Politics

[sgt_zim]

It’s only confusing because the other side is confused. Sex is determined by what’s in one’s pants. Gender is in one’s head. So long as a person’s head is aligned with what’s in their pants…all is good. If there’s a misalignment, then the person suffers from gender dysphoria. A well-documented mental illness that has been around as long as humans, I gather. People suffering with gender dysphoria should be treated with compassion and provided mental help. Not treated as something they are not.

I‘ve heard that some unfortunate people are born with conflicting physical attributes that blur the line. These cases are extremely rare and not at all what the fluid gender types are talking about. Again, people suffering from this need medical help and compassionate treatment.

It‘s simple really…..but I know I’m preaching to the choir.

I'm sure I've probably said this before, probably on this thread...

If a 4 yr old boy dresses up as and runs around telling everybody he's batman, we humor him and laugh and say "how cute." If a 34 year old man dresses up as and runs around telling everybody he's batman, we get him some help. If that same 34 year old man dresses in drag and runs around telling everybody he's a woman...he's praised. And if he's old enough and famous enough, s/he becomes Time Magazine's woman of the year. Proving that men are better at everything, including better at being women.

 

[CoElkHunter]

When Hitler invaded Poland from West, Stalin invaded Poland from East, 1939.
In that situation, Britain decided the world evil, and threat to civilization is not USSR, but Nazi Germany and Hitler, and declared war to Germany.
US followed.
And war ended as we know in 1945.

Western allies started planning asap, the war against USSR, and relationships soon frozen.

But as you said, in 1945 they were allies, public opinion on the west mattered and till then pro allied propaganda kept USSR as friends in public eyes, and you can not push nation just like that to another war. It takes time. There is a lot of information about this political moment on internet.

By 1949 soviets developed their a-bomb, and this stopped western allies in their actual war plans against soviets. Deterrent factor split the political world in half.

So, it appears never did the two super powers fired a weapon at each other, except in numerous proxy wars till now, where others were fighting for this or that cause with their weapons.

General mc Arthur wanted to bomb China with atomic bombs, during Korean war and after chinese intervention, but he was then retired 1951 by president Truman. This was 2 years after soviet first bomb test.
My guess, deterrent factor at work again, and Korean war continued with conventional means.

Actual fire exchange between Russia and America happened 100 years ago, in allied military intervention 1918-1920 against Bolshevik Russia.

I believe Stalin agreed to invade Poland to appease Hitler. He thought Hitler would then NOT invade Russia. Wrong of course. Currently, I believe the US, EU and NATO members looked the other way as Russia invaded Georgia and then Crimea to appease Putin so he wouldn't invade Ukraine. Putin even told Brandon and ALL the EU leaders he had no intention of invading Ukraine. Wrong of course. I'm NOT comparing Putin to Stalin or Hitler, but he IS a calculating dictator who can NEVER be trusted again. A peace deal WILL eventually be struck between Russia and Ukraine due to outside political pressure, but it won't be worth the paper it's written on. After Putin rebuilds his military with help from China, we'll be doing this all over again in Europe, either before or after China invades Taiwan. The billions we're spending now supporting Ukraine will pale in comparison to the treasure and subsequent blood that will be spilled next time.

 

[Foxi]

I believe Stalin agreed to invade Poland to appease Hitler.

he did not want to appease Hitler.
Poland was divided between them.
How schoolchildren eat their lunch.
We invaded Poland - war was declared against us.
A few weeks later Stalin did the same and the western world cooperated with him.
A bit illogical .

He thought Hitler would then NOT invade Russia.

this morbidly suspicious guy actually believed in the agreed non-aggression pact.
He could not believe the begin of the "Barbarossa enterprise" and distrusted his informants.

After Putin rebuilds his military with help from China, we'll be doing this all over again in Europe,

don't think so. He needs twenty years for that.
In the meantime, he is already 70.
And he knows very well, that he will only be the junior partner with the Chinese.

 

[Jfet]

How schoolchildren eat their lunch.

Great analogy!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Great analogy!

+1.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[PARA45]

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Watching what is coming out in the news at home in Canada, I really think the biggest threat to the USA is the Dictator on your northern border. He is in bed and infatuated with all things Chinese. Their global influence is being applied everywhere there is a woke, weak, greedy, liberal leader, and they have found the perfect stooge in Justin Turdeau!

 

[Foxi]

Great analogy!

