tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post3939478449446792746..comments2023-10-30T06:31:05.501-07:00Comments on MilPub: From Behind the BarFDChiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10607785969510234092noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-55878066333640329812010-06-02T23:19:08.177-07:002010-06-02T23:19:08.177-07:00Sven: Or you can contact me at jlawes@comcast.net
...Sven: Or you can contact me at jlawes@comcast.net<br /><br />The E-mail address thing seems to be a Blogger thing. I don't particularly care one way or the other, but Blogger doesn't really give you an option to post your e-mail.FDChiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10607785969510234092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-85067648126497361272010-05-31T17:20:53.982-07:002010-05-31T17:20:53.982-07:00Not so difficult . . .
seydlitz89@web.deNot so difficult . . .<br /><br />seydlitz89@web.deseydlitz89https://www.blogger.com/profile/15431952900333460640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-54440786744664041952010-05-29T16:05:14.218-07:002010-05-29T16:05:14.218-07:00Assuming I had an idea for an interesting topic th...Assuming I had an idea for an interesting topic that doesn't fit into my blog.<br />Whom could I contact? It seems as if most if not all here seem to hide their e-mail addresses.Sven Ortmannnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-47865766253716442882010-05-28T16:06:58.823-07:002010-05-28T16:06:58.823-07:00Golf?
Girl?
Grits, greens, & gravy?Golf?<br /><br />Girl?<br /><br />Grits, greens, & gravy?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-90350597641675999922010-05-26T21:09:25.737-07:002010-05-26T21:09:25.737-07:00Hey, Ranger, watch that expat stuff! We be Murrica...Hey, Ranger, watch that expat stuff! We be Murricans here in South Carolina.<br /><br />I'll bet a lot of you wonder just why in the hell someone like me voluntarily relocated to South Carolina. I often wonder myself. <br /><br />Big prize for the winning guess.<br /><br />Basil, I am very happy to learn that you're still with us. Now, how about not scaring us anymore and doing something like giving us some of your good stuff? On a serious note, I hope whatever burdens you're bearing aren't too vexing. Just remember, you've got friends here. May not matter all that much. But then again, it may.Publiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06189226852559033120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-73566853379976227392010-05-26T15:25:56.762-07:002010-05-26T15:25:56.762-07:00jim and Publius: We here in the People's Repub...jim and Publius: We here in the People's Republic of Portland will also never accept the COG (corporatist occupation government). Count us as no more than resident aliens.FDChiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10607785969510234092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-64989042840353090152010-05-24T14:25:59.882-07:002010-05-24T14:25:59.882-07:00Publius,
We have 4 expats
-You live in SC and
-I l...Publius,<br />We have 4 expats<br />-You live in SC and<br />-I live in red neck Fl.<br />Thats a lot farther away than Portugal and Greece.<br />jimrangeragainstwarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02126542922536584950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-80776807444216709892010-05-24T12:51:38.582-07:002010-05-24T12:51:38.582-07:00Publius:
But where is Basil Beast
Still stuck in...Publius:<br /><br /><b>But where is Basil Beast</b><br /><br />Still stuck in the Middle of Nowhere and I confess, longtime AWOL. I'm afraid I've been fighting to keep my nose above water lately and haven't been keeping up with bar duty as I should.<br /><br />This is my home email for anybody that wants it. mwoods@carrollsweb.com <br /><br />seydlitz:<br /><br /><b>but the actions betray a sellout to the same old snakeoil show</b><br /><br />Ain't it the truth? And that Gulf down south of me is 20% and growing full of that very snake oil.<br /><br />I'd almost pity the coasters but they've been electing shit-for-brains leadership down there for ages.<br /><br />bbbasilbeastnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-69568094905664112132010-05-24T11:28:57.191-07:002010-05-24T11:28:57.191-07:00Seydlitz -
I would also be interested sometime in...Seydlitz -<br /><br />I would also be interested sometime in the future of a post by you on your opinions of Jon Sumida and his thoughts Clausewitz and Mahan.<br /><br />I note that his book: 'Decoding Clausewitz' is on the recommended reading list for all Marine officers including Colonel thru General.mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-12375669329732215312010-05-24T08:18:25.970-07:002010-05-24T08:18:25.970-07:00Publius-
