10 Comments

I find myself currently reading Dereliction of Duty by H R McMaster, which I highly recommend.

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I haven't read anything by McMaster yet, but was impressed by his talk at Stoicon X Military a few years ago. Got the impression that he's a true professional, committed to doing the hard things for the right reasons.

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Tell Massismo he’s a poseur and Stockdale was the real thing.

This is the kindest response I can with Epic restraint muster.

I am no Stoic.

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Ack but I won't stand on ad hominen. Massimo himself said he would be challenged in Stockdale's boots. Agree or disagree with his position, his work deserves respect.

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I like your restraint.

I respect Stockdale’s work more than any academic.

As for quitting when it’s distasteful or one comes across dishonesty- we’d have no military in days. Except for the ones that are utterly indifferent to Honor.

As it happens DOD 🇺🇸 is well on the way to getting just so soldiers... so the academics can see a sort of purity in action at last.

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Oh I should add - it is less ad hominem and more a blanket condemnation of academia and the words not deeds sort.

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If it weren't for my degree in Applied Uselessness, I might never have joined up.

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Weaponize it.

Tell me a degree, I will demonstrate weaponizing.

Yours or pick one, such as underwater basket weaving

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The Khmer Rouge violently massacred a quarter of Cambodia's entire population in their killing fields. How is it "being a Stoic" to just let mass murder happen with impunity?

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