Paul Howard, the data contradicts your statements.

In 2022, the US military was composed of approximately 68.8% White individuals, with the remaining 31.2% identifying as minority groups. Within the minority category, Black individuals made up 17.3%, followed by Asian, Multiracial, and Native American groups. A significant portion, 18.4%, also identified as Hispanic or Latino.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, April 13, 2025 - 06:25 pm: Edit

17.5 percent are female.

The Army and Marines have very demanding physical jobs. Women have trouble qualifying for those jobs as most lack the physical strength. A woman can drive a truck but struggles to change tires. If a man has to drive over to fix a flat, we didn’t need the woman (or smaller men) to be driving the truck.

Without premier combat assignments it is difficult to make it to general. Most of the jobs that could be done by an average woman are occupied by men from combat branches so that if we need to expand the force in a hurry we have combat types already on the payroll.

I was an engineer and my odds of making brigadier general were about the same when I was in as a woman or a man from finance, personal, medical, air defense, ordnance, chemical, or legal. Engineers were certainly smart enough to command divisions (2 star) or be assistant commanders (1 star) but those jobs went to tankers, gunners, and infantry. Every test I ever took on tactics or operations I far out scored the heroic branches, but no, Cole, you are an engineer and can only be promoted to be head of the engineer school or the corps of engineers. Sure, Cole, you would be great as a general commanding some huge logistical command, but that job is reserved for an infantry colonel to be promoted into even if the regulations say it’s open to engineer colonels to be promoted to. Since all of the branch immaterial support jobs are reserved for infantry, cavalry, infantry, artillery, infantry, or tanks, the odds of those branches making general was at least double my odds.

Sorry, 50 years later and the resentment hasn’t faded.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, April 13, 2025 - 06:30 pm: Edit

Steve, when you get elected King of the Universe, for life, you will be able to change the rules.

You just have to figure out how to live forever.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, April 13, 2025 - 08:56 pm: Edit

If I were 63 not 73 I would accept appointment as king, fix everything in six years, then hold new elections and report on the next Monday to the well of the senate to stand trial for whatever I did wrong.

I would prohibit anyone on government assistance from voting, reduce the number of refugees from infinite to 25 a month (not 25 and their families, 25 warm bodies period), require voter ID, impose term limits on congress, change the supreme court to 18 year terms starting 1 Oct of odd numbered years, close the border, hire Dave Ramsey to balance the budget in 3 years, implement visa tracking, end birthright citizenship for people who were not in the country on as citizens or green cards, make Jack Keene a field marshal and let him run the military (closing bases and cutting stupid programs), merge interior-agriculture-energy into Natural Resources with 2/3 as many people, merge HHS, HUD, Education, and Labor into Human Resources with 2/3 as many people, clean out graft and corruption from the federal budget, and prohibit any restaurant from offering a meal including onions unless they also offered the same meal without onions for the same price.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, April 13, 2025 - 10:03 pm: Edit

How about prohibiting District Judges ability to issue Temporary Restraining Orders that affect anyone or any organization (including both State and Federal Government) out side of the court room at the time (particularly if they are not a party to the case.)

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 03:12 am: Edit

Jeff

The Stats I made up was not supposted to be 'accurate' - it was to make a point.

"
By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Saturday, April 12, 2025 - 10:49 am: Edit

As of yesterday there are ZERO female 4 stars. in 2024 there were 4."

On a recent article I found, there was 38 4 **** Generals...so on SVC's %'s - there should be have been 5 or 6 Female 4 *** Stars.

For non-Whites, a quick search showed 39 Whites from 41 4 ****'s in 2020 (so yes, differnt time periods).

So from your Stats - that should be around 29 Whites.... and it was 39.

So - slightly under in number of Females - but massively under in Ethnicity.

Is that an issue for the defence of a nation -if they are the best available, clearly not, but if a nation is claiming anyone can be anything they want to be, the numbers would indicate the Male/White bias is still going on (which alas, isn't restricted to the US Military - probaby fair to say in several nationals remains a very major issue)?

