Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This premise of "knew what s/he signed up for" is faulty. Here is an excellent thread on this from a former service member with infantry combat tours:

https://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/920491808634888193

"There's often a misconception among non-veterans that service members sign up with the expectation that they may die. I did two tours in combat as an infantry officer and I never met a soldier who thought dying was a reasonable result of their service. Take the numbers: Since 9/11, roughly 1 out of every 5,000 troops to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan died there. I'll say that again: 1. Out of every 5,000. Dying in combat is neither common nor expected. But when things *do* get dicey, troops expect leaders (at every level) to do everything in their power to keep death from happening. Take roadside bombs. When they began killing U.S. troops, President Bush never said, "they knew what they signed up for." Instead, DoD designed MRAPs. It was a concerted effort to keep more people from getting killed unnecessarily. And that's what keeps troops going. The knowledge that your life is valuable. That it's not to be wasted. That air support is inbound..."

Etc.

I really hope this isn't true. The fact is that Americans who sign up for the military during a time of war run a non-negligible risk of getting killed. (This is true under both R and D presidents.) It does no one any good to pretend that this is not the case.

Don't be stupid. The chance of dying in a car crash is 1 in 645 (much higher than dying in combat). Yet people get in cars everyday. Never once have I heard of someone saying to a person whose family member died in a car crash "they knew what they signed up for when they got into a car." It's always a tragedy.

Exactly. To PP - nothing carries negligible risk, including military service. But as he states, the risk is lower by the numbers than other mundane activities, making it more rare than people realize. People join the military to serve their country, and while they know it is a POSSIBILITY they will give their life to do so, they do not "sign up" to die.

This. People join the military because they want to serve the country, and sometimes because it's the best option, not because they're on a suicide mission.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This premise of "knew what s/he signed up for" is faulty. Here is an excellent thread on this from a former service member with infantry combat tours:

https://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/920491808634888193

"There's often a misconception among non-veterans that service members sign up with the expectation that they may die. I did two tours in combat as an infantry officer and I never met a soldier who thought dying was a reasonable result of their service. Take the numbers: Since 9/11, roughly 1 out of every 5,000 troops to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan died there. I'll say that again: 1. Out of every 5,000. Dying in combat is neither common nor expected. But when things *do* get dicey, troops expect leaders (at every level) to do everything in their power to keep death from happening. Take roadside bombs. When they began killing U.S. troops, President Bush never said, "they knew what they signed up for." Instead, DoD designed MRAPs. It was a concerted effort to keep more people from getting killed unnecessarily. And that's what keeps troops going. The knowledge that your life is valuable. That it's not to be wasted. That air support is inbound..."

Etc.

I really hope this isn't true. The fact is that Americans who sign up for the military during a time of war run a non-negligible risk of getting killed. (This is true under both R and D presidents.) It does no one any good to pretend that this is not the case.

Don't be stupid. The chance of dying in a car crash is 1 in 645 (much higher than dying in combat). Yet people get in cars everyday. Never once have I heard of someone saying to a person whose family member died in a car crash "they knew what they signed up for when they got into a car." It's always a tragedy.

Exactly. To PP - nothing carries negligible risk, including military service. But as he states, the risk is lower by the numbers than other mundane activities, making it more rare than people realize. People join the military to serve their country, and while they know it is a POSSIBILITY they will give their life to do so, they do not "sign up" to die.

Anonymous wrote:Not a fan of Trump. And I totally believe this story since he has no empathy. BUT - I honestly don’t think he intended to offend. He most likely thought he was saying the right thing re: he knew what he signed up for. Another translation of that statement is he volunteered to serve his country in a dangerous occupation, and gave the ultimate sacrifice. It’s just that Trump summarizes and articulates in a way that is less than comforting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This premise of "knew what s/he signed up for" is faulty. Here is an excellent thread on this from a former service member with infantry combat tours:

https://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/920491808634888193

"There's often a misconception among non-veterans that service members sign up with the expectation that they may die. I did two tours in combat as an infantry officer and I never met a soldier who thought dying was a reasonable result of their service. Take the numbers: Since 9/11, roughly 1 out of every 5,000 troops to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan died there. I'll say that again: 1. Out of every 5,000. Dying in combat is neither common nor expected. But when things *do* get dicey, troops expect leaders (at every level) to do everything in their power to keep death from happening. Take roadside bombs. When they began killing U.S. troops, President Bush never said, "they knew what they signed up for." Instead, DoD designed MRAPs. It was a concerted effort to keep more people from getting killed unnecessarily. And that's what keeps troops going. The knowledge that your life is valuable. That it's not to be wasted. That air support is inbound..."

Etc.

I really hope this isn't true. The fact is that Americans who sign up for the military during a time of war run a non-negligible risk of getting killed. (This is true under both R and D presidents.) It does no one any good to pretend that this is not the case.

Don't be stupid. The chance of dying in a car crash is 1 in 645 (much higher than dying in combat). Yet people get in cars everyday. Never once have I heard of someone saying to a person whose family member died in a car crash "they knew what they signed up for when they got into a car." It's always a tragedy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This premise of "knew what s/he signed up for" is faulty. Here is an excellent thread on this from a former service member with infantry combat tours:

https://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/920491808634888193

"There's often a misconception among non-veterans that service members sign up with the expectation that they may die. I did two tours in combat as an infantry officer and I never met a soldier who thought dying was a reasonable result of their service. Take the numbers: Since 9/11, roughly 1 out of every 5,000 troops to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan died there. I'll say that again: 1. Out of every 5,000. Dying in combat is neither common nor expected. But when things *do* get dicey, troops expect leaders (at every level) to do everything in their power to keep death from happening. Take roadside bombs. When they began killing U.S. troops, President Bush never said, "they knew what they signed up for." Instead, DoD designed MRAPs. It was a concerted effort to keep more people from getting killed unnecessarily. And that's what keeps troops going. The knowledge that your life is valuable. That it's not to be wasted. That air support is inbound..."