"Pissed" ain't really the ...Publius-<br /><br />"Pissed" ain't really the right word, more like "frustrated", but as in "was frustrated", not "am frustrated".<br /><br />It's the gulf between understanding a situation, or rather seemingly understanding it, and having the power to act. While we may see the hopeless confusion of military means matched with supposed political ends and purposes, we are also aware that the actual purposes are never openly defined let alone defended. <br /><br />Rather our political leadership returns again and again to the Rovian dream of absolute and unrelenting power making reality its bitch, which of course is a delusion, but one that those in control are loathe to give up.<br /><br />As to whether Obama understands Clausewitz . . . Remember his first West Point speech of a year ago? His second one was this last weekend, and while I have not read it all yet, it seems that - just as with the first - that yes, Obama has read Clausewitz (or rather has a adaquate grasp of strategic theory). But then the task of comparing his words with his follow on acts starts and we see that the words speak of a new beginning, but the actions betray a sellout to the same old snakeoil show . . .<br /><br />--<br /><br />Been thinking about the glaring lack of historical context in modern US society and its effects - following my recent read of Trow's "Within the Context of No Context" . . . will post the PP presentation I did last week too since that might get some of those students who were in the audience to share their views on the usefulness (or not) of strategic theory . . .seydlitz89https://www.blogger.com/profile/15431952900333460640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-37921341100827691772010-05-23T21:27:36.100-07:002010-05-23T21:27:36.100-07:00Good logo for your team Chief, considering that du...Good logo for your team Chief, considering that during WW-1 Portland was Division HQ for the Spruce Division of soldier-loggers that supplied the material for airframes for Rickenbacker and company. Quite a deal, we nationalized an industry because the timber barons only wanted to log Douglas Fir and saw no profit in Spruce, and on the labor side the IWW was giving everyone the red scare.<br /><br />I second Publius' motion to see Seydlitz's thoughts on defense strategy by our politicians. Would also like to see the presentation that Seydlitz mentioned he had just given on application of strategic theory to international organized crime. And any other Clausewitzian thoughts he wants to share are fine too, but please keep it simple for an old guy like me.<br /><br />And whatever happened to the historical posts from Chief? Those were top notch and made this blog stand out. Although I would also like to see Aviator47 or Andy or whoever post some tidbits on historical air battles. <br /><br />mikemikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-57753768739717737982010-05-23T17:34:08.284-07:002010-05-23T17:34:08.284-07:00Well, I guess I've got my buddy Seydlitz pisse...Well, I guess I've got my buddy Seydlitz pissed at me. And rightly so. There is no right or wrong in what we're doing here; I just tend to be impatient and perhaps too demanding. FWIW, I'm very much of a mind with Ranger, in that current issues are viewed as so pressing that the long view—Seydlitz's forte—loses much of its importance. Seydlitz's input is no less valuable as a result of my age and impatience. I believe these wars are stupid and I believe they were lost even before they began, in large part because those who should be reading what Seydlitz has to say have no apparent interest in doing so.<br /><br />Serving Patriot offers the old fish analogy: rotting from the head. I like that. It sums our government and military very well. I guess one can cut the civilians some slack, but people such as Franks, et al, are supposed to know better. In fact, they do know better, so all we can say about our military leadership is that they are cowards. <br /><br />All of which goes into my intemperate singling out of Seydlitz. I confused the messenger with the message. But I'd still like to see Seydlitz compare and contrast Clausewitzian precepts with how our government now goes about its national security business. And I'd like him to focus on the civilian side of government because I've long believed that Clausewitz may be fine for generals, but he doesn't matter if the civilians who actually make the policy aren't on board. Does anybody think that Barack Obama knows anything about Clausewitz?