Politics

[Tanks]

I would pay good money to watch those National Guardsman wipe the smirk off your face.

It would make for some hilarious memes, and a YouTube video

Would be easy for them, way out of my weight class. All they’d have to do is fall on top me, of course they’d have to catch me first which might be a challenge for them.

 

[Newboomer]

Would be easy for them, way out of my weight class. All they’d have to do is fall on top me, of course they’d have to catch me first which might be a challenge for them.

Naw. They wouldn't chase you. They'd just shoot you. Much easier.

 

[RLD]

Really? Use of term Luddite is no more than a trendy word used by pseudo intellectuals within their bubble, replacing such as troglodyte or Neanderthal.

Weird, I always just thought they were just words in the english language with a specific meaning that allowed one to communicate more accurately.

Perhaps you are just jealous of the size of his vocabulary?

 

[Tanks]

Im the same.. the older I get the harder it has been to maintain any sort of fitness standard.. between age and injury, combined with a much more busy schedule with work, family, and other activities that are not fitness related, its definitely a challenge, and one I dont rise to often enough...

I agree. Especially the time factor. A few months ago I hired a personal trainer to come to my house 3 times a week to train myself and my partner. Not because I couldn’t do it, but to force myself to actually do it. Hard to find an excuse for doing something else when the doorbell is going to ring at early morning.

 

[mdwest]

Naw. They wouldn't chase you. They'd just shoot you. Much easier.

Serious question in response to what I know was a tongue in cheek response...

If they cant do a push up... why would anyone think they can shoot? or that their weapons are maintained and capable of cycling?

A lack of discipline, whether personally applied, or force applied by others tends not to be singular in focus.. it tends to be universal..

Thats really the core of my prior posts on this... clearly these guys arent being held to very basic military standards.. if none of their leadership cares whether or not they meet the fitness standards, its a pretty safe bet that none of their leadership cares whether or not they meet ANY standards (a fitness standard is far and away among the easiest, cheapest, and least time consuming to maintain)..

Looking at fat enlisted guys doesnt piss me off at the enlisted guys.. they are products of their environment..

It pisses me off at leadership.. who clearly have refused to lead..

 

[Russ16]

I agree. Especially the time factor. A few months ago I hired a personal trainer to come to my house 3 times a week to train myself and my partner. Not because I couldn’t do it, but to force myself to actually do it. Hard to find an excuse for doing something else when the doorbell is going to ring at early morning.

Putting a peloton in the house has made it much easier for me. The biggest thing was changing my mindset. At my current age I don't need to be maxing out my bench and squats, I kept going to the gym and trying to do the workouts I did at 20 and getting discouraged which made me let inclined to want to go. Shifting to higher rep strength workouts and more cardio focus helped. I also started yoga using the Peloton app, 20 minutes a day and my flexibility and core strength has notably improved which has all kinds of benefits.

I also hung pictures of buffalo, chamois, and other species I have on upcoming hunts up where I can see them in my workout room. Helps me remember why I'm suffering.

It is harder as you get older, no doubt.

 

[Brent in Az]

Would be easy for them, way out of my weight class. All they’d have to do is fall on top me, of course they’d have to catch me first which might be a challenge for them.

Yeah, you certainly seem like the run away type.

 

[mdwest]

Putting a peloton in the house has made it much easier for me. The biggest thing was changing my mindset. At my current age I don't need to be maxing out my bench and squats, I kept going to the gym and trying to do the workouts I did at 20 and getting discouraged which made me let inclined to want to go. Shifting to higher rep strength workouts and more cardio focus helped. I also started yoga using the Peloton app, 20 minutes a day and my flexibility and core strength has notably improved which has all kinds of benefits.

I also hung pictures of buffalo, chamois, and other species I have on upcoming hunts up where I can see them in my workout room. Helps me remember why I'm suffering.

It is harder as you get older, no doubt.

Similar situation with me..

I found myself at 50 still working out like I did when I was 25... Lots of heavy weights.. and lots of running...