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 04:07 am: Edit

Just to add to my above Post - the West isn't 'bad' for inequality (Middle East for Anti-Woman issues and India for the Caste System for example) - but White Privilege clearly exists.

The Nordic countries are near the top on Sexual Equality - but Ethnic Equality does remain an issue for them too.

The valid question I suppose is how do you stop White Privilage without trying to too actively promote minority groups more so than White Males?

By Chuck Strong (Raider) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 05:31 am: Edit

PAUL:

The idea of white privilege is absolutely reprehensible -- the idea -- really -- that one can target an ethnic group with a collective crime, regardless of the specific innocence or guilt of the constituent elements of that group?!? There is absolutely nothing that's more racist than that.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 06:05 am: Edit

Chuck

I actually agree - it may not be as bad as it used to be (and probaby fair to say the UK, perhaps was the most guilty of this with the 'Old Boys Club' from the not quite olden days - you go to the right school and right university "Daddy's Friend will help you get one leg up the ladder, over everyone else") - but White Privilege is perhaps had to fully understand, unless your 'non-white'?

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 07:54 am: Edit

Paul Howard:
I disagree with Col. strong, to a degree:

The idea of white privilege is not just reprehensible, it is completely irrational and immoral.

But closer to home, perhaps you should address your ideology to your own government.

In April 2024, people from ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) made up 3.6% of officers in the British Army, and 18.9% of other ranks, according to GOV.UK. Overall, the proportion of ethnic minorities in the UK Regular Forces was 16.3% at the end of March 2024, with 3.5% being officers.

That means you, yourself tolerate, in your own words, the “Old Boys Club” in the United Kingdom.

Fix your own mess before you start criticizing The United States for doing, according to the posted statistics, a better job of integrating minorities into the respective militaries of both the United States, and the United Kingdom.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 08:25 am: Edit

Jeff

Isn't that what I said?

It wasn't solely a USA issue (3.12 am post) and the UK in some areas is worse than most (6.05 am post).

However, I think you do overlook the fact the UK outside the military is actually fairly intergrated?

The Former British Prime Minister and current Major of London for example are of Ethnic Minority status and on top of this, the current UK Government** is

1) 41% Female (v 51% of the Population)
2) 14% from Ethnic Minorities v 18% of popluation**
3) 10% of MP's who identified themselves as being LGBTQ+


** - Like getting into senior posts within the Armed Forces, you can't just move to a new 'natioin to call home' and rapdly get a Senior Position in the Armed Forces or a Govermwent.

A 10% Increase in minority numbers today would priobably take 15 years to increase either of those numbers - so some numbers will always lag behind other numbers - and thats true for all nations?

I beleive the current US Senate though as an example is slightly closer to the Ethnic Population % than the UK Government is (about 80% v 78% of the expected number, based on population numbers - but Female % is far lower (24% v 41% - when it probably should be 51% for both (as there are slightly more females than males).

So your right - the British Armed Forces are not a shinning example of intergated nation (which is what I said....) - but in other areas, we are trying to improve.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 08:47 am: Edit

White Privledge isn't a blanket indictment of that ethnic group. There are plenty of "florida man," trailer parks denizens, inbreds and idiots. The complaint is that the Caucasians get the benefit of the doubt or network to get ahead.

But there are plenty of capable people that get written off because they are brown/ yellow/ red of skin. I can remember when VMI let in women for the first time. Much hue and cry. Sky didn't fall...

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 10:09 am: Edit

Paul Howard:

No.

It is not what you said.

You are repeating, virtually word for word talking points used by DEI supporters using a “Straw man” argument that is not, in material fact, or in substance valid.

It is, in fact virtually identical in form to the same DEI supporters who look at incarceration rates, noting that minority populations are over represented compared to the demographics of the general population.

You, and they (the DEI supporters) mistakenly assume that because the demographics are disproportionate, that there must be an evil conspiracy maliciously causing it.

