Trump picks "Mad Dog" Mattis for Secretary of Defense

a reply to: Indigo5

Couple of points: I find it curious that your own sources say Rhino was 45 minutes away, yet you say it was 30 in your initial comment.

I find it curious that in the FB post you've mentioned, Amerine goes out of his way to state Mattis knew what the situation was but in other sources, including yours, Mattis was asking questions and not getting answers.

I also find it curious that Amerine is so vehement in his disdain for Mattis, yet doesn't seem interested in taking any responsiblity for the fratricide.

The book itself states that the Green Beanies at Rhino were telling Mattis they had no further info, and indeed that it may have been a mortar or artillery strike that landed. But now the picture was apparently crystal clear the entire time and Mattis just sat with his thumb up his ass?

Curious.

BTW not a knock against you, just pointing out that even years later the accounts aren't consistent with one another. Here's an interview with the battalion commander of 2d Bn, 5th Force where he says the fratricide killed two of his guys outright and one died of wounds while being transported to Germany. So, again, disparate stories. www.pbs.org...

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: Indigo5

Couple of points: I find it curious that your own sources say Rhino was 45 minutes away, yet you say it was 30 in your initial comment.

I was not being literal, but rather recounting general details from the article after reading..The excerpts I provided would be the correct specifics there..Ding me for the 15 minute error.

I find it curious that in the FB post you've mentioned, Amerine goes out of his way to state Mattis knew what the situation was but in other sources, including yours, Mattis was asking questions and not getting answers.

Worth investigating, my impression though was that he first wanted details, like everyone else, but that it was then confirmed to be friendly fire.

I also find it curious that Amerine is so vehement in his disdain for Mattis, yet doesn't seem interested in taking any responsiblity for the fratricide.

Not sure what you mean? He was bombed by USAF? Or Mortar Fire?...mistaken friendly fire? what am I missing? How would he be responsible?

The book itself states that the Green Beanies at Rhino were telling Mattis they had no further info, and indeed that it may have been a mortar or artillery strike that landed. But now the picture was apparently crystal clear the entire time and Mattis just sat with his thumb up his ass?

Curious.

You don't seem so much curious as kind of searching for facts you can bend to afford a smear since he (and a growing number of vets) are being vocal with reasons they think Mattis is unqualified.

You can do your own investigation/smear campaign...not my horse or story..just sharing reality.

a reply to: Indigo5

Or maybe, just maybe Mattis is the focal point of a smear campaign himself perpetrated by SOME vets and the mental health community. He is outspoken about the overstated scope and intensity of PTSD. A lot of government money to be lost for these shrinks if what he says turns out to have some truth in it...
www.military1.com...

originally posted by: Arizonaguy
a reply to: Indigo5

Or maybe, just maybe Mattis is the focal point of a smear campaign himself perpetrated by SOME vets and the mental health community. He is outspoken about the overstated scope and intensity of PTSD. A lot of government money to be lost for these shrinks if what he says turns out to have some truth in it...
www.military1.com...

Lovely...so he wants to cut back on Veterans Mental health benefits as well...Just lovely.

a reply to: Indigo5

That depends. If he becomes head of Defense and suggests that the matter be looked into, is that a bad thing?

a reply to: Indigo5

Well you're only "sharing" one angle and one voice, so if anybody is pushing a smear here it would be you, not me. Offering the other side of the story isn't "avoiding" a smear.

Nor is pointing out your inconsistencies.

Nor is pointing out that you're only pushing one side of the story.

originally posted by: Indigo5

originally posted by: Arizonaguy
a reply to: Indigo5

Or maybe, just maybe Mattis is the focal point of a smear campaign himself perpetrated by SOME vets and the mental health community. He is outspoken about the overstated scope and intensity of PTSD. A lot of government money to be lost for these shrinks if what he says turns out to have some truth in it...
www.military1.com...

Lovely...so he wants to cut back on Veterans Mental health benefits as well...Just lovely.

He wants to cutback on proclaiming one's self to be a victim and beyond repair. That whole "disgruntled veteran medicated for your protection" bullsnip.

And with that lovely little twist in logic, it's become clear (or more clear, after your other response) that you've got something personal going on with Mattis and can't be bothered to discuss this in a big-boy manner and leave the hyperbole and rhetoric aside.

Ta-ta.

a reply to: Shamrock6

"In America, victimhood is exalted"...General Mattis

What you said is true. He, and men and women like him, are a huge threats to one of the left's biggest scams- perpetual victimhood.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Yep..he thinks the massive number of vets that have commmitted suicide are just pussies. Your link is what moved me into the eff-this guy column.

Later ...good luck on you smear campaign.

a reply to: Indigo5

And indeed, good luck on your mental gymnastics. You're well on your way to gold medal-hood, champ!

Oh, PS - source on that claim?

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: WUNK22

Why would liberals be afraid of a military vet as Secretary of Defense? That only makes sense and did you know there are military members who aren't Republican? Crazy right?

You just answered your own question.

originally posted by: Indigo5
a reply to: Shamrock6

Yep..he thinks the massive number of vets that have commmitted suicide are just pussies.