<br /><br />Relevancy and immediacy: We've got two expatriats in our family. One lives in Portugal; the other lives in Greece. I'd like to see something from them about what's going on in their neck of the woods. A lot of us here in the U.S. are losing investment money these days due largely to events in the so-called "Club Med" countries, with Greece and Portugal numbered in that club.<br /><br />To Sheer and Lisa: I'd say you're here for a reason and it's not to silver tongue some old dudes. We're no better than you; we just have more miles. So, please, give us the benefit of your insight and wisdom. You've both got lots. Don't be shy. And spare us the encomiums.<br /><br />But where is Basil Beast?Publiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06189226852559033120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-11020541248913966552010-05-23T16:13:47.191-07:002010-05-23T16:13:47.191-07:00Those Vespa rides must be cool.Those Vespa rides must be cool.seydlitz89https://www.blogger.com/profile/15431952900333460640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-13240295756744271172010-05-23T12:49:42.346-07:002010-05-23T12:49:42.346-07:00p.s.:
I see the efforts here as an antidote to th...p.s.:<br /><br />I see the efforts here as an antidote to the "quiet desperation" defined by Jon Winokur in the <b>Encyclopedia Neurotica</b> as:<br /><br />"Mute resignation to a life blighted by the grinding conformity of postindustrial society"Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08839236994990699117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-63191845966728388232010-05-23T11:18:58.863-07:002010-05-23T11:18:58.863-07:00Sheerah,
Thank you, and I am absolutely with you:...Sheerah,<br /><br />Thank you, and I am absolutely with you: Simply put, "you are all awesome".<br /><br />Also, the piece I have in mind was spurred by a past comment of yours @ RAW. We both love biological science, Sheerah, and that is the area from which my topic arises.<br /><br />I read with appreciation, and feel MilPub's task of exegesis and critique is an important one. You all bring such passion, knowledge and light to bear on your topics, whatever they may be. Like the defunct IntelDump, this is a rare gathering.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08839236994990699117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-79642158847576942382010-05-23T07:35:29.007-07:002010-05-23T07:35:29.007-07:00Aviator,
As for Tommy boy- the first rule of the o...Aviator,<br />As for Tommy boy- the first rule of the old SF was- the man on the ground does the concept of the opn based on the cmdrs guidance.<br />If a plan was imposed on Frank dog then this violatesa basic tenet and who is calling the shots.<br />The HQ that writes the plan is the hq that writes the plan-you know- unity of cmd, economy of force and all that good stuff.<br />We were fucked from square one when you put a jockey on the wrong horse.<br />Andy,<br />My parents live in Euclid and they are doing poorly hence my visit. I'd rather sandpaper my ass and sit in salt than to be in the area, but i must .<br />It's a sad mission.<br />SP,<br />I didn't know you were WC grad.<br />It's my belief that they teach you guys Clauswitz, besause it looks good on the poi and wows the tradoc inspectors.<br />I'm sorry that i didn't pick up on your schooling sooner, it forces me to tighten my shit up.<br />jimjim at rangerhttp://rangeragainstwar.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-57142333989718146232010-05-23T06:26:37.752-07:002010-05-23T06:26:37.752-07:00Why, one would ask, if the mission of the military...Why, one would ask, if the mission of the military is to execute the lawful orders of the government, should we be promoting strategic education and thinking in the ranks. After all, our real job is virtually one of tactics and operational art.<br /><br />The answer, in my mind, is that when presented with the "impossible mission", the soldier has the professional obligation to tell his superior that it is just that and why, before saluting and carrying out his orders. Wouldn't it have been nice if Little Tommy Franks had been bright (and honorable enough) enough to point out the severe strategic ( as well as operational) flaws in the plan he was given? If we (the military) are going to provide the muscle, shouldn't we develop the intellect in the ranks to know if the fight we are about to pick is going to amount to more than a waste of national treasure?<br /><br />If GWB had climbed into Marine One and said, "OK, Major, I have a meeting with Tony Blair in the morning. Fly me to London", the pilot would have said, "Sir, in this helo, that would be impossible." What GWB might have done in the face of such a response, no one knows, but no one in uniform would have questioned the Major's perfectly professional and correct answer.