A number of years ago I was asked to speak to a group of Marine recruit poolees (and some parents) and I told the group that their ultimate purpose was to "close with and destroy the enemy through fire and maneuver." Some of the mothers were aghast, saying "Oh no, my son is going to be a radio operator." My response was, "yes, he will call for artillery to rain down death and destruction upon the enemy." I was "uninvited" to speak again.
Mr. Gudmundsson, you seem to think that the "woke" are your enemy, and that they are unable to appreciate what the military is, and does. I disagree that the woke (and who dreamed up this stupid term) are your enemy. More importantly, I suggest that the problem may be the tendency, which is not your alone, alas, to speak only to those with whom you are in complete agreement on all issues and in all matters. I know I would be deemed woke and yet I still think the military is vital and the proper study of military history critical for an informed citizen. I respectfully disagree with various policy issues you hold important, I also respectfully listen to what you have to say, noting your obvious knowledge and seriousness. Consider your obligation to speak seriously and thoughtfully, even to those who may disagree with you, without impugning their intelligence, or their patriotism. Good arguments, even when initially rejected, have a way of being heard if delivered properly, which is to say with respect for all listeners.
Respect is a 2 way street, and it’s been one way against us too long for any decent, human reaction but reciprocating the abuse.
It’s called punching back.
We are told all our lives that we are born and the heirs of monsters, conceived in evil and raised in privilege (!), are borderline racists and nazis who must live our lives on probation, the Woke (the Left came up with the term) our parole officers.
As for Patriotism or Intelligence, we can question nothing without being accused of being spies and traitors, and they openly mock us as ignorant subhuman morons.
Honestly Sir have you just recovered from a 60 year Coma?
That’s just the conversational part. Talk. War is past talk.
The background for the story here is war with China over Formosa (Taiwan). IRL we’ve had enough thanks, BTW the Taiwanese don’t want to fight.
DC does.
I think you’ll find we’re rather fought out over the last generation, sent by the corrupt and the cowardly who shirked and lined their pockets.
Let them fight. And they can lead their feral pets to battle , have fun.
You seem a decent sort, I hope I have been candid but cordial.
The Woke (again, their own term) and the rest should have taken this counsel long ago.
You seem to think we don’t have a capable fighting force. There’s no way to judge that without putting them in battle with a mission that makes strategic sense, something we haven’t done since the Korean War.
Whether we do or not, it can't be argued that we are /more/ effective for adopting these policies. Certainly on the Army Infantry side of the house, we are in a bad state, and ill prepared for LSCO or peer-peer conflict. Two decades of progressive policies and an obsession with SOF/GWOT has eroded our conventional infantry fighting capabilities. The expertise and morale are gone.
Vietnam made strategic sense because the real fear was Malaya and Indonesia would collapse under pressure if Vietnam fell , a real fear in 1965. The execution wasn’t bad militarily, the political and diplomatic execution (including the literal execution of Diem at the US Ambassador’s insistence) was horrific.
Vietnam made strategic sense to the arms manufacturers. String things out and make a lot of money. All wars make strategic sense to arms manufacturers.
And the bankers that fund them of course.
6 of the top ten arms manufacturers in the world are in the USA. This makes strategic sense to profiteers.
The sad part, is I can see this happening, and the pentagone wondering what the hell happened to their precious rainbow brigade.
No.
The Rainbow brigade will frantically call for support and there will be no answer.
And probably a mostly deserted Pentagon.
A number of years ago I was asked to speak to a group of Marine recruit poolees (and some parents) and I told the group that their ultimate purpose was to "close with and destroy the enemy through fire and maneuver." Some of the mothers were aghast, saying "Oh no, my son is going to be a radio operator." My response was, "yes, he will call for artillery to rain down death and destruction upon the enemy." I was "uninvited" to speak again.
LOL, fake meat brigade.
Too long without war but they’re about to learn.
The Green Zone in DC in 21 shall inform the initiated all they need to know, we just looked at each other... 👀😵🥺👀
Ok, that is funny/sad. Well done.