Etc.

I really hope this isn't true. The fact is that Americans who sign up for the military during a time of war run a non-negligible risk of getting killed. (This is true under both R and D presidents.) It does no one any good to pretend that this is not the case.

Don't be stupid. The chance of dying in a car crash is 1 in 645 (much higher than dying in combat). Yet people get in cars everyday. Never once have I heard of someone saying to a person whose family member died in a car crash "they knew what they signed up for when they got into a car." It's always a tragedy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This premise of "knew what s/he signed up for" is faulty. Here is an excellent thread on this from a former service member with infantry combat tours:

https://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/920491808634888193

"There's often a misconception among non-veterans that service members sign up with the expectation that they may die. I did two tours in combat as an infantry officer and I never met a soldier who thought dying was a reasonable result of their service. Take the numbers: Since 9/11, roughly 1 out of every 5,000 troops to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan died there. I'll say that again: 1. Out of every 5,000. Dying in combat is neither common nor expected. But when things *do* get dicey, troops expect leaders (at every level) to do everything in their power to keep death from happening. Take roadside bombs. When they began killing U.S. troops, President Bush never said, "they knew what they signed up for." Instead, DoD designed MRAPs. It was a concerted effort to keep more people from getting killed unnecessarily. And that's what keeps troops going. The knowledge that your life is valuable. That it's not to be wasted. That air support is inbound..."

Etc.

I really hope this isn't true. The fact is that Americans who sign up for the military during a time of war run a non-negligible risk of getting killed. (This is true under both R and D presidents.) It does no one any good to pretend that this is not the case.

Don't be stupid. The chance of dying in a car crash is 1 in 645 (much higher than dying in combat). Yet people get in cars everyday. Never once have I heard of someone saying to a person whose family member died in a car crash "they knew what they signed up for when they got into a car." It's always a tragedy.

Anonymous wrote:Peter Wehner, an adviser and speechwriter in President George W. Bush’s White House, said communicating empathy and compassion has been for Trump like speaking “a foreign language.”

“Part of being a president is at moments being pastor in chief, dispensing grace and understanding and giving voice to sorrow, tragedy and loss,” Wehner said. “But he’s a person who’s missing an empathy gene.”

Steve Schmidt, a Republican strategist and former adviser to Bush and McCain, said he was surprised by Trump’s 12-day silence on the Niger attack.

“There is no issue too small for him to comment on,” Schmidt said. “He tweets at all hours of the morning and night on every conceivable subject. He has time to insult, to degrade, to demean always. But once again, you see this moral obtusity in the performance of his duties as commander in chief.”

Twelve days of silence, then a swipe at Obama: How Trump handled four dead soldiers - The Washington Post
https://apple.news/AILCZYiT-SM25sqNAGwA8BA

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what John Kelly thinks of what Trump said to a war widow?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This premise of "knew what s/he signed up for" is faulty. Here is an excellent thread on this from a former service member with infantry combat tours:

https://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/920491808634888193

"There's often a misconception among non-veterans that service members sign up with the expectation that they may die. I did two tours in combat as an infantry officer and I never met a soldier who thought dying was a reasonable result of their service. Take the numbers: Since 9/11, roughly 1 out of every 5,000 troops to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan died there. I'll say that again: 1. Out of every 5,000. Dying in combat is neither common nor expected. But when things *do* get dicey, troops expect leaders (at every level) to do everything in their power to keep death from happening. Take roadside bombs. When they began killing U.S. troops, President Bush never said, "they knew what they signed up for." Instead, DoD designed MRAPs. It was a concerted effort to keep more people from getting killed unnecessarily. And that's what keeps troops going. The knowledge that your life is valuable. That it's not to be wasted. That air support is inbound..."

Etc.

I really hope this isn't true. The fact is that Americans who sign up for the military during a time of war run a non-negligible risk of getting killed. (This is true under both R and D presidents.) It does no one any good to pretend that this is not the case.

Anonymous wrote:This premise of "knew what s/he signed up for" is faulty. Here is an excellent thread on this from a former service member with infantry combat tours:

https://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/920491808634888193

"There's often a misconception among non-veterans that service members sign up with the expectation that they may die. I did two tours in combat as an infantry officer and I never met a soldier who thought dying was a reasonable result of their service. Take the numbers: Since 9/11, roughly 1 out of every 5,000 troops to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan died there. I'll say that again: 1. Out of every 5,000. Dying in combat is neither common nor expected. But when things *do* get dicey, troops expect leaders (at every level) to do everything in their power to keep death from happening. Take roadside bombs. When they began killing U.S. troops, President Bush never said, "they knew what they signed up for." Instead, DoD designed MRAPs. It was a concerted effort to keep more people from getting killed unnecessarily. And that's what keeps troops going. The knowledge that your life is valuable. That it's not to be wasted. That air support is inbound..."

Etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Trump truly mentally ill?

He is a textbook narcissist, with dementia. Its not a good look.

A bunch of psychiatrists certainly think he is.