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[LiveonJG]

Egads John, what do you take me for?

A thoughful and intellegent individual who, like me shares a deep love for history. Have you read this? Good book.

-John

[hambone]

Looters of the Public Domain, NW illegal logging history. Online:
http://books.google.com/books?id=iUUvxK ... 0#PPP10,M1

[Sylvester]

Egads John, what do you take me for?

A thoughful and intellegent individual who, like me shares a deep love for history. Have you read this? Good book.

-John

Wow, that whole thing is online? I never personally liked cavalry, I was in the Union army (The Army of the Potomac, not many can say that) for the 125th reenactment of Gettysburg back in 1988, they had a huge cavalry battle there too. Maybe I should read this book and see if Custer really did screw up on day three.

[LiveonJG]

He did.

-John

[hambone]

Maybe I'm askin for it, but doesn't military history glorify the extreme loss of life by studying tactics and hardware in place of all the horror?
I'll betcha those dudes gettin a lead slug thru their skull weren't thinkin much about strategy. Or those that survived but with lifelong mental problems....
Fill me in, both of you seem like peaceful folks. I'm sure I'm missing some finer nuance. It is interesting to learn about the places and cultures of eras long past. I used to live in Virginia and was fascinated by the Civil War. But it's kind of a grim fascination, like a car wreck.
War screws people up.

[Sylvester]

Maybe I'm askin for it, but doesn't military history glorify the extreme loss of life by studying tactics and hardware in place of all the horror?
I'll betcha those dudes gettin a lead slug thru their skull weren't thinkin much about strategy. Or those that survived but with lifelong mental problems....
Fill me in, both of you seem like peaceful folks. I'm sure I'm missing some finer nuance. It is interesting to learn about the places and cultures of eras long past. I used to live in Virginia and was fascinated by the Civil War. But it's kind of a grim fascination, like a car wreck.
War screws people up.

I would have to say no, it doesn't glorify it, but there are those that do. The study of it in a military sense, say by the Army, tries to learn from the past and try not to repeat it. From an amateur historian point of view, I suppose it does glorify all the death and carnage. From my point of view, and just mine, my mindset is from a war like view, if that makes sense. A car wreck, that is a good comparison. I don't know why I like reading about it, but it is right up there with my interest in shipwrecks too. And I am not a violent person either.

[LiveonJG]

Maybe I'm askin for it, but doesn't military history glorify the extreme loss of life by studying tactics and hardware in place of all the horror?
I'll betcha those dudes gettin a lead slug thru their skull weren't thinkin much about strategy. Or those that survived but with lifelong mental problems....
Fill me in, both of you seem like peaceful folks. I'm sure I'm missing some finer nuance. It is interesting to learn about the places and cultures of eras long past. I used to live in Virginia and was fascinated by the Civil War. But it's kind of a grim fascination, like a car wreck.
War screws people up.

I would have to say no, it doesn't glorify it, but there are those that do. The study of it in a military sense, say by the Army, tries to learn from the past and try not to repeat it. From an amateur historian point of view, I suppose it does glorify all the death and carnage. From my point of view, and just mine, my mindset is from a war like view, if that makes sense. A car wreck, that is a good comparison. I don't know why I like reading about it, but it is right up there with my interest in shipwrecks too. And I am not a violent person either.

Well stated Sly. Carwreck, that works. It is horrifying and fascinating. As a species we are at our very worst during a war. Yet, that need to survive brings about a massive influx of new technology and innovation. Some are deadly, those things designed to slaughter us more efficiently, but some things are beautiful and enrich our lives.

-John

[dtrumbo]

I'm a fan of aircraft crashes. Of course, not if I'm on the aircraft in question. I enjoy the forensic science of determining the cause of the crash, including how/why the passengers/crew died. Yeah, it's morbid, but I'm a sick SOB sometimes.

[hambone]

I think it fascinates me too...I wonder how I would react in the same situation...would I be a warrior? Chicken? Righteous?
I've always had great admiration for those in extreme circumstances. Grapes of Wrath, Vietnam..just ordinary people trying to survive in a sort of hell.
I guess it's a karmic trip if you believe in that sort of thing.

[RussellK]

I have been horrified by war ever since I saw a movie about trench warfare in the mid 60's. It was a British film on the public station and was so disturbing and graphic that I remain impacted by it even still. It was the catalyst for my pacifism. And yet I watch movies and read books about warfare quite often. I dislike the films that are graphic but I look hoping for the chance to peer into the minds of warriors, whose minds I percieve as being foreign from mine, and that makes me think what would I do if I were thrust into that situation. Would my convictions be as strong as I like to think? Would I be capable of atrocities? It reminds me to not judge harshly. Perhaps the study of war isn't prurient and serves to remind us of war's horrors.

[zblair]

Hey Russ, I just looked up the word prurient; I'm not sure that word fits there *scratches head* What did you mean to say? Prudent?

[RussellK]

Hey Russ, I just looked up the word prurient; I'm not sure that word fits there *scratches head* What did you mean to say? Prudent?

Prurient: an unwholesome interest. I recall years ago I went to school with a creep that was into the holocaust in a sick sort of way. It was said his interest was prurient. Jeez I got it from an english teacher. American applies it to only an unhealthy interest in sex but Webster's allows for an unwholesome interest: especially sex. I'm not saying that everyone that studies war is a sicko but I suspect in some there is a degree of perversity.

[zblair]

Thanks for the clarification.

[Sylvester]

I'm not saying that everyone that studies war is a sicko but I suspect in some there is a degree of perversity.

Maybe to some an unhealthy hobby. A younger individual fascinated by the Holocaust, to me is like people I knew that studied and collected things like the SS crap, simply because they liked it. I personally am not fascinated by say what is a better killing device in Civil War artillery for soldiers, grape shot or canister? However, I am not sure how I would categorize myself, or John either. If I were a pacifist, I may be inclined to say we glorified war, killing, butchering, destroying, etc simply by reading a lot about it. The reason I went into the Air Force and not the Army was I figured I could use my mind more productively and receive better training there than just pulling a trigger or a lanyard. I know there are more jobs in the Army than that, but that is primarily what you are expected to be. Broken down, in my case I like the military and the lifestyle it provided. War, when experienced by those on the direct receiving end, is not a solution to anything.

[hambone]

Thank you Cat, that was very eloquently stated. I'd like to add that most (all?) things in this life are a direct contridiction like you described.