(Sometimes related to entertainment. Sometimes not. Always stupid.)
Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution believes the military cannot repeal the atrocity that is the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy regarding gays who serve in the military because:
There are a lot of 18-year-old, old-fashioned, testosterone-laden men in the military who are tough guys.
What makes O’Hanlon think some of those 18-year-old, old-fashioned, testosterone-laden tough guys aren’t gay? Statistically speaking, in fact, somewhere around 10 percent of them are likely to be.
This has been your Brain Fail of the Day.
Actually, a historical example is always nice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Band_of_Thebes
I have GOT to use the Preview button! That last bit should be within the blockquote as it is what Philip is reputed to have said.
The only reason they were defeated was due to military innovations of Philip II and Alexander.
“There are a lot of 18-year-old, old-fashioned, testosterone-laden men in the military who are tough guys.”
among the many other things in this one sentence that make me go WHA’? is the idea that in the US most 18 year olds cannot drink, vote or buy cigarettes but suddenly are “men” when it comes to gays? if they’re “men” they should be able to deal with the fact that there are gay people out in the real world — that’s just the way it is. and the other WHA’? is, why *exactly* is that a good reason for DADT?
i never understand this thing…
True, MaryAnn, but the 18-year-old, old-fashioned, testosterone-laden men in the military who are tough guys will not be offering to beat other soldiers to death. He just should have used the word “morons” instead of “men.”
Bronxbee: Just a factual correction; they can vote.
Well, gays have been welcomed into the UK military for a few years now and guess what – the World hasn’t ended, most people in the army are far more interested in how well somebody pulls as part of their team under fire than who they pull back in the UK. The gay people in the military generally find it a huge relief to be able to talk about their partners, like everybody else and it’s interesting to see how keen all services are in setting up recruitment stalls at Pride events nowadays.
And guess what, US troops have been fighting amongst gay UK troops for some time. On NATO exercises, they may well have been taking orders from gay Dutch Officers for over a decade, when the occasion demanded.
Don’t ask, don’t tell was fine as a starting position being a first step from total prohibition, but it should have moved on from that some considerable time ago.
The same thing that makes President Ahmadinejad think that there are no gay men in Iran at all:
Homophobia and idiocy. But I repeat myself.
thank you, michael, i stand corrected.
Funny how the same arguments were around about not letting African Americans and women in the services. Soldiers will follow orders, not freak out because of who they’re serving with.
A very good point. Someone should ask the officials who do oppose it (not all do, it’s important to remember) if they think their men are so poorly trained.
“Homosexuals can’t swim, they attract enemy radar…”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3icDB3kRKPg
Let’s be honest, though, Maryann. If we actually had Captain Jack Harkness in reality, to order around as we wished, we’d find faaar more [i]interesting[/i] things to do with him then send him off to deal with this idiot.