20 replies to this topic

[Beowulf]

http://us.cnn.com/20...html?hpt=hp_bn4
This is meant to be a serious article, but I could not stop laughing at the absolute ridiculousness of it. The Internet will make even otherwise intelligent people act like bickering ten year olds.

Edited by Beowulf, 19 November 2011 - 11:09 PM.

[Pasidon]

Dumb dumb?

This can't be real. It's like watching dialogue between Jim and Dwight from The Office. Is this truly the future of modern warfare? Name calling and poor debating on twitter? More reasons for me to hate twitter...

[Ganon]

I don't see what's so bad about it. If you look through history, those who didn't successfully utilize the technology of their era, in warfare, are most often the ones who lose. To me, it seems like NATO's way of combating terrorist propaganda. Thereby attempting to disarm them of their recruiting potential. Even if it is a little amusing.
You can be certain the future of warfare will involve the internet. I think we can say that this is a part of the beginning of that.

It's better to try something than to sit on your ass.
Besides, they don't really have too much to lose from it.

I still don't understand why these people continue to blow themselves up.
When has terrorism actually accomplished ANYTHING?

...

...Other than a worldwide manhunt to exterminate terrorists?

Edited by Ganon, 21 November 2011 - 12:40 AM.

[Pasidon]

At least war and terror is practical. Sure, the two sides can argue on twitter, but not like this. This is just kids sticking their tongues out at each-other. Bombs cause progress... tweets cause sighs.

[Beowulf]

Remind me, why the fuck is a war on terror practical? Terror is an idea, not a person. These "terrorists" have no allegiance, no country, no specific destination to actually BOMB. So, tell me again, why is this practical?

[Pasidon]

I didn't say war is practical just because I'm pro-barbarian... I'm saying it because war AND terror are actions of practicality; reasonable or not. I'm not against two sides of a war debating, but this twitter thing is being treated like practical action amiss warfare and it is certainly not reasonable or debate. It's the equivalent of taunting your opponent. But as a pro-barbarian, I'd rather see touching than tweeting.

[Beowulf]

I don't think it's being treated as practical in any sense. It's really accomplishing the opposite since it makes both sides look foolish. Like I said before, the Internet can turn otherwise intelligent people into bickering ten year olds.

[Ganon]

Even if it all looks foolish, it can still be helpful. The point I was tying to get at before was that it doesn't matter if both sides belittle themselves. NATO doesn't have much to lose from a situation like that. Whereas terrorism depends on propaganda.

Now, imagine if you were a wannabie terrorist, and you saw your so-called leaders bickering like that?
I would imagine it might make you rethink blowing yourself up for their cause.

Edited by Ganon, 21 November 2011 - 12:36 AM.

[some_weirdGuy]

I dream of a world where all wars are solely fought like this.

And not just because its funny seeing these people acting like children.

[Pasidon]

I can't imagine a world without warfare. Not in the sense of my military nature, but at an economic sense. War is the world's number one employment field. Just think, if they ended the war tomorrow and sent every troop home to the US when we already have a job crisis, then you'd be seeing a slowly stabilizing economy put several more tons on its shoulders and collapse. And adjusting from a war economy takes even more money than supplying a war. And all the factories that produce tons of jobs and industry will be either shut down or reconverted. I've already seen the effects of soldiers returning here in Indiana... Deer season next year will only allowed me two kills since the number of hunting licenses nearly doubled in the past few months. That's just ridiculous.

I don't think it's being treated as practical in any sense. It's really accomplishing the opposite since it makes both sides look foolish. Like I said before, the Internet can turn otherwise intelligent people into bickering ten year olds.

Oh, CNN was on the other day and the lady on it talked about this. She said the UN treats tweets as 'enemy responds' (first time I heard the term) and can be treated as political attacks. But they didn't end up doing anything drastic about these tweets, but it was actually considered. That's what scares me.

[Beowulf]

CNN reports their fair share of retarded bullshit too. While amusing, I'm not sure this was newsworthy. I just laughed when I read the article; figured you guys might have as well.

[Pasidon]

True... it's more for amusing purposes, but it went a bit deeper than harz for politicians since they rather extort the situation than laugh at it. As always...

[Beowulf]

They're going to look for any way to make the other guys look stupid. Just so happens this bickering achieves the same for both sides.

