G O B 3,516 Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Dead or alive, Osama is DEAD for all practical purposes. Too bad he left Obama to carry on! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poolingmyignorance 2,191 Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) Sorry, I just read your last message again and caught what you wrote -- it really illustrates how uninformed you are: Ignorance wrote: "My understanding has always been that the top brass are always academy elites and from rich families with political ties and don't really reflect the ranks of the enlisted. To me this seems pretty parallel to Amy other system of social structure." Response: The military is not like any other social structure -- not by a looooong shot. No other social structure has the mission to close with and destroy the enemies of our country. Let that sink in for a minute. What other social structure trains to kill? What members of any other social structure you know of has the knowledge that they may have to die in the course of their "job"? What members of any other social structure routinely know of some of their peers who have lost their lives or been horribly wounded in the course of their "job"? Get a clue... As for the top brass coming from the rich elites... The requirement for an individual to become an officer in the military is to have a 4 year degree and to go through either Officer Candidate School, West Point or other military academy or get a battlefield commission (highly rare). That's it -- sorry but the recruiter does not ask about family background when you enlist. To stay an officer and advance through the ranks one needs to spend the time in service and advance up through the ranks. For the Army, the officer ranks are: Second Lieutenant First Lieutenant Captain Major Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Brigadier General Major General Lieutenant General General Each has added responsibilities and each rank must be attained before advancing to the next. A certain minimum time must be served in each rank before advancement can be considered. When a officer is eligible for promotion, their personnel file is sent to the pentagon where it is reviewed by a panel that has never met the person. All people eligible for promotion at the time are considered. That may be as many as 1000's. The panel looks at each person's file and evaluates it against the highest military standards. Has the person gone to the extra schools and demonstrated the highest levels of leadership -- not all pass and get promoted to the next higher grade. In fact, if you get passed over for promotion twice, you are basically let go out of the military. To finally make it to the ranks of general takes time. The vestiges of any sense of being a civilian has long left. The ethos of the military become firmly engrained. For the army the ethos are: "Duty Honor Country" Try wrapping your head around that and try to really understand what that means... Ever see the picture of Osamas dead bullet riddled body? Me neither. Who cares???? Okay, so the guys who " may not (and do not) like the direction the administration is taking the country but are disciplined enough and knowledgeable enough of the constitution and their place in it to know that it is not their place to publicly disagree or do anything about it. " Would never ever consider allowing some shitty story to be told to garner support for an election..... Got it. Cool. " Osama bin laden is dead and General Motors is alive" Thanks Obama. I grasp the reality that there are a million Bin Laden's out there. And knocking one face off the list doesn't make a difference in the scheme of an ideology of hate, and culture of destruction. So it seems just as simple to me with the other factors already stated that it's plausible they didn't even have to kill him. I'm sure any soldier would love the opportunity, not trying to deny the guys who may have done the work their credit. Just looking at it from a purely political stand point. As far as what you were saying about officers, you forgot to mention there are advances in obtaining Congressional Nomination at West Point. I'm guessing that a families standing might just have a little influence in that, and where you go from there... that is why it's called "politics" right? Also makes me curious about the rumors of Obama purging top generals and appointing new ones... Am I saying that right "appointing new ones" to key positions. OBAMA "APPOINTING" to key positions...? I do appreciate your taking the time to formulate a well articulated response. Edited January 5, 2016 by poolingmyignorance Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Odd Man Out 1,283 Posted January 6, 2016 Report Share Posted January 6, 2016 It's like trying to explain color to the blind... I am sure that clout has it's way with getting some into West Point and other academies but it has zip to do with if the candidate succeeds. The point you are trying to make -- that rich elites somehow skew the military holds no water no matter how much you want it to. You said: "Also makes me curious about the rumors of Obama purging top generals and appointing new ones... Am I saying that right "appointing new ones" to key positions. OBAMA "APPOINTING" to key positions...?" You are a bit right -- Obama is indeed purging top Generals that do not agree with him. Also look at what the last three SecDef's have to say. They were all relieved of their positions. Obama can not create a General or appoint someone to be a General, he can direct that General so and so (who has been vetted by the administration) be put in charge of an important position. Obama and his ilk have been meddling in and micro managing the military to its detriment but the military and its ethos will be here long after obozo has left this earth. Good Generals will come and the bad will go. Of that I am certain. Finally, you said: Okay, so the guys who " may not (and do not) like the direction the administration is taking the country but are disciplined enough and knowledgeable enough of the constitution and their place in it to know that it is not their place topublicly disagree or do anything about it. " Would never ever consider allowing some shitty story to be told to garner support for an election..... Got it. Cool. " My response: WTF????? Are you mentally handicapped? Is english your fourth language? Have you read a word of anything I wrote? If you understood anything I tried to impart you would have understood that the vast majority of service personnel -- both past and present -- feel that obozo is the worst president this country has ever had. The idea that you think a group in the mil would fake a story to help obozo get re elected really shows how far from reality you are reaching. Again WTF? Hey I tried to set a civvy straight but what do I know? I only did 26 and retired... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
