National Security Journal Blog - 6 December 2010

 

http://security.nationaljournal.com/2010/12/the-timing-and-impact-of-endin.php#1810377

I put this in the starkest terms to start this discussion.  I will have more to say, but my remark here does not mean that I necessarily think that in all cases gay soldiers can't be "brothers" in the infantry sense of the word.  I do think that this phenomenon would complicate relationships a lot in the way that I believe General Amos meant.  pl

Comments

[BillWade]

SOS, The USS Liberty incident happened in 1967, I entered the service in 1969 and never heard of the incident till recently and only because I became a Ron Paul supporter. Not many people in the services know about it. I think a movie should be made about the USS Liberty so EVERYONE knows about it.

[Clifford Kiracofe]

For some political background:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattachine_Society

[Fred]

Bill Wade,

That's an excellent suggestion, especially as Captain McGonagle earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for the defense of the USS Liberty during the unprovoked attacked by the IDF.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McGonagle

[Sidney O. Smith III]

Bill Wade

Like you, I didn’t find out about the USS Liberty incident until stumbling upon it a few years ago. And I may have come across it through reading Libertarian works, but I cannot say for sure.

Speaking of which, in my civilian opinion, I have always thought Justin Raimondo would make a good brother. War Eagle Raimondo is aok, imo. Brilliant writer and did you see him put Andrew Sullivan in his place when Sullivan was all about imperial wars?

http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/02/11/the-weathervane-as-metaphor/

Fred

You may very well be right yet again.

I have come across too many military men who have a CIB and seen the horror of war. And they don’t have an ounce of “homophobia” in them. Not an ounce. They caution people that the violence of war is very unique, and it takes a very special mindset to survive war and complete the mission. But then they are slandered and told that they really just do not know about war. So now they have to be “enlightened” when, instead, perhaps people need to try to learn from them re: war.

It seems to me that the rise of fascism in the US has its roots in both red state and blue state outlooks. In fact, they play off each other, although I see the biggest danger coming from the Right. But I do sometimes wonder if there is a correlation between the rise of fascism and the destruction of a military spirit that places a priority on brotherhood. Such a brotherhood is to be replaced with the creation of a civilian atmosphere among combat units, regardless of whether or not it increases the likelihood of fragmentation when under severe combat stress day in and day out.

The military spirit of an anti-imperial republican kind of military perhaps differs from that which exists in fascist states.

Where’s Carafano on this issue? He’s the expert and he is the one who wants to see a clash of civilizations.

[Jackie]

Fred and Bill,
Isn't there a documentary about the Liberty called, "Dead in the Water"? I can't remember who did it, but I think the Brits did.

[Brien J Miller]

Colonel: A worthy voice to the the discussion:

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/12/08/you_can_go_strangle_yourself_with_that_yellow_ribbon

[rjj]

the BBC Dead in the Water is at Google video.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3319663041501647311

[kassandra]

Perhaps it's been an attention deficit, but I've never seen a projection of the number of gays that will rush to volunteer.

[Fred]

kassandra, I think they'll be right behind Lady Gaga and Mary Cheney, otherwise probably very close to the same percentage that already sign up already.