Christianity, the cancer within the US culture.

[Klompy]

Bring this crap to SMP. I avoid that forum like the plague so as to not have to deal with atheist circle jerks.

[DblBarrelJ]

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I agree with that. I was just making a point to MidGe, then you jumped in making a point that was utterly ridiculous, so I had to correct it.

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The Blackwater point was ridiculous? hmmmmmm. I disagree.

I agree that Blackwater is not going to try and evangilize veteran SPECOPS operators. Twould most likely be wasted effort and PISS off these very serious dudes for preaching to them. BUT, I tink it's fair to discuss how Blackwater's overall mission/vision can be/is affected by it's owner/manager's religious affilation/activity.

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Well, thats very simple.

- Blackwaters mission is to make money.

- Blackwater makes money only one way: They complete the mission.

Pretty clear. This type of nonsense drives me crazy, I'm not religious, but I'm also not so closed minded and insane that I honestly believe that a man cannot successfully run a business and hold religious faith at the same time.

To assume he can't, or furthermore, doesn't have a right to, is pure lunacy.

I'm in the small minority of people on this board who believe that any correlation between atheism and higher intelligence is a myth, and that they are believed only because they cannot be disproven, but also cannot be proven either.

If I'm not mistaken, thats the atheist using religious tricks while claiming not to be religious.

[Jamougha]

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I'm in the small minority of people on this board who believe that any correlation between atheism and higher intelligence is a myth, and that they are believed only because they cannot be disproven, but also cannot be proven either.

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Um if you look in the thread in SMP you should find links to a ton of papers supporting the correlation. Or just google it. It can certainly be demonstrated one way or another once you've decided on a definition of 'intelligence'.

Not that it's really an important point to begin with.

[TomCollins]

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Here is an article that shows how much the military in the USA has changed over the last 50 years.

It is unfortunately apparent, not only in the military. From posts on these forums, speeches by politicians and business leaders from the USA, it is apparent that the cancer is spreading.

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[x] non sequitur
[ ] attack on bush
[ ] irritating smiley
[x] lol america sucks
[x] you're all racist hicks!

[DblBarrelJ]

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I'm in the small minority of people on this board who believe that any correlation between atheism and higher intelligence is a myth, and that they are believed only because they cannot be disproven, but also cannot be proven either.

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Um if you look in the thread in SMP you should find links to a ton of papers supporting the correlation. Or just google it. It can certainly be demonstrated one way or another once you've decided on a definition of 'intelligence'.

Not that it's really an important point to begin with.

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Glad you realized that after taking time to type that post. So, any opinions on the topic at hand, which would be Blackwater's ability to complete the mission, totally in spite of some of it's execs deciding to spend Sunday mornings in church?

[NewTeaBag]

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I agree with that. I was just making a point to MidGe, then you jumped in making a point that was utterly ridiculous, so I had to correct it.

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The Blackwater point was ridiculous? hmmmmmm. I disagree.

I agree that Blackwater is not going to try and evangilize veteran SPECOPS operators. Twould most likely be wasted effort and PISS off these very serious dudes for preaching to them. BUT, I tink it's fair to discuss how Blackwater's overall mission/vision can be/is affected by it's owner/manager's religious affilation/activity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, thats very simple.

- Blackwaters mission is to make money.

- Blackwater makes money only one way: They complete the mission.

Pretty clear. This type of nonsense drives me crazy, I'm not religious, but I'm also not so closed minded and insane that I honestly believe that a man cannot successfully run a business and hold religious faith at the same time.

To assume he can't, or furthermore, doesn't have a right to, is pure lunacy.

I'm in the small minority of people on this board who believe that any correlation between atheism and higher intelligence is a myth, and that they are believed only because they cannot be disproven, but also cannot be proven either.

If I'm not mistaken, thats the atheist using religious tricks while claiming not to be religious.

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I'll start by assuming you're NOT directly reffering to me as insane or a lunatic, but speaking, more in a general sense.

