Cringe-worthy Army Commercial

[ShortBusRuss]

There are lots of things that I couldn’t do. Even more that I wouldn’t want to. Directing traffic, whether in the air or on the ground is just one of them.

As I said, we need techs in all sorts of fields to support, each in their own limited way, the overall mission/goal of the organization.

Well, to call a spade a spade, in the modern economy, techs are the ones actually doing the work, and management / C-level executives are the ones making sociopathic decisions in the name of the almighty dollar, doing stuff like raising prescription prices 2000%, or pressuring employees to sign up all their banking customers for extra "services" at a fee without the permission of the customer, to milk bonuses and increase corporate profits...

I am not saying YOU did any of these things, but there have been studies in the past few decades that most of the C-level executives reaching the top positions in MNCs are generally sociopaths, and that's why we have so many corporate scandals busting out.

I don't support MajorMiscue attacking you the way he is and denigrating combat arms in favor of technical jobs in the military, but I am always going to be in favor of the actual people doing the work, over bean counters and sociopath leaders.

 

[chalkdust]

Folks, if you need an example of rampant homophobic projection, look no further.
Jason is obviously in search of some big juicy manmeat.

T

 

[David in FL]

Well, to call a spade a spade, in the modern economy, techs are the ones actually doing the work, and management / C-level executives are the ones making sociopathic decisions in the name of the almighty dollar, doing stuff like raising prescription prices 2000%, or pressuring employees to sign up all their banking customers for extra "services" at a fee without the permission of the customer, to milk bonuses and increase corporate profits...

I am not saying YOU did any of these things, but there have been studies in the past few decades that most of the C-level executives reaching the top positions in MNCs are generally sociopaths, and that's why we have so many corporate scandals busting out.

I don't support MajorMiscue attacking you the way he is and denigrating combat arms in favor of technical jobs in the military, but I am always going to be in favor of the actual people doing the work, over bean counters and sociopath leaders.

In business, the job of management, and those in the C suite is to make money for the company.

Like it or not, that’s what they do. That’s why the company exists.

That’s why people invest in companies in order to fund their own retirement plans. I imagine that you have retirement investments just like most Americans. Don’t you prefer when the value of those investments increase?

Profit isn’t a dirty word. Technicians, managers, operations people, marketing types, and all those who do the day-to-day grind contribute to that in their own way. But, while all contribute, some have a far greater impact on the success or failure than others. Their compensation tends to reflect that. As does their tenuous grip on their position…

 

[ShortBusRuss]

23 years in the United States Marine Corps. 1982 to 2005. Combat arms. Just a dumb old tank driver.

Since then I’ve worked the last 20 years as an executive in the private sector and have actively recruited and hired many dozens of military members for any number of positions.

And yes, we’ll actively recruit young squad leaders with just a few years of experience into our management training programs knowing that they‘re extremely well prepared for the challenges ahead. Many of those young, former squad leaders, are senior managers and executives today.

You can “categorically disagree“ with anything you want. But the bottom line is, you’re simply ignorant when it comes to this. As I said, combined with an arrogance about your technical training which you seem to feel should be held in higher esteem than the training and experience others might have.

In the real business world, give me a young soldier, Marine, or sailor who’s actually lead others in difficult situations, or even combat over some technician who has spent nine years behind a keyboard any day. In 10 years I’ll tell you which one will have the better chance to be a senior manager or executive making a genuine contribution to a major corporation…

David,

Just wanted to respectfully re-visit this. And wanted to say, while I commend you efforts in the business world, and additionally your efforts to hire veterans whenever possible.. It just isn't the norm.

As a higher-ranking officer, you had a Bachelor's degree, minimum. In TODAY's job market, that is nearly a prerequisite for any type of management job. And it is also something that a majority of service members who enlisted straight out of high school (which is the group I was talking about) do not have.

The unemployment rate of veterans versus non-veterans is higher. Straight up fact. Your anecdotal evidence does nothing to "combat" (see what I did there? ) that fact. https://blog.online.norwich.edu/nor...ggest-employment-challenges-faced-by-veterans

Not that I am making a lifestyle comparison between these groups, but this is like a prisoner who got out, found somebody accepting who gave them a good job, and who then goes out to successfully hire more ex-cons and run successful businesses with ex-con employees.. And then says "The business world is looking for ex-cons, and opportunities abound."