<br /><br />Yet, an equally ill advised request to invade another country, with the attendant loss of lives, was hardly challenged. Our senior officers need to start thinking like a helo pilot and speak up when a major directive is professionally questionable. That's why we need to encourage not only strategic thinking, but courage. Yes, we may still have to face a stupid but lawful order that runs against our judgment, but we owe our superiors a hell of a lot more than a knee-jerk, "Yes, Sir. Yes, Sir. Three bags full.", especially when we know the bags are empty.Aviator47https://www.blogger.com/profile/05585964386930142907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-15008001019329100702010-05-22T14:20:19.244-07:002010-05-22T14:20:19.244-07:00FWIW, I'm just happy to see all of the stuff y...FWIW, I'm just happy to see all of the stuff you guys (and gal Lisa) write and publish here. It's all good even when it really does rub the wrong way.<br /><br />As to Andy's point about why the military's broke, he gets it when he says the personnel system simply has not produced the fighters and leaders we need today. There are many reasons. But I hold the greatest of these is that our military has not "lost" since 1979 (EAGLE CLAW). Or at least that is its own institutional propaganda, well believed by those on the inside who are too intellectually (or morally) weak to admit to themselves that we haven't really "won" since 1945.<br /><br />When I went to War College, Clausewitz as still THE philosopher this service (steeped in decisive, maneuver warfare in uncertainty) wholeheartedly embraced. But what was also taught was the emergence of Clausewitzian thought in relation to (self-)acknowledged defeat in Vietnam. Clausewitz was seen as radical precisely because he wrote from a position of defeat himself and the embrace of his ideals could only occur because of our defeat. (I'll note I attended WC well after the "victory" of Desert Storm.)<br /><br />Anyways, today's services rot from the top, filled with senior leaders oblivious to the mental strength needed to confront the very uncertain world they knew they would operate in. The senior leadership has yet to shake the careerist, zelo-tolerance and risk adverse spin imparted by the post-Desert Storm downsizing culture. And since we continue to "win" in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is little desire to accept defeat, learn our lessons, and radically restructure our services as a result. (We should also acknowledge the second great vampire squid - besides GoldmanSachs - of the military-corporate-think tank-politician complex.)<br /><br />Please folks, keep it up and in the words of the USNI, Think. Write. Speak.<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />SPServing Patriothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14984393452206039835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-92065476863718138642010-05-22T14:12:12.647-07:002010-05-22T14:12:12.647-07:00Jim,
You live in Cleveland? My better half is fr...Jim,<br /><br />You live in Cleveland? My better half is from there - North Olmsted to be exact.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-48724517870810124682010-05-22T13:09:34.251-07:002010-05-22T13:09:34.251-07:00Seydlitz,
I don't think that there is a proble...Seydlitz,<br />I don't think that there is a problem here.<br />This whole discussion started b/c i asked Chief IF i'm sending too much stuff over from RAW.<br />I don't want to flood the plain since my stuff is so different than what you other guys write.<br />I really believe that NOTHING of a tactical or strategic viewpoint will ever come of these goat fuck wars. Hence my inability to discuss the topic.<br />I know what you are saying and why you say it, but to me it's just futility to even talk about it.<br />I do understand and respect every word that the bartenders utter on these pages.<br />Every word, and nothing i say is an attack, just my pov.<br />Nobody asked, but it's raining here in Cleveland , ohio.<br />jimjim at rangerhttp://rangeragainstwar.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-86922577997962783382010-05-22T08:17:38.572-07:002010-05-22T08:17:38.572-07:00Relatively cool here. 16 Vespa fanatics arriving f...Relatively cool here. 16 Vespa fanatics arriving from US, UK and Canada Tues for 10 days of merriment and riding.Aviator47https://www.blogger.com/profile/05585964386930142907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-35086018385947500762010-05-22T08:15:28.833-07:002010-05-22T08:15:28.833-07:00The why I haven't been posting...hmmm.
