Military Training and Eating

Uwe E. Reinhardt says that John Kerry simply tripped over the truth. I agree with Reinhardt, but unlike Greg Mankiw where I attained the Link, I thought I would define that truth. I would approach the problem from the prospective of a military Training Officer. Over-Intelligent recruits pose problems in Training, such individuals resistant to the rote (Production-line style) Exercises, continually attempting to sculpt them for their own personal ease. They are additionally hard to prepare for deployment conditions, asking themselves if this particular Conflict is worth risking their life over. These Recruits come from privileged Households, taking little entertainment from rough Sports and hard physical effort, and utilize their intelligence to acquire the cushy slots in the military; often developing the corruptive skills to make Money off of their positions. None of these characteristics are prevalent among the ordinary recruits in the military. They think in the more basic elements of Team and Family common effort, perceiving personal advancement as being attained from the promotion of the Team.

Mark Thoma takes an alternate tack, and states that real efficiency must be proven, which does not occur in excluding rich kids simply because they are rich. He also contends there is a moral hazard in separation of the decision to make War from Those who have to fight it. He does not expound, as I will, that the American Doctrine of Military exclusion from Politics forestalls adequate portrayal of the risks of Deployment under any given circumstances. The Optimal would be a televised hour by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the rigors of any proposed Military initiative; this solely to prepare the American Public for estimated potential Outcomes.

J. S. at Environmental Economics deals with the environmental Externalities of animal production, which I treat with great skepticism being a most-satisfied Carnivore. Such polemics always amuse me, knowing Nature will always fill a vacuum. Will they propose a War of Annihilation against the wild animals who will soon graze the pastures abandoned by cattle, sheep, and hogs? Would they accept a 700% increase of Sharks along Beach areas, propelled by the total abandonment of Fishing for half a Century? No one seems able to answer these also environmental externalities. lgl