Re: [HIST??] Culture shock

On Sun, 23 Jun 2002 23:11:07 -0400 (EDT) Roger Books
<books@jumpspace.net> writes:
>I think I'm going to have to agree with Beth.	An analysis of your
>enemy that does nothing but denigrate that enemy would only
>encourage your troops to underestimate your enemy.  Seems I
>recall an American officer who underestimated his enemy, I
>believe the quote was along the lines of "Could ride through
>the Sioux nation with eighty men."  Underestimating your
>enemy causes complacency and gets people killed. G.A.Custer
>learned this the hard way.  
>
>Roger Books
>
<snip>

LOL!  Thanks Roger, that was a pleasant moment.  Think also (Speaking as
an American) of Fetterman, the general attitude pre-Pearl Harbor towards
Japanese Capability ("..who have they fought and beat? The Chinese and
The Russians??...") and, correspondingly, the 'super hero' status of
Americans towards Japanese Jungle War Skills for the first 6 months to a
year of WW2 as reverse view. {in retrospect we saw some inherent
advantage in Jungle skills from sons of rice farmers and shop owners -
sheesh, these were NOT the Apaches or Seminoles for heaven's sake!]

Never under estimate your enemy
Never over estimate your enemy
Sufficient application of properly delivered Firepower solves most
problems (okay, remember I am an American <grin> on that one!)
Never Demonize your enemies after a war.
Never apologize for killing your enemies or their support infrastructure
during a war.

And most important,  Remember that "they" (the junior leaders and line
guys) are running with the same potential for culture shock as your
guys.
 Especially the Third World types who have had, often (note the caveat)
significantly, less exposure to opportunities for seeing other cultures
besides the 'local ones' in action on the nightly news (yes, it is
filtered, I know but so would the news in say Saudi Arabia, Mozambique
or
Malaysia...)

I'M B-a-a-a-c-k!

Gracias,
Glenn/Triphibious@juno.com
This is my Science Fiction Alter Ego E-mail address.
Historical - Warbeads@juno.com
Fantasy and 6mm - dwarf_warrior@juno.com

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