I thin...The why I haven't been posting...hmmm.<br /><br />I think it has more to do with the fact that when I'm...reading/learning...I tend to be very quiet. No sound, no distractions...it's the only way I can focus.<br />Chief, you, Al, Jim, Publius, Seydlitz (and yes, i do get it :) ) are like professors to me.<br />My experience is not as well rounded as I would like it to be.<br />Not sure about Lisa feels about herself and all this, but she writes with a passion as well that I just find fun and encouraging to read.<br /><br />My two months in the Marine Corps, with most of it being in the "he's on his way out med" brigade, doesn't really amount to much of military experience.<br />And I dare not speak of it because one...pfft...Al would more than likely roll his eyes, and probably send me a email telling me that I'm embarrassing myself if I were too. But more importantly, even I recognize that a baby at birth has near zero life experience...my two months in the Marines doesn't amount to a hill of beans.<br /><br />However, my seven years as a courier/gofer for a defense contractor (though I was still a techie at heart, a job is a job) I can rely on that background, and talk about gadgets.<br />And of course, biowarfare, chemical warfare, and.../snort....entomological warfare (and the Germans thought they had it bad when the wind shifted the Mustard gas back into their faces...ha!).<br /><br />You guys are special to me...I read your thoughts and when I'm quiet...hmm...how to describe this?<br /><br />Think about sitting in the auditorium of your childs musical play. Of course, your smiling, and expecting a cute rendition of a Christmas song that's been done better by older singers.<br />But it's your kid, and so the bar is set low, the expectations is just to see your child on the stage...and then out walks Bing Crosby holding your child's hand on one side, and David Bowie holding your childs other hand and all three bust out singing a mind blowing rendition of every Christmas song you have ever heard...<br /><br />Yeah, that is what Milpub is to me...and guys...without a doubt, that is the beauty of this site. Not any one contribution, but the whole all wrapped up in collage of knowledge, life experience, and passion...you cannot find this mix anywhere on the web.<br /><br />I'm sorry guys, but you are all awesome...and so I read, and learn...to focus my own thoughts, and hopefully...just maybe...I can contribute something smart and interesting.sheerahkahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16694622087244891222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-77515070393426549322010-05-22T07:57:41.462-07:002010-05-22T07:57:41.462-07:00Good comments so far. I'll only add to what I...Good comments so far. I'll only add to what I said early by suggesting that diversity is good and it's the differing perspectives that make this site more interesting than most.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-33704042399363837552010-05-22T06:10:42.338-07:002010-05-22T06:10:42.338-07:00Al-
Well put as usual.
Hot in Greece? It'...Al-<br /><br />Well put as usual. <br /><br />Hot in Greece? It's boiling here in Portugal . . .seydlitz89https://www.blogger.com/profile/15431952900333460640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-381917167978264683.post-91475014687340177682010-05-22T06:09:12.825-07:002010-05-22T06:09:12.825-07:00Chief-
Sometimes a knock on the head with a pool ...Chief-<br /><br />Sometimes a knock on the head with a pool cue is just what is needed to make a valid point. Thanks for that . . . <br /><br />jim-<br /><br />Up until this post I thought the blog was going swimmingly, so the argument that we are somehow out of focus or I am out of touch came as a bit of a shock. <br /><br />I think the value of this blog is that we do come from different backgrounds in the military, and thus can offer different perspectives. That is that I might not get it at the "tactical" whereas you might not get it at the "strategic" would be part of the larger truth.<br /><br />I see a post coming on through this . . .seydlitz89https://www.blogger.com/profile/15431952900333460640noreply@blogger.com