I suppose you mean that ironically.
But the two,Hitler and Stalin ,had not the slightest scruples about chaining people to the slaughter bench

 

[BSO Dave]

I am no great fan of Austin for other reasons, but I suspect in the privacy of his mind, his opinion of the woke agenda would be very similar to ours. With respect to rules concerning the whole transgender thing, he really doesn't have a choice but to follow the Executive Office's directives.

That's a generous assumption, and if it were true that Austin secretly disagrees, then he's a hypocrite and a coward. I personally believe he is nothing more than another checked box, much the same as every other Brandon-appointed beaurocrat that currently serves in this joke of an Administration... Milley, who has given legitimacy to institutional racism, CRT, and the threat of "radical extremism" is no better.. They both made the choices to be in the positions they hold. If they were actually men of character who did not buy into this nonsense, they could denounce it or resign.

This is so patently absurd as to almost not merit response. Almost.
How many soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces? And this sizable group of men and women has been purged of conservatives and replaced with woke, weak wankers? You must realize just how incredibly laughable this statement is, right? And just who accomplished this amazing feat? And were any UFO’s involved?

I can only hope and assume that the poster who made the comment to which you are replying was referring to the current US military brass appointed by this Administration and not the rank & file soldiers.

And, before you dismiss the notion of the effort by this Administration to "purge" conservatives, it is important to remember that there has been a concentrated effort on behalf of the Brandon Administration in the wake of January 6th to purge or punish conservatives from many government agencies starting with our military. Let's not forget the DOD's investigation into so-called "right-wing extremism" within its own ranks endorsed by both Austin and Milley.

In regard to the rank and file, I absolutely agree that the vast majority of service members are brave, patriots who are proud to serve their country. However, there is no getting around the fact that the standards for military service, fitness, and readiness, are vastly different than they were just a few years ago. "Wokeness" policies are having a profound affect in lowering the physical standards and "reimagining" the training practices the military utilizes. Sadly, the days of the Gunny Hartman's are long gone..

 

[PARA45]

 

[Ray B]

While we're refighting WWII, Germany & Russia divided Poland and had a "treaty" between them. I have read that both Russia and Germany had plans to attack the other and had Germany waited just a little more Russia would have attacked Germany. In addition to the Weather and supply issues that affected that operation, there would also have been possible realignment of alliances because Russia would have been seen as the aggressor- but in all things history- that road wasn't taken so we will never know.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

@BSO Dave ...

"That's a generous assumption, and if it were true that Austin secretly disagrees, then he's a hypocrite and a coward. .... They both made the choices to be in the positions they hold. If they were actually men of character who did not buy into this nonsense, they could denounce it or resign."

I often don't see things the way you do. However, I cannot disagree with this in the least. Well stated.

 

[Foxi]

"Well, my boy, not everyone can Blitzkrieg."

 

[fourfive8]

Austin and Milley? How they really think? Who knows? Both come across as classic yes men who rose to their current positions via standard, well proven "techniques" Just do a search of Milley's background then make up your own mind. I will forever know he is a seditious sob. That knowledge backed up with hard facts. TDS is a real affliction that I've become convinced is not only deafening and blinding but also stupefying. The "Deep State" is indeed a deep, dark, putrid swamp.

 

[Red Leg]

In regard to the rank and file, I absolutely agree that the vast majority of service members are brave, patriots who are proud to serve their country. However, there is no getting around the fact that the standards for military service, fitness, and readiness, are vastly different than they were just a few years ago. "Wokeness" policies are having a profound affect in lowering the physical standards and "reimagining" the training practices the military utilizes. Sadly, the days of the Gunny Hartman's are long gone..

I had not seen much value in responding to any more of your posts in this thread, but this is simply not true and it should not go unchallenged. I think the other people who read this discussion deserve that other point of view. I realize your comments are a common refrain in the right wing media, but that doesn't make it so. It is not a "fact" as you put it, and I feel compelled to provide a few evidence based observations that offer a somewhat alternative perspective.

What I am about to post is based upon a broad array of contacts in the active force. They obviously began with three decades of active service, they were reinforced with another decade of running a business unit building critical Army command and control systems, and have been maintained by being a retired general officer - a group which the Army regularly uses (travel costs only) in an advisory capacity on various boards and committees. I also dialogue with three serving brigade commanders, and several protégés who are serving general officers or Command Sergeants Major.

