children of war

[starchild43]

Hello Jocko, 

I have no idea if you read any of this. 

First I preface this by saying that I don't know the first thing about shit. 

I read Extreme Ownership and it has helped me tremendously in my work. So thanks for that. When I listen to your podcast, I find great value in the passages about problem solving, goal achievement and leadership. Particularly it gives me a perspective on how ridiculous almost all of my "problems" are. Oh, the air in the classroom is bad? How about being in the crossfire of machine guns? 

Also, I have a lot of respect for the training that SEALs, Rangers, Marines, Foreigner's Legion etc. go through.

I am amazed that you have been able to stay humble in all this and have managed to keep your ego in check to such a degree.

That said, as a German, I have an extremely ciritical view on war. My parents are children of the last European war. My dad watched Dresden burn to the ground from a few miles away when he was 5. He witnessed many people being shot dead. The war has fucked Germany up for 3 generations. Shellshock, arrested development, mental problems. 

On the other hand, now we have a new generation that appears to be arguably eben MORE fucked up by NOT having had any experiences with adversity on the outside, who live in a total fantasyland without any sense of pressure, hardship, danger or sacrifice. To me, many of them appear totally unrealistic, boundlessly demanding and delusional. My classmates and me were the transition between the two. I was materially spoiled rotten and learned to handle money competently enough at the age of 46. 

My view is that modern wars are a business model for a few people. Conveniently, terrorists hail exclusively from countries that have gas or oil. 

You read a passage about women being sold into sex slavery. Well, there is some stuff like that going on in fringe groups of the Mormons. Now what? Run over Salt Lake City?

What would you say to Smedley Butler when he told you that war is a racket? Your former colleague Jesse Ventura seems to agree to some extent. 

Anyway, keep up the great work.

Alexander

[mynewunit]

Starchild,
I am not Jocko, but let me share my perspective. You shared the many ills of today's society. First we are aware of all of them by the generally free press and international news, typically delivered by the internet, etc. That is a pretty fantastic thing. Jocko has explained that violence should always be a last resort. It should also only be used on those who understand no other means. Flanking often gets the answer you want without actual battle. This could look like sanctions, blockades, or Jocko's twitter answer to North Korea, free wifi and free iphones. Answers are complicated. Before we go to war, we should expend every other effort. Those responsible for these decisions, don't always exercise a similar amount of caution. Jocko also talks about fighting the wrong war. He has detailed this extensively in the Vietnam podcasts.
His answers are the same here as everywhere else. Stay humble, free your mind, Get after it.

[starchild43]

Well, thanks a lot for your reply. 

That does not adress all my questions, but I appreciate the deep respect I sense from you although I am from a completely different world. This was a lot more than I was hoping for.

[mynewunit]

No problems StarChild.  What is the question I did not answer?
Is the question What does Germany do to improve their nation?  An outsider's view is probably not complete but I have a different perspective.
On a global measuring scale Germany is in the top 5%. Financially, politically, you guys have fewer problems. Germany is still a world power.

Germany's problems that got it in trouble with the Allied powers were when they were not putting the good of everyone over a political ideology.  This was subject to blaming external forces on their problems and success.  Fixing ones self will be the path to fix the country.  Once you can demonstrate how to improve yourself, health, work, family, discipline, you can teach others.  Only teach the others who want to learn or are ready to learn. Try Extreme Ownership by Jocko and Leif.  

[starchild43]

I agree that economically, Germany is still on top of the world, while German politics are slowly working to undermine that. The damages were more psychological although, compared to other places, are probably hardly worth mentioning. 

As I said, I have read Extreme Ownership and benefitted from it a lot.

Any thoughts on Smedley Butler and war profiteering?

[mynewunit]

Smedley Butler seems like an interesting guy. He has a little David Hackworth feel, in that he was successful in the military and disagrees with them.

War is a complicated arrangement. The military is a tool of governments. An unused military is a problem, and an over used military is a problem. Why should you go to war? That is the real question.

War is a huge use of resources. Since the last 100 years of war have had not had territory as plunder, the benefits of war have become more abstract. Nations go to war to protect their economies. Japan attacked the US at Pearl Harbor because we stopped providing them oil. The US attacked Iraq in the 90's because they attacked our oil supplier Kuwait. Now these statements a a slice of the total reasoning. Iraq violated sanctions. We had american workers and companies involved in Kuwait.

There are also lots of ancillary people profiting. War Dogs - movie starring Jonah hill and miles tiller, talks about military suppliers making huge amounts of money providing necessities to the military. There are also military purchasers who buy things in the region of war to supply military. The military also pays local leaders to not fight or to support. Money is a tool in war. It has many uses.

Is it complicated? Yes. Is there a great answer? No. I would say that if we let the military and the people have some more say in when to go to war and when we don't it might get better. I also think that more understanding for all those involved in the money. Often options aren't known. The demand and supply determine the price, and not knowing the supply puts the power on the seller.

Also, the internet and the world market should help some. If installing a new leader in a country doesn't change our price of oil, them maybe we are less likely to meddle in things. Or if Russian can influence elections with facebook adds instead of troops in Georgia or Slovakia the world is a better place. . . . . or is it?

[starchild43]

Thanks for that answer.

In general, I am not too optimistic about the "betterment" of the world through war. In my opinion, if not everybody wins, nobody wins. So far, I have only seen examples of violence making things worse, with the only exception of immediate real self-defense.

People have argued that Iraq is in a much worse state now than it has ever been. Some people dead, yes. Some "bad guys" (whatever that is supposed to mean) dead? Yes. Country as a whole? Better? Since I refuse to parrot soundbytes, I can not assess that with any resemblance of competence. Maybe yes, maybe no.

Germany certainly has done great for a while after WW2 and now possibly on the way down, although I am not as sure about that as I was 6 months ago.

Yes, no easy answers.

Thanks for keeping the dialogue.