If it’s true that the military fitness standards have been lowered or even done away with, as the first listener claims, then that’s not how integrating combat units was sold us as. The argument was that women can meet the *same* standards originally set for men, and therefore we should not have role restrictions based by gender.
Never served but have a lot of college classmates who became officers. Remember them telling me that this reality was widely understood throughout the military.
I’m going to [very respectfully] disagree with Redacted Female. You guys should talk about whatever moves you, whether or not your background qualifies you as experts. When you’re done, your qualified listeners will chime in on the topic and we’ll all learn something.
I was going to come down here and very disrespectfully disagree with her, especially this:
"All of you should refrain from any broad opinions about women’s issues and Soldier stuff -- you guys do this well in general, so I do appreciate that, but keep that in mind since none of you are chicks and you’ve never been Soldiers."
Yeah, no. They shouldn't refrain from broad opinions about women's issues, because *half the people they know are women!*
I giggle at the former subject, since it often seems a one-way restriction regarding which sex is free to chime-in about the other. But motherhood is the hardest job in the world.
And in the case of the military, you can plausibly argue that most of the people who have been "soldiers" have never been "soldiers" as we typically think of it, and so the REMFs should likewise clam up.
I say fuck right off with all that. Let the pricks and the REMFs speak!
I'm all for giving your opinion, acknowledging that in all cases it's limited by who and what you know, and listening discerningly (skeptically?) to other opinions to shape where you come down on something - and recognizing that it can (hopefully) continue to evolve.
i guess it surprising they choose to be soldiers. 9 minutes per mile isn't really that challenging for a healthy young person. I know casual female runners who run a marathon at 8:30 per mile
Well that's a sad commentary on the state of our young people! What military-minded young woman can't run 9 minute miles?! I'm 52 and run faster than that! That's a recovery-run pace.
Just from personal observation as I have relatives in the armed services, both male and female, but I can’t help but think are “separate, but equal” standards. For instance, grooming standards still dictate what hairstyles men are allowed to wear but for women it seems like the sky’s the limit.
Time and time again it is being brought up by veterans or active servicemen that standards are being lowered and it seems people are continuing to be blissfully ignorant on this subject.
Redacted Female- you didn’t ask me but yes- definitely read Blood Meridian! I just read it for the first time with 3 other guys as part of a book club. It’s an absolute masterpiece. Here’s a hot tip- people will often say the language is dense and archaic. I downloaded the audible version as a supplement to the print version. It’s narrated by Richard Poe and he does a wonderful job. Even though I prefer the print version (art as it’s intended etc) dipping into the audiobook for a chapter here and there really gave me a feel for the cadence of the language.
Of course- there’s also the violence, but you sound pretty hardcore…..wanting to let a dude outta prison just to hang him. Holy shit.
Flying domestic 1C can be somewhat affordable if you don’t wait. IME, about 120d gets you in pretty affordably. This is even more true if you’re checking bags.
As for partying with pols, I’d go with VP Vance over Hegseth. Still a Bengals’ fan Marine there.
(You also get treated very well if you’re the guy who needs a wheelchair with the 1C ticket. I’m good for about a block on foot….airports are tough.)
"He quickly revealed himself to be a billionaire (or close to one) who is involved in a tightly knit community of wealthy collectors of historical documents and manuscripts ([historical American] broadsides, significant letters signed by Presidents during their term, etc.)...His best bud is [a famous conservative American collector]. He has invited me to come down to Dallas, where I would be able to cover the group on the record and speak with them about their collecting philosophies, the cool stuff they have, and paint a scene of this [right-wing] group of billionaires in Dallas who own about half of obtainable copies of the most significant documents in American history" probably proves you right. I misread the mailbucket, which I blame on Matt.
Why do you assume the email is from a man? Maybe I missed something when reading it, but I don't think it says anywhere in the email definitively either way. I actually just assumed it was from a woman.
If it’s true that the military fitness standards have been lowered or even done away with, as the first listener claims, then that’s not how integrating combat units was sold us as. The argument was that women can meet the *same* standards originally set for men, and therefore we should not have role restrictions based by gender.
Never served but have a lot of college classmates who became officers. Remember them telling me that this reality was widely understood throughout the military.
I’m going to [very respectfully] disagree with Redacted Female. You guys should talk about whatever moves you, whether or not your background qualifies you as experts. When you’re done, your qualified listeners will chime in on the topic and we’ll all learn something.