With respect to collective training, the Army is in better shape right now than any point since roughly 2010. The reason is the drawdown and eventual withdrawal from Afghanistan that has allowed the force to refocus on combined arms training rather than constantly preparing units for counter insurgency deployments. It will take several more years for that refocus to fully supplant some of the theater specific experiences in Central Asia.

"Wokeness" is essentially a non issue in field force. No one is conducting alternate history or pronoun usage training. What these gifted leaders will tell you they are worried about is adequate training ammunition, adequate fuel for unit collective training, and the age of their primary warfighting platforms. The M1, M2 Brad, and Apache are all Reagan era acquisitions. Except for MLRS, the artillery platforms or a Vietnam War era design. All have been updated, but all need to be replaced. A friend's son commands an aviation brigade, and one of the Apaches was flown by his father.

Those are the things that the Army combat leadership is worried about. Not some briefing put together by a junior political appointee in the Pentagon.

In fact, should you really want to hear some good stories about trying to train and deal with Washington guidance, listen to them tell stories of trying to implement COVID directives during the first year of the pandemic. Who was president then? I can't remember.

 

[BSO Dave]

I had not seen much value in responding to any more of your posts in this thread, but this is simply not true and it should not go unchallenged. I think the other people who read this discussion deserve that other point of view. I realize your comments are a common refrain in the right wing media, but that doesn't make it so. It is not a "fact" as you put it, and I feel compelled to provide a few evidence based observations that offer a somewhat alternative perspective.

I don't see much value in you responding to me either..
Your making your assertions based on the perspectives of those within the higher echelon leadership within the military.. I'm sure they would have a very different perspective than what I am referring to..

Contrary to you accusing me of being an echo chamber for the "far right" (LOL), I am making my assertions based on the actual accounts of several active military servicemen and younger veterans that are personally know to me. They have all offered a very different account of how not only "wokeness" but gender equity, political correctness, and the multitude of these other "kinder-gentler" BS ideologies have affected the standards for both physical and emotional fitness within the military in general.

Physical minimum standards for both men and women have been steadily lowered. Basic training techniques with specific regard to how instructors can speak to recruits have been drastically altered so they do not pose an undue or unnecessary stress upon the individual. Do you realize that they now have "stress cards" they can pull out at any time they feel emotionally challenged or singled out? God forbid we create scenarios that place our soldiers in stressful training situations... This is the kind of crap that I am talking about and it would be laughable if it weren't actually happening whether you choose to believe it or not.

 

[Cervus elaphus]

This is so patently absurd as to almost not merit response. Almost.
How many soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces? And this sizable group of men and women has been purged of conservatives and replaced with woke, weak wankers? You must realize just how incredibly laughable this statement is, right? And just who accomplished this amazing feat? And were any UFO’s involved?

Dream on. I've been close around the US military to know the difference. Tell me about the political leanings of the current Chiefs of Staffs?

 

[Red Leg]

I don't see much value in you responding to me either..
Your making your assertions based on the perspectives of those within the higher echelon leadership within the military.. I'm sure they would have a very different perspective than what I am referring to..

Contrary to you accusing me of being an echo chamber for the "far right" (LOL), I am making my assertions based on the actual accounts of several active military servicemen and younger veterans that are personally know to me. They have all offered a very different account of how not only "wokeness" but gender equity, political correctness, and the multitude of these other "kinder-gentler" BS ideologies have affected the standards for both physical and emotional fitness within the military in general.

Physical minimum standards for both men and women have been steadily lowered. Basic training techniques with specific regard to how instructors can speak to recruits have been drastically altered so they do not pose an undue or unnecessary stress upon the individual. Do you realize that they now have "stress cards" they can pull out at any time they feel emotionally challenged or singled out? God forbid we create scenarios that place our soldiers in stressful training situations... This is the kind of crap that I am talking about and it would be laughable if it weren't actually happening whether you choose to believe it or not.

You have spoken several active military servicemen and younger veterans..........

As I stated above, my only desire is to offer a different perspective than the "facts" you have sited based on your understanding of the Army.

 

[freefall]

6-8 years ago now, (it all runs together as I geeze) a young man I know was mustering out of the army after serving in Iraq. He was thinking of re-upping, and was asked "would you be willing to fire upon US civilians?"
He said "Under no circumstances" and all talk of re-enlistment ended, he was processed out.
Make of that what you will.