ded@aplvax.UUCP (07/26/83)
I've received several similar responses to an article I posted, so I suppose it's time to answer them all publicly. Here is a representative quote: "The military should only put appropriate people into combat, men AND women." The question is: how can this be done? The military currently uses a blanket policy to put the "appropriate" people into combat: they use men. The basis for this policy is that, over-all, men will freeze-up less, kill better, etc., than women. And in a general sense, this is true. If you randomly select a group of 100 men and 100 women from the population, the group of men will most likely be the most effective combat force. I am not a fan of the military, but I can't for the life of me think of a better way to choose cannon fodder. Will we have some sort of "combat suitability" test? If we did, would you try to pass it? There isn't a test written that I couldn't flunk if I wanted to, especially so-called "psychological tests." What about it? Is there some fair and gender-independent way to choose who will risk their lives in combat, given that there won't be enough volunteers? Don Davis JHU/APL ...decvax!harpo!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!ded ...rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!aplvax!ded
larry@grkermit.UUCP (Larry Kolodney) (07/27/83)
From: ded@aplvax.UUCP The question is: how can [putting only appropriate people into [combat] be done? Simple, take all the murderers in the country and put them in uniform. The major qualification to being in the armed forces is the ready willingness and ablility to murder somebody on command. -- Larry Kolodney #8 (Moving up) (USENET) decvax!genrad!grkermit!larry allegra!linus!genrad!grkermit!larry (ARPA) rms.g.lkk@mit-ai
hammy@mit-eddie.UUCP (J. Scott Hamilton) (07/27/83)
The question is: how can [putting only appropriate people into [combat] be done? Simple, take all the murderers in the country and put them in uniform. The major qualification to being in the armed forces is the ready willingness and ablility to murder somebody on command. With philosophy like this, we might as well all be dead. There's nothing I would like better than having some confirmed psycopath have access to any weapon system he would like, as well as having the potential of him having control over other men. "Gee guys, lets go over to that judge who convicted me, and give him a good time. Is that okay with you, Sir?" "Sure, he put me here too." And let's not mention nuclear warfare. This country's military forces needs all the same people it can to keep us from blowing ourselves up. Please excuse me for continuing Mr. Kolodney's clutter of this newsgroup. -- J. Scott Hamilton !genrad!mit-eddie!hammy
rwhw@hound.UUCP (07/27/83)
During a battle, "cannon fodder" is needed. If the enemy kills enough good combat troops, they can win. Reading WW2 combat stories about a handfull of good combat soldiers holding a multitude of enemy forces at bay demonstrates this. Therefore, I repeat, whoever joins the military should expect to go into combat unless they are given the opportunity to serve in other than combat units. I said *given* the opportuniy, not placed because of sex. -- Roy W. H. Walters (a.k.a. BTM)
larry@grkermit.UUCP (Larry Kolodney) (07/27/83)
From: Scott Hamilton [From: larry kolodney] The question is: how can [putting only appropriate people into [combat] be done? Simple, take all the murderers in the country and put them in uniform. The major qualification to being in the armed forces is the ready willingness and ablility to murder somebody on command. With philosophy like this, we might as well all be dead. Speak for yourself, I like life. There's nothing I would like better than having some confirmed psycopath have access to any weapon system he would like, as well as having the potential of him having control over other men. "Gee guys, lets go over to that judge who convicted me, and give him a good time. Is that okay with you, Sir?" "Sure, he put me here too." Not all murders are psychopaths, but thats besides the point. How many Vietnam veterans are in prisons and mental institutions right now? I think that appallingly (sp?) high number shows that if you aren't nuts when you go into combat, you certainly will be when you get out. And let's not mention nuclear warfare. This country's military forces needs all the same people it can to keep us from blowing ourselves up. We were discussing combat positions. I never said we should give the killers command positions, those should go to secular humanists who value human life above all. Please excuse me for continuing Mr. Kolodney's clutter of this newsgroup. Now, now, lets not get ad hominem. Finally, One of the ROTC instructors at MIT has a bumber sticker on his car that says: "I'd rather be killing communists" If this man is not psychotic, than what is he? -- -- Larry Kolodney #8 (Moving up) (USENET) decvax!genrad!grkermit!larry allegra!linus!genrad!grkermit!larry (ARPA) rms.g.lkk@mit-ai
berry@zinfandel.UUCP (07/29/83)
#R:grkermit:-52300:zinfandel:17200009:000:633 zinfandel!berry Jul 28 14:11:00 1983 "Simple, take all the murderers in the country and put them in uniform. The major qualification to being in the armed forces is the ready willingness and ablility to murder somebody on command. Larry Kolodney #8 (Moving up) Larry, this only goes to show that you have no idea what the historical and political purpose of the military is, and that you have no idea of what it's really like. Barring a few wierdos that crop up in any profession, the last thing any military person wants is a war. I'm an Army brat and I'm proud of my father, Berry Kercheval Zehntel Inc. (decvax!sytek!zehntel!zinfandel!berry) (415)932-6900