I was going to come down here and very disrespectfully disagree with her, especially this:
"All of you should refrain from any broad opinions about women’s issues and Soldier stuff -- you guys do this well in general, so I do appreciate that, but keep that in mind since none of you are chicks and you’ve never been Soldiers."
Yeah, no. They shouldn't refrain from broad opinions about women's issues, because *half the people they know are women!*
I giggle at the former subject, since it often seems a one-way restriction regarding which sex is free to chime-in about the other. But motherhood is the hardest job in the world.
And in the case of the military, you can plausibly argue that most of the people who have been "soldiers" have never been "soldiers" as we typically think of it, and so the REMFs should likewise clam up.
I say fuck right off with all that. Let the pricks and the REMFs speak!
I'm all for giving your opinion, acknowledging that in all cases it's limited by who and what you know, and listening discerningly (skeptically?) to other opinions to shape where you come down on something - and recognizing that it can (hopefully) continue to evolve.
the listeners are going to chime in no matter if they are qualified or not. It's up to the reader to discern the idiots from the experts.
Honestly I am little surprised young women couldn't run 5 miles at 9 minutes
I’m a recruit PT instructor at my department, it’s not just young women. There is general lack of fitness in a lot of young people.
i guess it surprising they choose to be soldiers. 9 minutes per mile isn't really that challenging for a healthy young person. I know casual female runners who run a marathon at 8:30 per mile
Well that's a sad commentary on the state of our young people! What military-minded young woman can't run 9 minute miles?! I'm 52 and run faster than that! That's a recovery-run pace.
Just from personal observation as I have relatives in the armed services, both male and female, but I can’t help but think are “separate, but equal” standards. For instance, grooming standards still dictate what hairstyles men are allowed to wear but for women it seems like the sky’s the limit.
Time and time again it is being brought up by veterans or active servicemen that standards are being lowered and it seems people are continuing to be blissfully ignorant on this subject.
Redacted Female- you didn’t ask me but yes- definitely read Blood Meridian! I just read it for the first time with 3 other guys as part of a book club. It’s an absolute masterpiece. Here’s a hot tip- people will often say the language is dense and archaic. I downloaded the audible version as a supplement to the print version. It’s narrated by Richard Poe and he does a wonderful job. Even though I prefer the print version (art as it’s intended etc) dipping into the audiobook for a chapter here and there really gave me a feel for the cadence of the language.
Of course- there’s also the violence, but you sound pretty hardcore…..wanting to let a dude outta prison just to hang him. Holy shit.
Yeah- it’s a life changing book. Go for it.
Also- great mailbag all the way around
Flying domestic 1C can be somewhat affordable if you don’t wait. IME, about 120d gets you in pretty affordably. This is even more true if you’re checking bags.
As for partying with pols, I’d go with VP Vance over Hegseth. Still a Bengals’ fan Marine there.
(You also get treated very well if you’re the guy who needs a wheelchair with the 1C ticket. I’m good for about a block on foot….airports are tough.)
Yep, I just did an international flight first class and a wheelchair. Treated like a goddess, especially in Rome.
The last email is probably about Harlan Crow and I didn't know he was gay, or at least closeted.
Wouldn’t it make more sense that HC is the “best bud”?
"He quickly revealed himself to be a billionaire (or close to one) who is involved in a tightly knit community of wealthy collectors of historical documents and manuscripts ([historical American] broadsides, significant letters signed by Presidents during their term, etc.)...His best bud is [a famous conservative American collector]. He has invited me to come down to Dallas, where I would be able to cover the group on the record and speak with them about their collecting philosophies, the cool stuff they have, and paint a scene of this [right-wing] group of billionaires in Dallas who own about half of obtainable copies of the most significant documents in American history" probably proves you right. I misread the mailbucket, which I blame on Matt.
Hmmm…. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Club
Ok Alex Jones.
I’m going to figure this out, damn it!
Why do you assume the email is from a man? Maybe I missed something when reading it, but I don't think it says anywhere in the email definitively either way. I actually just assumed it was from a woman.
I wonder how much juicy stuff the boys see/read that we miss due to redactions and such.
E - A - G - L - E - S !!!!!
Go Fucking Eagles!!!
No going back after that last one. Cheers.