We're obviously on a similar wavelength this week!
I have, of course, added a link to your very fine article. After all, failure to do so would not be ... well ... cricket.
I shall do likewise
Indeed we are!
Mr. Gudmundsson, you seem to think that the "woke" are your enemy, and that they are unable to appreciate what the military is, and does. I disagree that the woke (and who dreamed up this stupid term) are your enemy. More importantly, I suggest that the problem may be the tendency, which is not your alone, alas, to speak only to those with whom you are in complete agreement on all issues and in all matters. I know I would be deemed woke and yet I still think the military is vital and the proper study of military history critical for an informed citizen. I respectfully disagree with various policy issues you hold important, I also respectfully listen to what you have to say, noting your obvious knowledge and seriousness. Consider your obligation to speak seriously and thoughtfully, even to those who may disagree with you, without impugning their intelligence, or their patriotism. Good arguments, even when initially rejected, have a way of being heard if delivered properly, which is to say with respect for all listeners.
Respect is a 2 way street, and it’s been one way against us too long for any decent, human reaction but reciprocating the abuse.
It’s called punching back.
We are told all our lives that we are born and the heirs of monsters, conceived in evil and raised in privilege (!), are borderline racists and nazis who must live our lives on probation, the Woke (the Left came up with the term) our parole officers.
As for Patriotism or Intelligence, we can question nothing without being accused of being spies and traitors, and they openly mock us as ignorant subhuman morons.
Honestly Sir have you just recovered from a 60 year Coma?
That’s just the conversational part. Talk. War is past talk.
The background for the story here is war with China over Formosa (Taiwan). IRL we’ve had enough thanks, BTW the Taiwanese don’t want to fight.
DC does.
I think you’ll find we’re rather fought out over the last generation, sent by the corrupt and the cowardly who shirked and lined their pockets.
Let them fight. And they can lead their feral pets to battle , have fun.
You seem a decent sort, I hope I have been candid but cordial.
The Woke (again, their own term) and the rest should have taken this counsel long ago.
Good luck.
Nicely done sir!
You seem to think we don’t have a capable fighting force. There’s no way to judge that without putting them in battle with a mission that makes strategic sense, something we haven’t done since the Korean War.
Whether we do or not, it can't be argued that we are /more/ effective for adopting these policies. Certainly on the Army Infantry side of the house, we are in a bad state, and ill prepared for LSCO or peer-peer conflict. Two decades of progressive policies and an obsession with SOF/GWOT has eroded our conventional infantry fighting capabilities. The expertise and morale are gone.
There’s no reason to stick around, let DC and the Ivies do their own fighting. I did 20, 5 deployments; we were and are still being betrayed.
Walk away, this part is ending. Let the elites face the consequences of their choices.
I came to that conclusion a while ago, unfortunately, and did just as you said.
Vietnam made strategic sense because the real fear was Malaya and Indonesia would collapse under pressure if Vietnam fell , a real fear in 1965. The execution wasn’t bad militarily, the political and diplomatic execution (including the literal execution of Diem at the US Ambassador’s insistence) was horrific.
If Korea made sense, then Vietnam made sense.
Vietnam made strategic sense to the arms manufacturers. String things out and make a lot of money. All wars make strategic sense to arms manufacturers.
And the bankers that fund them of course.
6 of the top ten arms manufacturers in the world are in the USA. This makes strategic sense to profiteers.
But in aggregate half of Walmart .
The hardest part of being a US arms manufacturer is avoiding bankruptcy.
Which they do by promoting war and fear of war. I imagine most big arms manufacturers do that wherever they are based.
As regards Walmart I suppose that most people have a choice as to whether they shop there, whereas the taxpayers tend to fund the arms manufacturers.
LOL, we are already fighting a massive proxy war and losing very badly to the Russians. Hopeium is a strong drug and distorts reality badly.
Brilliant! And I say that as an Englishman who went to public school.