chris_gerrib | Women In Combat

Two women-in-combat thoughts, united only by being in one head (mine):

Throught #1 - Kratman

I'm reading Tom Kratman's novel The Amazon Legion, about a fictional nation's attempt to create an all-female infantry regiment. In general, and despite Kratman's reputation as a troglodyte, I haven't found much objectionable about it. Yes, he does have a woman sleeping with a superior for personal advancement. Alas, this does happen, and men have been known to trade favors, sexual or personal, for advancement too. In Kratman's world, sleeping with the boss in the military gets both individuals shot, which is a bit harsh but understandable given the military situation of the book.

What I really think Kratman understands is the nature of why military training is physically tough. I've discussed it before and am not finding it, but basically the reason you march troops until they puke is so they know how close to the edge they can get. At any rate, so far so good.

Thought #2 - Boob Armor

Smurched from

james_nicoll a peice on why boob armor is a deathtrap for the wearer. Basically, a blade aimed at the boob could be deflected into the sternum, where either by penetration or the force on the armor the sternum would be broken, killing the wearer.

From the same source, an article on how not to hold a sword. My knowledge of swordplay begins and ends with my experiences "fencing" with other kids in the playground using sticks, so I pass it on for your edification.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

“Warrior Women on Screen (http://baron-waste.livejournal.com/171066.html)”

I eventually came out the other side of my extreme disgust - indeed, revulsion - at this whole Freudian-feminist make-believe.

“Alien (http://althistory.livejournal.com/41671.html), Starring Veronica Cartwright as 'Ripley'”

I actually see its value now - if you see a doll-house-sized house of playing cards, elaborate and flimsy and incredibly fragile, you know that table doesn't get jostled - indeed, it's probably behind glass. Just so, as I've said, we can afford to ignore military history, human physiology and psychology and play Let's Pretend… and if that ever ceased to be true, if Hollywood Reality™ ever faced a genuine reality check, it would be because of a national disaster that really isn't preferable, y' know?

So “Let the Games Continue!” Let's continue to depict men as defeated idiots and women as their triumphant replacements, let's ignore the fact that “women's sports” only exist because men are excluded from them, let's conceal the problems with “gender-integrated” basic training and the whole forcibly-feminized military, let's ignore five thousand years of military history where commanders would have armed trees if that would have helped, but no one was ever stupid (or literally cowed!) enough to pretend that women could fight right alongside men as interchangeable androgynes…

Because women need “to feel empowered and strong,” and that they actually aren't mustn't be pointed out, lest we create a “hostile environment.” (Mustn't have it!)

If you read the book, you'll see that Kratman set up segregated training and does not hold the women to the same physical standards.

Yes, I ought to read it. No one, not even its most ardent supporters, has ever claimed that forcibly feminizing the military would improve it, merely that it would be no worse, while allowing women to “pursue career goals” (that being more important than dead soldiers). So far, the dodge has worked; it's possible - with the right information controls in place! - to claim that a millennium has arrived.

Good! More power to 'em. I'd rather the country not get “bumped.”

In any case, I apologize - I need to quit abreacting on this subject. There's nothing I personally can do about it, so my knowledge of the motivations of those who push this bizarre agenda - and they are not concerned in the least for the damage it is doing, except in a “Heh, serves 'em right” sense - is literally academic.

Tell you what, though - if I were nineteen, I'd be taking full-immersion Spanish and learning a survival trade like plumbing or locksmithing, and in short making serious plans to get out of what once was a free country, for freedom is relative and I assure you that Mexico, Costa Rica, Bolivia are a heck of a lot more free now than this. (As long as you don't become some kind of political agitator. Such countries can't afford the NSA, so if you don't attract their attention you won't be noticed, and can do whatever you like. Americans are no longer accustomed to this.)

But I a'n't nineteen, so I need to just leave it be.

There are five reasons why we train, period. Physical hardship is only a part of a part, and about more than just illustrating to people what they can endure. Read these:

http://baen.com/WarTraining-Part1.asp

http://baen.com/WarTraining-Part2.asp

There'll probably be four or five more parts.

Tom Kratman

Women In Combat - Two Thoughts

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Training for War

Training for War