It's just not true. While there are surely "opportunities" for both veterans and ex-cons in the business world, for the most part, the business world wants 1. A degree 2. Direct experience in the relevant business sector and 3. Leadership experience. 1 and 2 are the big sticklers for most veterans. I don't think you experience reflects what most veterans encounter when they leave the military and start looking for that first job. Which is why so many stay within the DoD framework, and leverage clearances.

 

[ShortBusRuss]

In business, the job of management, and those in the C suite is to make money for the company.

Like it or not, that’s what they do. That’s why the company exists.

That’s why people invest in companies in order to fund their own retirement plans. I imagine that you have retirement investments just like most Americans. Don’t you prefer when the value of those investments increase?

Profit isn’t a dirty word. Technicians, managers, operations people, marketing types, and all those who do the day-to-day grind contribute to that in their own way. But, while all contribute, some have a far greater impact on the success or failure than others. Their compensation tends to reflect that. As does their tenuous grip on their position…

And we're just gonna have to agree to disagree. In my opinion, when a company has so much spare money that they can buy politicians lock, stock, and barrel, and get them to pass laws that allows companies to promote anti-consumer practices, then that is no longer a well-functioning capitalist economy, and that extra money an be much better spent (for society) by going to the workers who actually generate the profits.

There are any number of ways capitalists have found to exploit labor. It's not just as simple as "If you don't like it, go find another job." Inflation is rampant, health care costs are astronomical, and you can bet companies leverage these situations to pay the very least amount of money they can, while making obscene profits. As far as my investment portfolio, I don't care if I make 4% less a year, if the companies I am invested in are taking care of their employees. This is what being concerned for the populace as a whole, over my own selfish interests, looks like.

There are a couple of large corporations I would like to see totally collapse, if I am being honest. In the end, it's not a big deal, because that opens up the sector for many smaller competitors, who will employ the people who lose jobs at big MegaCorporation.

 

[David in FL]

And we're just gonna have to agree to disagree. In my opinion, when a company has so much spare money that they can buy politicians lock, stock, and barrel, and get them to pass laws that allows companies to promote anti-consumer practices, then that is no longer a well-functioning capitalist economy, and that extra money an be much better spent (for society) by going to the workers who actually generate the profits.

There are any number of ways capitalists have found to exploit labor. It's not just as simple as "If you don't like it, go find another job." Inflation is rampant, health care costs are astronomical, and you can bet companies leverage these situations to pay the very least amount of money they can, while making obscene profits. As far as my investment portfolio, I don't care if I make 4% less a year, if the companies I am invested in are taking care of their employees. This is what being concerned for the populace as a whole, over my own selfish interests, looks like.

There are a couple of large corporations I would like to see totally collapse, if I am being honest. In the end, it's not a big deal, because that opens up the sector for many smaller competitors, who will employ the people who lose jobs at big MegaCorporation.

Do you invest in any companies as part of your retirement plan?

if so, do you want those companies to make money, or lose money?

 

[chalkdust]

I was one of the original crew of the USS Tarawa, LHA-1, our duty was to transport marines to their amphibious assault. The ship was brand new, no bugs, no rodents. We sailed her from Pascagoula Mississippi to San Diego through the canal with just the 237 man crew, no marines.

We took exceptional care of the ship. It was our home. There was NO food in berthing areas, no trash anywhere, ever.
Then we picked up 5000 marines and housed them for 30 days at sea until they did their practice assault on Camp Pendleton (we wanted to assault/capture Tijuana for a day but noooooo).

They trashed the ship. litter and apple cores everywhere, candy bar wrappers, half eaten junk food stuffed into cubby holes. Not to mention smoking dope on a fueling station right after a refuel, lighting up while standing in 2" deep fuel. They acted like they just didn't GAF.

Their offload was glorious. The Tarawa was a round bottomed carrier so she could operate in shallow waters. When not under power, she turned sideways to the swells and rocked like crazy. The Marines weren't used to our brand of rock and roll and they were adding USMC puke to their mess in buckets. Then they climbed the boarding rope ladders into the landing craft and sat awaiting orders to the beach for a couple hours. They were packed in like sardines, puking all over each other. The few who weren't sea sick were soon puking anyway. Good riddance.

