Now there's a POV.

[hackthis_archive]

Dear Generation Kill people:

I don't know if the name Tom Ricks [1] rings any bells, but it should, because he's the WSJ [2] war correspondent that pretty much convinced Nate (yes, that Nate) to join the Marines [3]. Anyway, Tom writes this blog called The Best Defense [4], which I've been reading for a while, because I like listening to educated people talk about the shit they're educated about and have experience with, which is not the same as listening to some ignorant blowhard tell you about his "theories". [5]

Today, Tom had a post about Obama rescinding 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and how he definitely thinks it's going to happen (GO TEAM BARACK!), but what really caught my attention was the last line of Tom's blog, which is this: The funny thing is, I am pretty sure I have met many openly gay people in the military.

And I read that, and you know, it makes you wonder. Because if I trust Tom Ricks about anything it's military policy, and if he's saying it's not all as under the covers as they're making it out to be... how would that play out, for, oh, say Nate*. Or Brad.

*FYI: Ricks is also a member of Harvard's Senior Advisory Council on the Project on U.S. Civil-Military Relations. How much do we want to bet that Nate's on there in some capacity?

[1] Tom Ricks
[2]Wall Street Journal
[3]Nate says so in One Bullet Away
[4] I've also created a feed tomricks, because I like making my life easier.
[5] But that's a story for another day.

Comments

[suaine.livejournal.com]

I once saw one of the hearings, I'm thinking something low on the importance scale in the House rather than the Senate, with an Ex-Captain who'd been open with his men about the fact that he was gay, and he said it was simple, easy, and being open to him was what kept morale high. He also basically said that a soldier who has to hide such a big part of himself would be useless and bring down unit cohesion.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

And I agree with him, but you know, all it takes it one Trombley for things to become stupid.

[suaine.livejournal.com]

This is also true, and kind of scary. When I have the money or they come out with the paperback, I really want to read UnFriendly Fire (http://www.amazon.com/Unfriendly-Fire-Undermines-Military-Weakens/dp/0312373481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242162136&sr=8-1), it's supposed to be pretty well researched as these things go.

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Love Tom Ricks.

Also, currently he sits right down the hall from Nate. They both work at CNAS.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Stop it. FOR REALS?

{makes high-pitched noise)

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Yup! Totally true.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Shut up! (I don't mean that literally).

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah, when I found out? I squeaked. Just a little. And there might've been some flailing. I don't quite recall. ::cough::

There's something so... great about Tom and Nate sitting a few offices away from each other. (And then of course in my mind Brad is not far off, either, but you know, that's just in my mind.)

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD, YES. I think Brad comes to pick Nate up for lunch twice a week and when Nate's busy he sits in Tom's office and talks shit. Okay, I'll stop now.

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Tom loves it when Brad stops by, because Brad has Opinions. Beautifully argued, well thought-out opinions, albeit a little heavy on the snark at times. Sometimes Tom can't help himself and uses them in his blog posts. This makes Nate laugh.

...What?

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

So... this commerical for the Marines just came on my telly and I swear to god, *I* almost got brain-washed. Thank god I'm too old for this shit. Plus, you know, I'm already brain-washed anyway.

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Those commercials do not fuck around! I'm also kinda glad I'm too old for this shit, because... Man. Strangely seductive, I won't lie.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

The colors are so bright. The images so vivid. The men so hot! Oh, wait, I wasn't supposed to say that last one was I?

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Okay, that made me fall off my chair laughing...!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I live to entertain. Stick with me; you may not always know what's going on, but at least you'll be amused.

[sparky77.livejournal.com]

There are many, many reasons that I am hoping Barack rescinds Don't Ask Don't Tell, starting with it's stupid and ending with it's stupid and doesn't work, but I will confess that one of those reasons is that there would have to be celebratory Brad/Nate porn in honor of such a thing.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

OH HELLS YEAH!

[doctor-denmark.livejournal.com]

Thanks for pointing this out. (Also, your link to the specific blog post actually points to Nate's book on amazon.)

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Whoops. Thanks for pointing that out.

[alethialia.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is, I am pretty sure I have met many openly gay people in the military.

Oh, yes, I'm sure this exists. My suspicion is there's a difference between combat units vs. everybody else. They're so very precious about combat units, you know. No women, they're too much of a distraction, etc. I also suspect there would be differences between officers and enlisted, especially if officers wanted to make a career out of the military. In fact, I bet you even if DADT were rescinded, many gay officers still wouldn't serve openly for fear of not being able to advance. But this is all speculation.

It's encouraging that there are some people who can serve openly but, ya know, it'd be nice to remove the constant threat to the career of everyone else. As you well know.

Thank you for that feed. I love feeds.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

It's encouraging that there are some people who can serve openly but, ya know, it'd be nice to remove the constant threat to the career of everyone else. As you well know.

Yes, the whole business makes me very tired. Also, apparently Nate now works down the hall from Tom Ricks. Way to mentor, Mr. Ricks!

[jamjar.livejournal.com]

Also, it's the kind of policy that's easy to apply selectively and that's the kind of thing that often happens. That is, it's the kind of thing where it takes one person with a grudge or some personal reason to want someone removed-- at which point, even if it was generally known before, suddenly, someone's sexuality becomes an issue.

Which, aside from the whole policy being fundamentally (and factually) wrong, makes it an easy way to apply pressure to people who would otherwise disagree with you or oppose you-- it potentially puts people on your own side in a position to effectively blackmail you, or at least to make you compliant. And any disagreement could cost you your job-- because it means that any one person with a grudge has as much power over your career as everyone else in your division combined. Doesn't matter if 99% of the people you work with are okay with it (or at least, value your practical worth over any prejudices), all it takes is 1% to make a fuss.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

*sigh* The proverbial Sword of Damocles as it were.

[hypertwink.livejournal.com]

I think it's DADT super reinforced. You could be out and even frakking a guy in front of you but just as long as you don;t acknowledge it, it's not real. I do that all the time, like when I fucked up when I was young, I'll hold off telling my mom, because if I don't tell her, nothing happened or will happen (especially to me). LOL

I was looking at pictures and I still can't help but marvel that Stark and Alex kinda look like Nate and Brad without really looking like them...and then again, it could be like the Person dichotomy where in an alternate universe, a bear totally looks like the twink that James is.

[chinae.livejournal.com]

I remember a commentator saying that while Obama can get rid of the 'don't ask, don't tell' by signing in Presidential decree that by taking that route he would risk the possibility of another President reversing his decree and therefore reinstating it. By going the Congressional route, while harder, it actually acts as a more permanent way of making sure it can't be revisited at a later date.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

He's SO SMART. I love my president.

[girl-wonder.livejournal.com]

Iiiiiiiiiiiinteresting.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

ICON!

[mydocuments.livejournal.com]

One of my good friends used to date a grunt Marine, and several members of my university's lgbt society were also members of the National Guard and reserves, one or two ROTC. While DADT is still a problem for a lot of service personnel (retired Airborne Captain Paul Dill comes to mind), for some units, it's really not even a blip on the radar. That said, I'll be happy when it's rescinded, and that threat is no longer hanging over my peers.