That was great in my 20's and 30's when I needed to be able to kick in doors, wrestle bad guys to the ground and subdue them quickly, and be able to keep moving for long periods of time without winding while under a load... pushing a lot of steel and putting in miles upon miles on the pavement was performance focused for the sort of work I was doing at the time...

It really doesnt make a whole lot of sense today though.. and because I did things like that for the better part of 20 years, frankly my joints arent up to continuing to do it, and past injuries make quite a bit of it painful, which discourages the desire to work out..

I finally woke up a few years ago and realized what I need today is a lot less vigorous.. I need to spend time on a rowing machine.. or on a stationary bike... etc.. do things that get my heart rate up for a period of time, but dont hammer my old bones and joints as badly.. and I need to be doing higher reps with lighter weight.. I get a whole lot more benefit out of getting 50 reps of curls at 30 lbs these days.. where 20 years ago there was a lot more benefit in me curling 50 lbs for 30 reps..

I dont need an hour of wind sprints anymore... what I need is an hour straight of casual walk on a slight incline... etc..etc..

 

[PARA45]

I wonder if the pictures are even real. I have not seen a single fat military person on the news.

Regardless, I do remember the AF Guard having a complete different set of standards as the Active-Duty members did. The AF Reserve cave in to the Active Duty standards and set the same standard as our Active-Duty counter parts. As a full time Reservist, it was easy for me to meet the standards, but for those who came in twice a month, they had to find the time on their own to stay fit. Lots of injuries. Now, the Air Force has changed their PT once again. This is going to be interesting.

I have seen obese individuals (males & females) on base, and based on their uniform patches, these are Active-Duty members. I've also heard rumors of what's coming in the next couple of months, and fat Airmen are not happy.

The military needs to go back to old standards, UCMJ, discipline, integrity, accountability, and to follow the Oath of Enlistment to the tee.

 

[wesheltonj]

Serious question in response to what I know was a tongue in cheek response...

If they cant do a push up... why would anyone think they can shoot? or that their weapons are maintained and capable of cycling? . . .

Speaking as a short, fat and old male. I can still shoot with adequate targeting.

 

[steve white]

Serious question in response to what I know was a tongue in cheek response...

If they cant do a push up... why would anyone think they can shoot? or that their weapons are maintained and capable of cycling?

A lack of discipline, whether personally applied, or force applied by others tends not to be singular in focus.. it tends to be universal..

Thats really the core of my prior posts on this... clearly these guys arent being held to very basic military standards.. if none of their leadership cares whether or not they meet the fitness standards, its a pretty safe bet that none of their leadership cares whether or not they meet ANY standards (a fitness standard is far and away among the easiest, cheapest, and least time consuming to maintain)..

Looking at fat enlisted guys doesnt piss me off at the enlisted guys.. they are products of their environment..

It pisses me off at leadership.. who clearly have refused to lead..

Is it a British axiom, "There are no bad soldiers, only bad officers"

 

[Tanks]

I finally woke up a few years ago and realized what I need today is a lot less vigorous.. I need to spend time on a rowing machine.. or on a stationary bike... etc.. do things that get my heart rate up for a period of time, but dont hammer my old bones and joints as badly.. and I need to be doing higher reps with lighter weight..

I still row 5K daily at Zone 2. The trainer does emphasize higher reps at lighter weight. No, I can’t lift two plates a side anymore at 69. One thing I am cognizant about is bone density. DEXA scans show I am doing great.

 

[skydiver386]

The units I was in, nobody that big would have been allowed to stay that way. A trip to the weight scale and a tape test would have landed them in the gig pit doing mountain climbers and flutter kicks. I could still pass a PT test fairly easily, but wouldn't max out in the under 21 age group like I used to.

A few years ago I joined a cheap gym that had weights and aerobic machines, but also has a sauna room, hot tub for 12, and a 20 meter pool. I don't lift heavy like I used to, but I still try at 62.

What will really smoke you is laps in the pool. Very low impact on your joints and a great aerobic workout. M-W-F for me is a combination of 45 minutes weights and 20 minutes aerobics. Saturday is 30 minutes in the pool followed by the hot tub on cold winter days.