The ship's crew took the opportunity to man the rail and add to their misery with streams of warm sailor pee. What were they going to do, they had a date on the beach. We had another week to do at sea and every day of it was spent cleaning up for marines and throwing their adrift gear over the side.

I'll be sure to bring this up in the future when you're on your high horse.

You appear to take pride in pissing on fellow American soldiers...not to imply you were ever a soldier or an American.

 

[MajorMiscue]

I'll be sure to bring this up in the future when you're on your high horse.

You appear to take pride in pissing on fellow American soldiers...not to imply you were ever a soldier or an American.

You do that, I have 32 years of federal service including six years of active duty.
You never served, right? If you had you would know the healthy jousting between Navy and Marine Corps started a loooong time ago.

 

[David in FL]

You do that, I have 32 years of federal service including six years of active duty.
You never served, right? If you had you would know the healthy jousting between Navy and Marine Corps started a loooong time ago.

Healthy, tongue in cheek jousting, yes.

But those who have actually served together at the pointy the end of the spear, know that the mutual respect is genuine and deep.

Sorry, but you aren’t in that fraternity…

 

[chalkdust]

You do that, I have 32 years of federal service including six years of active duty.
You never served, right? If you had you would know the healthy jousting between Navy and Marine Corps started a loooong time ago.

Nope, didn't serve (went to prison instead) wish I did. Standing overhead pissing on the young men willing to take a bullet for your punk ass is nothing to brag about.

 

[DynoDan]

Jeez, a lot of flexing here. Didn’t read through all the posts, but my intent was to reply to the O.P.’s thought, re: the poor quality of tech. advice in media production: As an example, a program I watched recently about pistol ‘silencers’, described an ‘integral’ example (drilled barrel) as using ‘sub-sonic‘ ammo. That of course, would not be rational, as the gasses bled off would reduce the velocity of standard ammo (their unit jammed/didn’t cycle-go figure) to a sub-sonic level, but still retain the energy to cycle effectively.
Interesting, that soldiers & sailors through the years supported incredibly the popularity of pool (and also generated several generations of hustlers).
BTW: There were many degrading cliches circulating re: the services when I served in the U.S. Army: ‘mop-jockies‘ (Navy), ‘navy’s bellhops/chicken-shit’‘ (Marines), ‘birdshit & idiots/pukeing buzzards’’ (airborne), etc., etc. We didn’t take them seriously, as we knew that dying was quite evenly distributed.
Addendum: We envied the Air Force in VN, since the they always had the best living conditions. But, after I saw the look on the face of a flight nurse that survived a ‘dead stick‘/bilateral engine failure landing, I thought otherwise from then on!

 

[David in FL]

Nope, didn't serve (went to prison instead) wish I did. Standing overhead pissing on the young men willing to take a bullet for your punk ass is nothing to brag about.

It didn’t really happen. It’s an old wive‘s tale that he’s trying to convince those who don’t know better actually happened.

It speaks to his own inexperience with real, actual joint operations…

 

[chalkdust]

It didn’t really happen. It’s an old wive‘s tale that he’s trying to convince those who don’t know better actually happened.

It speaks to his own inexperience with real, actual joint operations…

I respect those who serve so much, thank you for your service. I was a young fool who didn't want anyone to tell me what to do. Joke on me...thank you.

 

[ShortBusRuss]

Do you invest in any companies as part of your retirement plan?

if so, do you want those companies to make money, or lose money?

I think I just answered that in the post you responded to.

I am NOT about making as much money as I possibly can in my investment portfolio, regardless of who the companies I invest in have to screw over to accomplish that.

And boo-hoo. Like Amazon is gonna go bankrupt if they have to pay an additional 4% of the multiple billions they make a year, to pay their employees fairly based on the value they are earning for the company. Remember.. The money I want going to the workers IS NOT being taken away from shareholder dividends. It is going to bribe politicians.

I mean, like literally. Boo-hoo.

