favor Bush, even though we are the ones suffering the most
>> because of his mistakes:
>
>> It is an old military maxim that blunders can be forgiven, but a lack
>> of boldness cannot.
>
> That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
> with their dicks.
>
> Other people have said that fools rush in where angels fear to
> tread. Is the military better than angels?
>
> rich
>
One of these days you might grow up. When you do hopefully no one will show
you the words you have just written.
--
v/r Beau
To any Islamical Types out there...Happy Ramadan heathens.
Craig Moe
>
>One thing the Marine Corps taught me is that a 70% solution acted on
>immediately and violently is better than a perfect solution acted on
>later. My experience has proven this true time and again.
I wonder what his opinion on the order to delay all major assualts in
Iraq until after the election is?
Bryan S. Slick
[Wed, 20 Oct 2004 04:51:43 -0000]
:That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
:with their dicks.
HAY! I'm 31 DAMMIT.
--
Bryan S. Slick, usenet at slick-family dot net
"To those who serve America, in any fashion,
freedom has a flavor those who just sit by will never know."
rich hammett
> :That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
> :with their dicks.
> HAY! I'm 31 DAMMIT.
I also don't think you think it's fine to make mistakes as long
as you're rushing in somewhere.
rich
Randolph M. Jones
decisive about it!!!
lein
@corp.supernews.com:
> Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, Bryan S.
Slick:
>> [rich hammett (bubba...@warmmail.com)]
>> [Wed, 20 Oct 2004 04:51:43 -0000]
>
>> :That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
>> :with their dicks.
>
>> HAY! I'm 31 DAMMIT.
>
> I also don't think you think it's fine to make mistakes as long
> as you're rushing in somewhere.
>
>
Is 12+ years rushing?
--
John Leinaweaver
rich hammett
> Is 12+ years rushing?
Please to be reading this thread.
David Loewe, Jr.
wrote:
>But the job has to get done anyway. And to get this kind of job done
>boldness is essential. A leader who never blunders, but who doesn't
>take the fight to the enemy is worthless.
This would be George McClellan.
>A leader who sets about to win - win ugly if needs be - is priceless.
And, this would be Ulysses Grant.
--
"I thought that you might have some advice to give ...
On how to be ...
Insensitive."
Jann Arden
John Rogers
with the Lord and I wanna decorate him.
You mean like this one (please note the dates)?
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/14/iraq.main/index.html
John Rogers
stands in good with the Lord and I wanna decorate him.
>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, Bryan S. Slick:
>> [rich hammett (bubba...@warmmail.com)]
>> [Wed, 20 Oct 2004 04:51:43 -0000]
>
>> :That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
>> :with their dicks.
>
>> HAY! I'm 31 DAMMIT.
>
>I also don't think you think it's fine to make mistakes as long
>as you're rushing in somewhere.
Nice to see that you totally misinterpreted what he said. Not
surprising considering your view of all things military, Rich.
Jeffrey Davis
John Rogers wrote:
Nerts. The war in Iraq had been planned since Bush I's presidency. There
isn't any of this boldness in battle stuff at issue. They manufactured a
reason to go to war.
rich hammett
> rich hammett <bubba...@warmmail.com>, get me that chaplain. He
> stands in good with the Lord and I wanna decorate him.
>>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, Bryan S. Slick:
>>> [rich hammett (bubba...@warmmail.com)]
>>> [Wed, 20 Oct 2004 04:51:43 -0000]
>>
>>> :That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
>>> :with their dicks.
>>
>>> HAY! I'm 31 DAMMIT.
>>
>>I also don't think you think it's fine to make mistakes as long
>>as you're rushing in somewhere.
> Nice to see that you totally misinterpreted what he said. Not
> surprising considering your view of all things military, Rich.
Was that before or after he explained that what he meant was
it was better to drop napalm on your men than not to commit
war crimes and blunders at all?
Koz
about as reliable as Baghdad Bob. I suspect he writes a good fraction
of them himself.
John Kosmicke
David Loewe, Jr.
<bubba...@warmmail.com> wrote:
>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, John Rogers:
>> rich hammett <bubba...@warmmail.com>, get me that chaplain. He
>> stands in good with the Lord and I wanna decorate him.