That bit of unpleasantness aside, I'll say that I'm neither an atheist nor am I closed minded. Nor have I ever argued about correlations atween atheism and intelligence.

I wouldn't care whether Eric Prince was an Evangilical Christian or worshipped toad skins found only in the Lousiana Bayous if he were running a shoe manufacturing buisness or some other such non controversial venture. But he isn't running a shoe buisness, he is running a security firm which uses SPECOPS trained personell to carry out missions, often involving violent combat, in the middle of one of the most controversial hotspots on the planet.

His background and beliefs require far greater scrutiny running this enterprise because it's far more important. Do you not agree?

Much like Blackwater itself has a long laundry list of RQMTS for its contractors (which go beyond mere TRNG/experience) those running the shop also have to meet a higher standard.

I haven't researched into Eric Prince's religious affiliations, so I don't where they go or don't go, but I certainly believe they deserve scrutiny much like other positions of public import.

Would you think it was relevant if he was bought out by a Muslim with potential ties to Extremism?

Would you think it was relevant if an Iranian Security firm comprised of mainly former Iranian Republican Guards and SPETSNAZ operators, headed by a buisnessman with ties to a radical madrassa offered a competing service?

[Exsubmariner]

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Now with the whole wardroom watching, and me not known for biting my tongue, I posed a followup question. I asked, "So, XO. You're telling me the pictures of the clothed (in bikinis), beautiful women are offensive, but the missiles tubes on which they are placed, which house up to 10 warheads each, which each are capable of vaporizing over 1 million people instantly are NOT offensive?"


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Reminds me of Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now:
"We train young men to drop fire on people, but they cannot write [censored] on their aeroplane, because....It's Obscene."

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He rapidly replied with, "Mr XXXXX, you have a negative attitude towards nuclear weapons!"

I said, "You're gawdamn right I have a negative attitude towards nuclear weapons! Do you have a positve attitude towards them?"

Before we could heat up any more (and I could get myself in trouble) The CAPT broke in with laughter at the irony on the XOs position and changed the sbject, in a way which made it clear he didn't wan't the argument to proceed any further. The CAPT later told me that he agreed with me but had to acede to the wishes of crewmembers who claimed to be offended.

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Ironically, we had a Captain who I nicknamed "psycho." I'd say he had a positive attitude toward nuclear weapons. I thought he was an exception in my experience. However, I have discovered that individuals who share many similarities with him are in fact common in the American landscape. The military is like society on a shorter, finer scale.

I don't really have time to go into all the psychology I have studied about the subject in the intervening years, but I will say I think the hypocritical behavior that can be observed on the part of many who profess devotion to their faith is in fact rooted in a set of contradictory beliefs. They are behaving perfectly in accordance with the cognitive dissonance taught to them as dogma.

[Jamougha]

Dbl,

I'm sure I'm not competent to judge Blackwater's competence.

My only thoughts are that, under the current administration, it seems that people with an evangelical background have been employed and promoted beyond normal expectation. Blackwater's founders may be beneficiaries of this trend, though innocent ones I'm sure.

[DblBarrelJ]

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Would you think it was relevant if he was bought out by a Muslim with potential ties to Extremism?

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Yes, but only because of the words "ties to Extremism".


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Would you think it was relevant if an Iranian Security firm comprised of mainly former Iranian Republican Guards and SPETSNAZ operators, headed by a buisnessman with ties to a radical madrassa offered a competing service?

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Yes, but because of the word "radical".

The thing is, most Muslims (and Christians) in the world are peaceful people, who make rational decisions. I wouldn't want one of the 1%ers from ANY religion running a company such as Blackwater.

[NewTeaBag]

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Reminds me of Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now:
"We train young men to drop fire on people, but they cannot write [censored] on their aeroplane, because....It's Obscene."

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Interestingly enough, I had self contelplative Apocalypse Now moment right before I left the Navy. As I was doing one of my last Dirty CT jobs in Europe, I heard Martin Sheen's line run through my head.

"They were going to make me a major for this (LCDR in my case) and I wasn't even in their f**king army (navy in my case) anymore!"