 

[Scott CWO]

First of all, let me say that I do not claim to be an expert on comparative religion. But I am a product of the Walsh School of Contemporary Arab Studies and the Foreign Service Institute. I also spent most of my career in and around the Middle East. I'll offer a few thoughts.

A major "problem" with Islam is that while it has schisms, it has never gone through a reformation. Christianity went through a fairly violent one over a couple of hundred years as political, national, and cultural groups fueled sides. Judaism experienced a very quiet one.

To be a "good Christian," a believer has numerous options. He or she can choose the comfort of the rituals of Catholicism or the Episcopal church; or opt for the strict social conventions and guidance of the Southern Baptists; or perhaps the intellectual approach to God of the Presbyterians; and the emotional release of Evangelicalism. While these groups may disagree among themselves as to the "correct" way to properly worship God and lead a righteous life, there are no shortage of fellow believers to offer a community of shared belief among any of these.

Judaism is divided among orthodox and reform communities. Those more comfortable in the cultural traditions of the Jewish faith have orthodox synagogues and communities to support those traditional practices, while reform synagogues offer a far more liberal approach to worship and cultural requirements. While both can, and too often do, disagree vehemently with the practices of the other, the individual, like a Christian, has a number of options where he or she can find a community of like believers to be a "good Jew."

Islam has never had such a social transformation. To put it simply, one is either a "good" or "bad" Muslim. One either adheres to the strict cultural requirements around diet, prayer, fasting etc or one doesn't. Culturally, over the last century strict adherence to the requirements of Islam was often governed by economic and social standing. This is a generalization, but the better educated, traveled, and compensated one was, the less one was likely to strictly adhere to religious requirements. It is why many of us here have "normal" or Western interaction with many Muslims in this country or in Europe.

But there lies a two-fold trap.

First, are the options available to the sons and daughters of worldly families who suddenly decide to become "good" Muslims. Unlike, a rebellious child in a Western agnostic home who has numerous Christian religious options at hand, the Muslim youth is all too often left with only the radical choices that he or she finds on the internet. There have been numerous incidents of self-radicalization in West over the decades that led to violence and death. These individuals remain invisible and unidentifiable potential sleeper agents of terror.

Secondly, because of the impact of class, poorer and less well educated Muslims tends to be far more strict in their adherence to the strictures of Islam and their particular Islamic culture. Regrettably, with respect to the West, the migration of immigrants in recent decades has primarily come from these classes. Not only do these groups too often grimly hold onto traditions we in the West find appalling such honor killings and child brides, but they are also the groups most offended by western traditions and cultural norms. It is only surprising incidents like the horrific Yom Kippur attack in Manchester aren't more common.

Finally, Islam itself is confused with respect to its relationship with Christianity and Judaism. On the one hand all three great monotheistic religions embrace belief in the same God. Cultural norms between Orthodox Jews and Muslims are very similar and both worship what is essentially a common history as found in the Old Testament and Koran. At the same time Islam also embraces many of the traditions of the New Testament. Though Islam does not view Jesus as God or son of God, Islam does proclaim him the next greatest prophet after Mohammed. In Islam, salvation is open to Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike because all three communities are "People of the Book."

Yet, at the same time, there is still a powerful sense of "Jihad" - the desire to spread the new religion. This has both a purely religious context and a social one. Islam has the concept of "Dar el Islam" and "Dar el Harb." This loosely translates as the House or World of Islam, where Muslims are protected by their religion as expressed in Sharia Law, or the House or World of War where Muslims are not protected and Sharia Law is not yet enforced. This sets something of a precedent for behaviors, even resistance, to what Westerners would consider political, social, and governance norms.

Back to our second point these conflicts are most easily stirred among those less well educated classes - the very ones currently being embraced by the West. The chances of true assimilation seem very small to me.