[duke_Qa]

I can't imagine a world without warfare. Not in the sense of my military nature, but at an economic sense. War is the world's number one employment field. Just think, if they ended the war tomorrow and sent every troop home to the US when we already have a job crisis, then you'd be seeing a slowly stabilizing economy put several more tons on its shoulders and collapse. And adjusting from a war economy takes even more money than supplying a war. And all the factories that produce tons of jobs and industry will be either shut down or reconverted. I've already seen the effects of soldiers returning here in Indiana... Deer season next year will only allowed me two kills since the number of hunting licenses nearly doubled in the past few months. That's just ridiculous.

I thought the US paid their troops for being in reserve and all that. Basically a bit of extra money, doing other jobs while waiting for orders.

But technically you are right, if you let hundreds of thousands of veterans back into the job market today, You'd have a few percentage increase in the joblessness numbers(27 mill unemployed in the states today?, lets say 1mill gets thrown out, that's a 1/27th increase then). The main problem is that you don't leave large amounts of trained soldiers with nothing to do but resenting their government.

They're going to look for any way to make the other guys look stupid. Just so happens this bickering achieves the same for both sides.

I recall seeing this a while back. It is tragicomic that such communication is the height of discussion between two parties in such a situation. It sort of reminds me of neighbor feuds, except with thousands dead and no mercy.

[Pasidon]

I thought the US paid their troops for being in reserve and all that. Basically a bit of extra money, doing other jobs while waiting for orders.

Another truth, but most don't enter the reserve when they return home. Those with families anyway since they have a brand-new check from the Old Sam and don't need to work for awhile, while they try to find a job. But that attitude may change quickly for those individuals; you'd be surprised how most job markets don't hire soldiers if they've done service, and for good reasons... in most cases. And another fact is that the reserve involves the National Guard more than idol soldiers. Nothing that involves the National Guard is good news, but I should do some more research into the new reserve's system before I get into that.

[duke_Qa]

Yeah, I figured they either return to the war after a small vacation or find different jobs. Whats wrong with the national guard in the US(National Guard does sound omnious in other nations though, Iraqi national guard, British national guard, Russian national guard etc etc)?

Also, money could be saved on going through the prices the weapon-makers are taking for their products. The "should cost" vs "did cost" topic, which has been wrangled upon by lobbyists, bureaucrats and politicians since the Vietnam war. If you ever find someone that tries to figure out the most cost-effective way to produce a weapon the US army needs, you are looking at a marked man .

Anyway, enough digressions. Twitter messages are cheaper than tomahawk missiles at least. Even though I suspect a tomahawk explosion is much more awesome and entertaining to watch.

Edit:Speaking of Tomahawks, they have a lot of silver in them for some reason, we apparently spent 3 tons of it(bah, the text is horrible though) during the inital bombing of G-man

Edited by duke_Qa, 22 November 2011 - 03:43 PM.

[Pasidon]

A lot of the markets I buy guns from, like Glock, make standard issue titles for the US military. I wonder if that means I would get better prices or worse prices post-war...

Yeah, I figured they either return to the war after a small vacation or find different jobs. Whats wrong with the national guard in the US(National Guard does sound omnious in other nations though, Iraqi national guard, British national guard, Russian national guard etc etc)?

A lot of veterans and homeless I know have tried to start up programs to help each-other in their home towns. In three circumstances I know of, the National Guard stepped in and took over these programs. I don't recall how, but the Guard is actually making money from these people. But what seems real sleazy is that the Guard turns down a lot of homeless. Just give the people an old shirt or something... my buddy Ron-Bob earlier this year was out on the streets and asked the Guard if he could get some new clothes since all of his were stolen, but they turned him down because the Guard was in the middle of helping some rich people who had a house fire and 'couldn't spare the resources or the time'. Ron-Bob's house burnt down last year and they didn't do anything to help him.

[duke_Qa]

I think its harder to hide the real cost of a firearm compared to a top-secret next-gen fighter jet. So the prices you get on handguns are probably relatively close to what the raw production price is.

[Pasidon]

Yea, probably... I can only wish for world-wide gun sales.

[duke_Qa]

The day the American weapon industry globalizes its factories to china... That is the day you don't rule the world anymore