I need to show this to my housekeeper!

[spadnos]

"I cannot fiddle, but I can make a great state from a little city- Themistocles" (Quoted from Lawrence of Arabia, where Lawrence is speaking to a moron who happened to be a General.)

Like I said, I have known these people. There may be purpose to their moronity, but it is still moronity, and when they get into civilian life, they are worthless. Don't ****ing tell me I don't know what I'm talking about, either. I live next to the biggest Army Base in the "free world". I worked with an ex-drill sargeant who was a stupid, obnoxious bully from hell. Everyone hated him. I have had retired officers try to bully me in my job, and they are lucky I didn't egg their puny brains into attacking me (they were that close) so I could sue their asses. They should be destroyed rather than let out if they can't behave themselves in normal society.

(I'll probably get on everyone's bad side here, but what the heck )

First - I should say that I did go a bit overboard in that last post. It just pissed me off that you (without direct experience of the situation) called me and everyone I know or knew in the military a moron (probably a mis-reading of the intent anyway). Sorry for that.

Don't get me wrong - I know that a lot of people in the military are there because they can't make it anywhere else. I was in Basic Training with people who had the old "join the army or go to jail" option, and chose the Army. That doesn't mean that everyone in the military is a moron, or that things that seem stupid actually are. There are often good reasons for what goes on. You may be right, in that the silly folding task is designed for morons. It is designed so that morons (which, let's face it, some people in the military are) can learn to get the job done right. Living next door to a big base definitely lets you know something about what goes on, but it isn't the same as being on the base.

Unfortunately, the military also has rules about when people get promoted and that sort of thing. Basically, if you don't screw up, you get promoted on a schedule (though there is latitude for commanders to delay promotions), no matter how much of an idiot you are. There are requirements for advancement, but it's very hard for a commander to say "he's a worthless pile of sh1t, and shouldn't be promoted" if the person can meet the requirements. I think this only happens up to maybe Sergeant or Staff Sergeant - beyond that you really do have to be qualified to get ahead. I think that there was a requirement for two years of college to get past (or to) E-6 (Staff Sergeant). Unfortunately, some qualities that are good in the military are bad in the real world. If you're a better blusterer, and can get the hard-ass privates (who are there rather than in jail) to get things done, then you're good in the military. That isn't the best thing when trying to work in the business world. Realize that you probably notice the a$$holes more than the normal veterans - people who do fit in are inconspicuous.

And you're right - there should be re-training for military personnnel before re-entering civilian life. I think there's a new (in the last couple of years) program to do this.

- Steve

[KvHagedorn]

Sorry if I implied that everyone is a moron. I know that's not true. Some people just tend to be ****oles, and if you are training the type of lowlives you are talking about, that's bound to be an asset. Some people can actually be intelligent and have that drummed out of them in order to fit into a certain job. Unless you wind up as a professional or a staff officer, you are bound to need to relate to the moron element at some point, so it seems they have to dumb down their presentation.