>
>>>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, Bryan S. Slick:
>>>> [rich hammett (bubba...@warmmail.com)]
>>>> [Wed, 20 Oct 2004 04:51:43 -0000]
>>>
>>>> :That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
>>>> :with their dicks.
>>>
>>>> HAY! I'm 31 DAMMIT.
>>>
>>>I also don't think you think it's fine to make mistakes as long
>>>as you're rushing in somewhere.
>
>> Nice to see that you totally misinterpreted what he said. Not
>> surprising considering your view of all things military, Rich.
>
>Was that before or after he explained that what he meant was
>it was better to drop napalm on your men than not to commit
>war crimes and blunders at all?
Wow. Just wow.
--
"I want to know what became of the changes
We waited for love to bring.
Were they only the fitful dreams
Of some greater awakening?"
Clyde J. Browne
rich hammett
>>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, John Rogers:
>>> rich hammett <bubba...@warmmail.com>, get me that chaplain. He
>>> stands in good with the Lord and I wanna decorate him.
>>
>>>>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, Bryan S. Slick:
>>>>> [rich hammett (bubba...@warmmail.com)]
>>>>> [Wed, 20 Oct 2004 04:51:43 -0000]
>>>>
>>>>> :That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
>>>>> :with their dicks.
>>>>
>>>>> HAY! I'm 31 DAMMIT.
>>>>
>>>>I also don't think you think it's fine to make mistakes as long
>>>>as you're rushing in somewhere.
>>
>>> Nice to see that you totally misinterpreted what he said. Not
>>> surprising considering your view of all things military, Rich.
>>
>>Was that before or after he explained that what he meant was
>>it was better to drop napalm on your men than not to commit
>>war crimes and blunders at all?
> Wow. Just wow.
You didn't read it all, did you?
David Loewe, Jr.
<bubba...@warmmail.com> wrote:
>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, David Loewe, Jr.:
>> On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 01:46:35 -0000, rich hammett
>> <bubba...@warmmail.com> wrote:
>
>>>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, John Rogers:
>>>> rich hammett <bubba...@warmmail.com>, get me that chaplain. He
>>>> stands in good with the Lord and I wanna decorate him.
>>>
>>>>>Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta, mitä ikinä keksitkin sanoa, Bryan S. Slick:
>>>>>> [rich hammett (bubba...@warmmail.com)]
>>>>>> [Wed, 20 Oct 2004 04:51:43 -0000]
>>>>>
>>>>>> :That is because the military is a bunch of 20-year-olds thinking
>>>>>> :with their dicks.
>>>>>
>>>>>> HAY! I'm 31 DAMMIT.
>>>>>
>>>>>I also don't think you think it's fine to make mistakes as long
>>>>>as you're rushing in somewhere.
>>>
>>>> Nice to see that you totally misinterpreted what he said. Not
>>>> surprising considering your view of all things military, Rich.
>>>
>>>Was that before or after he explained that what he meant was
>>>it was better to drop napalm on your men than not to commit
>>>war crimes and blunders at all?
>
>> Wow. Just wow.
>
>You didn't read it all, did you?
More than you did, apparently...
*I* got to the part where then Lt. Col. Moore tells the guy "you're
keeping us alive here" and I understood that part. You obviously
don't get that at all.
--
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like...
victory!"
- Apocalypse Now
rich hammett
I'm not sure the troops that were killed appreciate the
irony, either.
David Loewe, Jr.
<bubba...@warmmail.com> wrote:
The next sentence after "you're keeping us alive here" - "And so the
soldier swallowed his guilt and kept doing his job and thereby saved
the unit."
Would you rather that they ALL had died in that battle after being
overrun by the NVA? Because that's what would have happened without
that napalm. It was needed NOW. There was no time for precision.
I'm sure that the men who were killed would rather that their deaths
not have been in vain.
--
"You can't fix stupid."
Jim White
Former KMOX Late Night Talk Show Host
rich hammett
Of course, in the context of this discussion, if we hadn't
blundered into Vietnam, it wouldn't have been a problem.
Charles Beauchamp
Judging by reports from the last week it looks to me that the senior
administration official quoted is not a very good source for the LA Times.
--
v/r Beau
Freaking curse my eye!!..all Babe Ruth did in 1919 his final year with
Boston (after leading them to a World Series title in 1918) is set a
new major league home run record...and they sold him to the Yankees.
Quit yer whining.