Agreed, but why do those “in the know” in our government, Press and military never speak of the common practice of homosexual sex amongst Islamic troops and Islamic men? I am told by my SFO friends and other military vets about the widespread practice of Islamic soldiers having sex with each other and how common it is in all Islamic countries and that their culture believes it is acceptable in situations where women cannot be present. Why is this hidden from the West and our people? Why is it not talked about? And most Muslims think the West is corrupt and immoral???

 

[tarbe]

I'm heartily offended by the term Luddite.

I identify as a neanderthal and my pronouns are nug nug.

As the Captain of the Luddite Society, I am offended that you are offended!!

 

[tarbe]

Serious question in response to what I know was a tongue in cheek response...

If they cant do a push up... why would anyone think they can shoot? or that their weapons are maintained and capable of cycling?

A lack of discipline, whether personally applied, or force applied by others tends not to be singular in focus.. it tends to be universal..

Thats really the core of my prior posts on this... clearly these guys arent being held to very basic military standards.. if none of their leadership cares whether or not they meet the fitness standards, its a pretty safe bet that none of their leadership cares whether or not they meet ANY standards (a fitness standard is far and away among the easiest, cheapest, and least time consuming to maintain)..

Looking at fat enlisted guys doesnt piss me off at the enlisted guys.. they are products of their environment..

It pisses me off at leadership.. who clearly have refused to lead..

100%

It starts at the top, as we all know.

Any break on the way down the chain of command has to be fixed quickly, or you have problems.

We had issues in Marine Infantry in the 70s, but a lack of fitness was NOT one of them! Congress did not need to authorize any funding for us to stay in fighting shape.

I sure hope that picture of the fat NCOs is not the norm!

 

[Red Leg]

It's truly dumbfounding to me. I'm half-in on GLD thinking its a hedge against inflation and will go up in the inevitably oversold stock market. On the other hand, I'm half-in on QQQ or SPY for total market indices that should have an inverse relationship with gold.

They both go up every single day. I'm mystified and can only conclude either A.) Nothing is going up whatsoever, both are pricing in real inflation, or B.) We have a frothy and irrational bull market that is going to have a 1999 style dot com bubble about to burst, only worse.

All well and good, other than the fact I cannot time the market so I sit here like a chump, unable to explain why my portfolio has had a meteoric rise in spite of owning contrary positions.

Yeah, I just saw some, those guys sure were not representing...

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Not a good look. It will take a while to turn this mess around.

 

[CJW]

Agreed, but why do those “in the know” in our government, Press and military never speak of the common practice of homosexual sex amongst Islamic troops and Islamic men? I am told by my SFO friends and other military vets about the widespread practice of Islamic soldiers having sex with each other and how common it is in all Islamic countries and that their culture believes it is acceptable in situations where women cannot be present. Why is this hidden from the West and our people? Why is it not talked about? And most Muslims think the West is corrupt and immoral???

It starts way younger than grown men. Have you heard of the dancing boys of Afghanistan? Plenty of videos on YT. I've also heard that in a good part of the male ME population the saying is, "Women are for procreation. Men are for fun.". Meaning of course that it's preferred.

Muhammad banged a 9 yr old. He's a gteat example of morality.

The left wing MSM doesn't talk about things that would lose muslim votes. No Jews, no news.

 

[rookhawk]

As the Captain of the Luddite Society, I am offended that you are offended!!

Wait until you get out your pen, write an angry screed, lick the envelope, wait in line at the post office, and then dream excitedly for the next three weeks waiting for your deeply offended letter to reach its destination!

 

[skydiver386]

Agreed, but why do those “in the know” in our government, Press and military never speak of the common practice of homosexual sex amongst Islamic troops and Islamic men? I am told by my SFO friends and other military vets about the widespread practice of Islamic soldiers having sex with each other and how common it is in all Islamic countries and that their culture believes it is acceptable in situations where women cannot be present. Why is this hidden from the West and our people? Why is it not talked about? And most Muslims think the West is corrupt and immoral???

What you're referring to is the practice of Bacha Bazi. It's especially prevalent in Afghanistan with young boys who are sexually abused by much older men. I've heard it's also widespread in Islamic parts of Asia and Africa.

Most likely because the practice of sex with other men and young boys predates Islam.