The interesting thing is, is that these suicide numbers the Left keeps bringing up don't add up to their ' war is hell' scenario.
Not that war isn't hell. It is. But....
The LA Times recently crunched the numbers
Of those suicides, actual combat vets only made up 42% of them.
Vets that never saw action made up 58% of them.
All male vets made up over 80% of those suicides.
Male vets were 50% more likely to commit suicide than civillians
Female vets committed suicide at double the national rate for suicides
The fact that pre-screening processes held back many vets from combat due to a higher probability of mental illness to due combat lowered the probable suicide rate...a positive for the military
Females may have a harder time adjusting
When you look at the numbers, and exclude vets that have never seen combat, the suicide numbers are much closer for combat vets to similar civilian jobs such as LEO.
The LEO suicide rate is much higher than other civilians.
Why does the anti military crowd trumpet the military suicide rate so much while ignoring the LEO suicide rate?
Seems like an agenda to me rather than caring

originally posted by: seagull
Where the Hell do you get that bunch of crap?

Not supposed to think? Not think? Good way to get killed, and your friends killed, too.

Act macho and do brave/stupid things on the battlefield? Do you even have half a clue what you're speaking of? Personally, I don't think you do.

I don't mean, not actually thinking. I mean not questioning things. My favorite perspective on this comes from Shifty Powers of Band of Brothers fame. At the end of one of the episodes where the original men of Easy Company were being interviewed, Shifty is talking about the Germans
www.youtube.com...

His segment on this starts at about 11:30. When you're not in a warzone you can think about the fact that your enemy is fighting for their way of life, just the same as you're fighting for yours and that there's really not all that much of a difference between the two of you. If you start having those thoughts on the battlefield though, you're going to die, and you might take some of your comrades with you.

As far as doing brave things on the battlefield goes, the mere action of participating on a battlefield is pretty brave. I'm not saying everyone needs to charge a machine gun nest to prove they're macho, but simply talking soldiers up... telling them they're the greatest badasses to have ever lived, that they're going to utterly destroy the enemy, and that glory awaits them is what you have to do. None of that is true, but it's the head space you need soldiers to operate in.

Not actual functioning adults? Then what, pray, are they?

Children that have volunteered their lives to be tools of the state. Why do you think they prefer 18 year olds? It's because their brains are still developing, they don't have the mental capacity or life experience to question orders. Every soldier begins as a young person with a malleable mind that is brainwashed with the goal of them being a drone. That's not necessarily a bad thing either, you need your soldiers to act as a cohesive whole in order to be effective. But, it is what it is.

A lot of people, once they get out of the service notice in hindsight just how much programming and bs goes on while they're in, in order to maintain that atmosphere.

Brutes dont make good generals and as i predicted, Mattis is accused of leaving soldiers to die
cnbc.com

originally posted by: Indigo5

originally posted by: Arizonaguy
a reply to: Indigo5

Or maybe, just maybe Mattis is the focal point of a smear campaign himself perpetrated by SOME vets and the mental health community. He is outspoken about the overstated scope and intensity of PTSD. A lot of government money to be lost for these shrinks if what he says turns out to have some truth in it...
www.military1.com...

Lovely...so he wants to cut back on Veterans Mental health benefits as well...Just lovely.

He has a point........The VA is very very very quick to diagnose ANYONE that comes through those doors with PTSD and shove them out the front door as fast as they can......its how they operate......

So what we have is a large number of medicated vets who arent getting what they ACTUALLY need, its EXACTLY what has happened to our school children........its the same damn process

As a vet myself I went to the VA a few times for some advice.......they tried to do the same thing to me but I refused......

I didnt have PTSD , what I had was trouble re-integrating into civilian life after being in War zones.......which isnt necessarily the same thing at all.....I didnt need to be medicated, I needed advice and my peers.....which I got , but not from the VA...

These gov run institutions are all in the pocket of Pharma, they medicate our kids and they medicate our soldiers as a way to blanket solution and put money in their pockets and not deal with the issues......

Is that so hard to understand?

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan



Good, a real soldier. America just got safer. Our enemies will be much less likely to attack us if they realize that instead of drawing an imaginary line in the sand, we will come and KILL them.

originally posted by: suvorov
Brutes dont make good generals and as i predicted, Mattis is accused of leaving soldiers to die
cnbc.com

Tell that to Alexander the Great
Marcus Aurelius
Chesty Puller
George Patton.......

Especially the last two, these guys were all brutal when they needed to be.......thats what makes a great general , is someone who is stern but fair, and knows when its time to be violent.......

These arm chair tacticians , and military scholars are really starting to get old......

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask

originally posted by: suvorov
Brutes dont make good generals and as i predicted, Mattis is accused of leaving soldiers to die
cnbc.com

Tell that to Alexander the Great
Marcus Aurelius
Chesty Puller
George Patton.......

Especially the last two, these guys were all brutal when they needed to be.......thats what makes a great general , is someone who is stern but fair, and knows when its time to be violent.......

These arm chair tacticians , and military scholars are really starting to get old......

Alexander the Great and Patton weren't even close to in the same league. Alexanders men loved him, because he always lead the assault from the front. Pattons men were on the verge of mutiny, and it was widely thought that some random soldier would murder him if given a chance to do so.

Then there's the speculation that Patton was assassinated because he was on the verge of starting a war with Russia. If that's true, I would say he didn't know when to and not to be violent.

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

Marcus is who you should focus on.. Mattis is known to carry the book on his meditations in the field.
It's a contemplative read well suited for men preoccupied with their own self agrandizing.

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

What you describe is legit. That is not the agenda for Veterans care Mattis looks to be driving at. Time will prove one of us wrong.