 

[ShortBusRuss]

Jeez, a lot of flexing here. Didn’t read through all the posts, but my intent was to reply to the O.P.’s thought, re: the poor quality of tech. advice in media production: As an example, a program I watched recently about pistol ‘silencers’, described an ‘integral’ example (drilled barrel) as using ‘sub-sonic‘ ammo. That of course, would not be rational, as the gasses bled off would reduce the velocity of standard ammo (their unit jammed/didn’t cycle-go figure) to a sub-sonic level, but still retain the energy to cycle effectively.
Interesting, that soldiers & sailors through the years supported incredibly the popularity of pool (and also generated several generations of hustlers).
BTW: There were many degrading cliches circulating re: the services when I served in the U.S. Army: ‘mop-jockies‘ (Navy), ‘navy’s bellhops/chicken-shit’‘ (Marines), ‘birdshit & idiots/pukeing buzzards’’ (airborne), etc., etc. We didn’t take them seriously, as we knew that dying was quite evenly distributed.
Addendum: We envied the Air Force in VN, since the they always had the best living conditions. But, after I saw the look on the face of a flight nurse that survived a ‘dead stick‘/bilateral engine failure landing, I thought otherwise from then on!

Yup. I started playing pool in the Army, and pretty much every barracks I was in had a pool table. It is not like that so much any more.

 

[David in FL]

I think I just answered that in the post you responded to.

I am NOT about making as much money as I possibly can in my investment portfolio, regardless of who the companies I invest in have to screw over to accomplish that.

And boo-hoo. Like Amazon is gonna go bankrupt if they have to pay an additional 4% of the multiple billions they make a year, to pay their employees fairly based on the value they are earning for the company. Remember.. The money I want going to the workers IS NOT being taken away from shareholder dividends. It is going to bribe politicians.

I mean, like literally. Boo-hoo.

I’m not surprised by your response

This is going to sound mean, but it’s not meant to, but you‘re a technician with a very specific, but very limited skill set, with little to no understanding of business in the private sector. Like major minor, you’ve managed to leverage that limited skill set to a decent career in spite of your lack of any ability to contribute the overall financial success of any organization. In your own words, you leveraged your “security clearance“.

In the real world, a security clearance outside of very limited industries means nothing. A TS/SCI clearance doesn’t mean a damn thing when it comes to the ability to actually contribute to an organization‘s bottom line/success. It might help get you in the door, but it takes more than that to actually succeed/contribute.

Which is why you are where you are right now. And don’t even understand why that’s considered so limiting by those who do so much more with your level of experience…

 

[MurrayNevada]

Healthy, tongue in cheek jousting, yes.

But those who have actually served together at the pointy the end of the spear, know that the mutual respect is genuine and deep.

Sorry, but you aren’t in that fraternity…

Very well said.

 

[ShortBusRuss]

I’m not surprised by your response

This is going to sound mean, but it’s not meant to, but you‘re a technician with a very specific, but very limited skill set, with little to no understanding of business in the private sector. Like major minor, you’ve managed to leverage that limited skill set to a decent career in spite of your lack of any ability to contribute the overall financial success of any organization. In your own words, you leveraged your “security clearance“.

In the real world, a security clearance outside of very limited industries means nothing. A TS/SCI clearance doesn’t mean a damn thing when it comes to the ability to actually contribute to an organization‘s bottom line/success. It might help get you in the door, but it takes more than that to actually succeed/contribute.

Which is why you are where you are right now. And don’t even understand why that’s considered so limiting by those who do so much more with your level of experience…

Just FYI... I have a Business degree. So much for assumptions.

 

[David in FL]

Just FYI... I have a Business degree. So much for assumptions.

Yay. Good for you.

What does that have to do with anything?

 

[ShortBusRuss]

Yay. Good for you.

What does that have to do with anything?

Just noting that you are making a pretty big assumption that I don't know how the economy works. The difference between us is... You think just because you made money for your company, that doing business "the (current) American Way" is healthy for the society, in the long term.

We currently exist in an economy where corporations are getting a bigger and bigger slice of the pie, and using it to consolidate their power by buying politicians. Your company likely did this as well. And apparently you don't see this corporate dominance as a problem.

And to put it bluntly, sometimes C-level executives know farkall about what they are doing, and simply were in the chair at the right time, when their industry took a huge upswing as a result of factors completely out of their control. Doesn't mean they "made" any money for their company. There have been C-level execs who brought about the quick ruin of their company as well, through lack of foresight. (I.e Blockbuster Video....)

I got no problem with CEOs who know what they are doing, and don't rape customers and the economy to do it. Andrea Jung did a great job turning Avon around in the 90s. And she didn't need to buy politicians to do it. And the most recent CEO is getting ousted because the company is back in dire straits. Would you have known which was going to be successful? Doubtful.