False assumption, and indicative of a political ideology. Marxist leninists have been using the same ploy for many decades in an attempt to sway the general population that changes are needed in Society, Culture, and virtually all institutions in Western societies.

People in Prison, tend to be there because the legal process (arrest, prosecution, conviction in a court of law, often by a jury of ones peers) resulted in a prison sentence presided over by a Judge that affirmed the sentence.

So too, people volunteer for military service for many reasons. It is not a compulsory service such as england employed during the Napoleonic Wars late 18th thru early 19th centuries (aka press gang).

Sadly, many volunteer to get out of poverty, learn a profession, or skills that they didn’t have.

The fact that there is a difference in demographic make up of the military is, again, not a malicious conspiracy to exploit people, but rather is the result that comparatively more minorities volunteer for armed forces to escape poverty.

In short, you are insulting every American Veteran of base crimes and unspeakable evil intentions.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 10:21 am: Edit

Chill, people.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Monday, April 14, 2025 - 01:01 pm: Edit

Just look at the words "'white' privilege". By definition, that is characterizing a social concept according to race. Therefore, the term is fundamentally "racist."

I find it ironic that, in the pursuit of the Dragon of racism, so-called "anti-racists" have themselves become the Dragon.

The real problem is historical and cultural. The real solution is in the equality of human dignity - which has *nothing* to do with equal ability to do a job.

The example of generals and how they are formed is a very good case in point. As SVC pointed out, it's harder for women to succeed in jobs in the army that put one on track for a promotion to general. Thus, I'd expect there to be fewer women generals, as only a low relative percentage of women can handle the physically demanding parts of the formation process to become general at the lower ranks.

This doesn't mean women are not equal to men in human dignity. It does mean I expect fewer women making general, as compared to men.

Men and women can and do fight and die for their countries and families. I wouldn't change that. However, I don't want a woman promoted to a military position that she's not competent for - just because she's a woman. That's silly. A person's gender should have utterly NO impact on the decision to elevate a person to the very important post of general, and likewise no impact on the decision to remove said general.

This is no comment on the current female general under discussion. Frankly, I don't know her or her past and I don't care to take the time to research it. For all I know, she was a brilliant and capable general. For all I know she wasn't.

All I'm saying is that this general's gender is completely irrelevant to the discussion of her (or his) removal.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, April 17, 2025 - 09:50 am: Edit

Some time ago, in this topic, we discussed discrepancies of posted governmental census population numbers for various Countries (Russia, North Korea, China.)

Another one to add to the list is Nigeria.

There's a strong possibility that Nigeria's officially reported population is inflated, potentially by as much as 50 million people. This discrepancy is likely driven by political and financial incentives for states to overcount their populations. Some experts believe the actual population may be closer to 170-180 million, rather than the official estimate of 220-230 million.

To clarify, the Government of Nigeria prorates the amount of money they distribute to regions of the nation (provinces? Counties? States? No idea how Niger subdivides it self…) based on reported population.

This provides a significant motivation to over report the actual number as the reward is a bigger share of money out of the national revenue.

It also, before DOGE and President D. Trump changed USAID, affected how much foreign aid was distributed, based on population.

Moot point now, but prior aid to Nigeria might well have been different, had the real population estimate been correct.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Thursday, April 17, 2025 - 10:58 am: Edit

JSW, Nigeria is, to put it bluntly, a mess.

I can't say off of the top of my head how long this has been going on, but the terror group Boko Haram (sp) has held sway across much of the country.

(They're the group that kidnapped the student body of a girls school a few years back and forced almost all of the students to become wives for their higher members.)

I have no evidence one way or the other, but I would suspect that they've not been able to do a REAL census of their people for well over a decade and their population count may be based on projections. How overinflated these projections might be could be the result of "Cleansings" in the rural areas.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 - 08:28 am: Edit

Another Signal scandal from Sec. Hegseth, this one apparently a copy-and-paste of the original problematic Signal group while the first one was going on, and this one including his wife, brother, and personal attorney.