james lambert 3,059 Posted January 6, 2016 Report Share Posted January 6, 2016 Two words.... pearls swine 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poolingmyignorance 2,191 Posted January 6, 2016 Report Share Posted January 6, 2016 It's like trying to explain color to the blind... I am sure that clout has it's way with getting some into West Point and other academies but it has zip to do with if the candidate succeeds. The point you are trying to make -- that rich elites somehow skew the military holds no water no matter how much you want it to. You said: "Also makes me curious about the rumors of Obama purging top generals and appointing new ones... Am I saying that right "appointing new ones" to key positions. OBAMA "APPOINTING" to key positions...?" You are a bit right -- Obama is indeed purging top Generals that do not agree with him. Also look at what the last three SecDef's have to say. They were all relieved of their positions. Obama can not create a General or appoint someone to be a General, he can direct that General so and so (who has been vetted by the administration) be put in charge of an important position. Obama and his ilk have been meddling in and micro managing the military to its detriment but the military and its ethos will be here long after obozo has left this earth. Good Generals will come and the bad will go. Of that I am certain. Finally, you said: Okay, so the guys who " may not (and do not) like the direction the administration is taking the country but are disciplined enough and knowledgeable enough of the constitution and their place in it to know that it is not their place topublicly disagree or do anything about it. " Would never ever consider allowing some shitty story to be told to garner support for an election..... Got it. Cool. " My response: WTF????? Are you mentally handicapped? Is english your fourth language? Have you read a word of anything I wrote? If you understood anything I tried to impart you would have understood that the vast majority of service personnel -- both past and present -- feel that obozo is the worst president this country has ever had. The idea that you think a group in the mil would fake a story to help obozo get re elected really shows how far from reality you are reaching. Again WTF? Hey I tried to set a civvy straight but what do I know? I only did 26 and retired... Actually you did a pretty good job explaining. I was partly bursting your balls. I guess part of me will always associate power with corruption. You're explanation was pretty through. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rhodes1968 1,638 Posted January 6, 2016 Report Share Posted January 6, 2016 I advise investing in tin foil... P.S. Rhodes, thanks for the compliment of adapting my witty repartee when confronted with the lack of one's own --I'm always here to help Heh say what you like Im not the fool that believes what these thugs publish. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Odd Man Out 1,283 Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 Just trying to bring light to the darkness... Love how long it took you to reply with such a mind numbingly witty response -- good on ya mate! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atomic Punk 25 Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 A Russian news source that in the first paragraph refers to Snowden as a CIA employee when he was actually a NSA contractor? Seems credible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poolingmyignorance 2,191 Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 Just trying to bring light to the darkness... Love how long it took you to reply with such a mind numbingly witty response -- good on ya mate! Well you know us young guys with careers still. Can't spend all day around comp waiting to argue with gramps. If you noticed by my late posting times ,I'm not in the USA right now. So I get to the net when I get a chance. Really I was never trying to be a dick, seldom am. (It comes naturally) I was genuinely curios of the perceived blind loyalty. You satisfied my curiosity. Not much more to add. Be as condescending as you like, I'm not really worried about the opinions of people on forums. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Odd Man Out 1,283 Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 "Gramps" is always glad to answer your questions youngin -- and it's not condescension, it's more like a sport with me to play with fresh unformed minds. One of the benefits of age and wisdom. You go back and be proud of working day to day -- I guess I'll just have to spend my time waiting for death and somehow enjoying my retirement... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poolingmyignorance 2,191 Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 "Gramps" is always glad to answer your questions youngin -- and it's not condescension, it's more like a sport with me to play with fresh unformed minds. One of the benefits of age and wisdom. You go back and be proud of working day to day -- I guess I'll just have to spend my time waiting for death and somehow enjoying my retirement... In a bit of irony there's a rumor circling the work cite that in actually Kurt Cobain, hiding from Courtney Love.... Apparently to Filipinos all us white boys look alike. Enjoy your retirement. Thanks and cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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