Defeating Terrorists on the Waterfront (serious & informational)

Information Warfare Site ^ | June 3, 2004 | James Pelkofski, U.S. Navy Commander

[snopercod]

I don't have the sense that modern American soldiers, sailors, and airmen will shoot to kill without hesitation - like the former Soviet army, they are now required to ask permission from their chain of command first.

We saw the disasterous effect of that "modern" philosophy in the loss of the USS Cole - their "management" had told them not to shoot first, and in fact had taken away their bullets.

I happened to watch the John Wayne movie The Shootist the other night. When the kid (Ron Howard) asked John Wayne how he had survived all these years, John Wayne said something like:

I'm not faster with a gun or a better shot than everybody else. I just don't hesitate.

I'm sorry, but America has become a nation of hesitaters. Our soldiers, sailors, and airmen are afraid that if they actually shoot something without permission, they will be on the Six O'Clock News. And our officers display the same fear of the politicians, lawyers, and news organizations.

And the first instinct of Americans is no longer to take immediate personal action to protect themselves, but to "call the authorities".

Just ask Bernard Goetz.

[First_Salute]

Were you a Kings Point or Traverse City grad?

[LiberalBassTurds]

Hehe...agreed. I liked that one too!

LBT

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[LiberalBassTurds]

..especially with your addition. :)

LBT

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[Jeff Head]

Read it in proceedings late last week. I believe the attack on the Cole has our forces alert and I hope and pray that they remain so.

[FairOpinion]

"If you ever go to NYC, make sure you get to see the Palisade Cliffs of New Jersey "

Thanks. I'll keep it in mind.

We, as a nation need to learn a hard lesson: shot first and ask questions later. I hope we won't have to endure something much worse than 9-11, before it will sink in.

[FairOpinion]

"Two, and here's a biggie, getting ALL personnel to take threats seriously."

I agree. People don't want to overreact.

But consider the seriousness of the threat and devastating results if the terrorists succeed, it's better to be wrong 99% of the time, to catch that 1 attack, rather than the other way around.

One of Rumsfeld's rules is:

"Hire paranoids. Even though they have a high false-alarm rate, they discover all plots."
(Herman Kahn)

[FairOpinion]

"Al Qaeda needs to know we are fluent in the "dialogue of bullets."

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Great tag line! :)

[Travis McGee]

Not judging by the gate security at bases around SD.

[Jeff Head]

Not good. If that's true there, and elsewhere around the nation, then it sounds too much like they think we are immune here in CONUS again.

[LiberalBassTurds]

Great tag line!

Thanks for helping me find it FairOpinon. I'n not too creative but I recognize a good plagarizing opportunity when I see it. :)

All the best.

LBT

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[Gritty]

This is a good article.

Many people, especially Liberals, assume nothing is happening because, well,... "nothing" is happening. Therefore, they think we can take our guard down and work harder on "getting along".

That works fine until the lethal attack comes.

[Cold Heart]

CMA 68