It's like an episode from Blackadder Goes Forth:

Melchett: Now, I’ve compiled a list of those with security clearance, have you got it Darling?
Darling: Yes sir.
Melchett: Read it please.
Darling: It’s top security sir, I think that’s all the Captain needs to know.
Melchett: Nonsense! Let’s hear the list in full!
Darling: Very well sir. “List of personnel cleared for mission Gainsborough, as dictated by General C. H. Melchett: You and me, Darling, obviously. Field Marshal Haig, Field Marshal Haig’s wife, all Field Marshal Haig’s wife’s friends, their families, their families’ servants, their families’ servants’ tennis partners, and some chap I bumped into the mess the other day called Bernard.”
Melchett: So, it’s maximum security, is that clear?
Blackadder: Quite so sir, only myself and the rest of the English speaking world is to know.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 - 09:35 am: Edit

The UK has a Carrier Task Force..... please don't laugh, it probably is the best the Royal Navy can now do : -

They left the UK this morning - HMS Prince of Wales will be part of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) which includes the Portsmouth destroyer HMS Dauntless, Plymouth frigate HMS Richmond, as well as warships from Norway, Canada, and other NATO members.

3 Royal (British) Navy Ships (plus probably a Sub or two...) - and thats flying our Flag to show evil nations around the world to behave!!

Once they have stopped laughing, I am sure they will be quaking in their boots.

(OK, it's not as bad as that, but if this is the best we can do, it's not a very good 'best', IMHO - god knows what we would have to do to get a similar Task Force that we used in the Falklands!)

On a more serious note - I can see several nations doing multi-national task forces far more often - for those with smaller military budgets, it might get them to a higher 'Military Seat' at the World Table?

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 - 09:57 am: Edit

Not to break your bubble, but Navies have been doing multi national task forces for decades, if not centuries.

NATO nations in particular have a standing naval force that rotate ships and commanders, and at one time, was an annual event (and photo op.)

The Suez Crisis was spearheaded by a joint British French task force during the attempt to occupy the Canal after Naser nationalized it.

During the Korean war 1950-54, British (and IIRC) Canadian and Australian Carriers operated with U.S. Navy Carriers supporting land operations in defense of South Korea.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 - 11:22 am: Edit

Jeff -I know all of that.

It was a Joint French/Spanish Task Force the Royal Navy defeated at Trafalgar, after all.

However, other than NATO and very specific operations, it doesn't happen all the time (and so yes, it is a Good 'Photo Op'), but I think it will become more permanent, in more areas of the world.

i.e. Pirate Operations of Somalia and Malaysia to Drug Trade in the Caribbean - to even Border Patrol Forces (Ant-People Smugglers on top of Drug patrols) in the Med and English Channel.


So, yes it has happened and in certain areas is common - but it isn't as common as that in the some of the World?

(I would say, outside of NATO and you Photo Op Training Exercies, US Carrier Groups with an Australian, NZ or Japanese Ship is probably most 'common' - so a non-US Carrier perahps does keep some Photo op people happy??).

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 12:02 pm: Edit

Vice President JD Vance today called on Ukraine to accept an American peace proposal that closely mirrors longstanding Russian demands, including a “freeze” of territorial lines in the three-year war, acceptance of the annexation of Crimea by Russia and a prohibition on Ukraine becoming part of the NATO alliance.

Mr. Vance, speaking during a trip to India, said the United States would “walk away” from the peace process if both Ukraine and Russia refused to accept the American terms. But President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was clearly the target.

“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Mr. Vance told reporters. “The only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, to freeze this thing and to get on with the business of actually building a better Russia and a better Ukraine.”

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 12:42 pm: Edit

In other words... Russia wins major concessions. Ukraine gives us mineral rights.

Ukraine gets what, exactly? "Peace." For how long?

Seems like a Neville Chamberlin appeasement to me.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 12:49 pm: Edit

You're not alone in that assessment, Ted. Not by a long shot.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - 01:25 pm: Edit

Apparently it is also against the Ukrainian constitution to surrender any part of Ukraine.