Re: KNOCKING THE ARMY-Conversion of NAC w/berets to ball caps

Also note that all three categories built their reputations with armis 
built from, put very simply, farmers with the franchise i.e. the Western

military tradition of  volunteer armies made up of  personnel recruited 
in large numbers from farm communities. This goes way back to the Greek 
city states as a winning formula for putting together first class 
infantry units. The Russians made do with just farmboys, and did pretty 
well in WW2 (as well as against the Japanese in 1939). The Japanese did 
well against the Chinese, and US/UK troops given the advantage of 
surprise and overwhelming force but note that they set out to emulate 
European military systems as a deliberate policy. The Chinese need a 
better officer class to make second rate, and will also need to make 
some social and cultural reforms at all levels to gain the initiative to

compete with a first rate army.

I'm not sure what John meant by "oxymoron", so I'm asking: how do you 
mean "oxymoron".

John Leary wrote:

>--- John Atkinson <johnmatkinson@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>Considering that the only first-class armies on the
>>planet are in one of three categories:
>>
>>NATO
>>Israeli
>>Antipodean
>>
>-----
>This is an oxymoron.
>
> 
>
>>And the entire Israeli Army and AFAIK, the armies of
>>every NATO member wear berets (and possibly Aussies,
>>but I think they run more to bent-up
>>cowboy^H^H^H^H^H^H slouch hats) 
>>
>-----
>If the Aussies give up diggers, civilization is
>doomed.
>
>
>>I'd have to disagree.
>>
>-----
>But do you  think that this comes as a suprise?
>:-)
>
>Bye for now,
>John L. 
>
>
>
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