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Thread: Recruiting for SWC members because....

  1. #21
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    Default Some stats

    I did a Members List Search for those members with 100 or more posts (all years) and with at least one post in 2011. Less 3 SWAdmin "members", the total is 93. Of them, at least 22 are Non-USAians. Fair conclusion: the "SWC Culture" has not inhibited those posters.

    Of course, belief is belief and perception is perception - and I ain't going to try to change anyone's mind in the face of a firm belief and/or perception. We are what we are.

    From my vantage point, I'd like to see more posts on CIMIC (as to which, sennef@cimic-coe has obvious experience).

    As Ken said (link) in response to sennef's first post (link):

    from Ken
    Welcome aboard, Sennef
    Jump in -- you'll bring a great perspective...
    Regards

    Mike

  2. #22
    Council Member Kiwigrunt's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sennef@cimic-coe View Post
    Here I had expected to find here a place where Coalition partners could have posted interesting stuff about their respective approaches and experiences in small wars.
    Here is a place where Coalition Partners can post interesting stuff about their perspectives and experiences. Bring it on.


    Quote Originally Posted by sennef@cimic-coe View Post
    Being Dutch, I could have posted on the Dutch 3 –D approach (the comprehensive approach of Defense, Diplomacy and Development) and its results in Uruzgan province….
    Please do.


    Quote Originally Posted by sennef@cimic-coe View Post
    What I found instead is a place where coalition partners are being bashed plus unfavorable, unflattering and IMO uninformed comparisons with the American approach. This I find quite disappointing and not a real encouragement for posting.
    It is not my perception and experience that coalition partners and other ‘outsiders’ are being bashed by a predominantly (and logically so) American membership in a way that is out of proportion to the criticism that they portray to their own side and actions (sure, amidst a lot of chest-beating). If it is your perception, and you find it disappointing, than perhaps that should be a real encouragement for posting. Please inform us.
    Nothing that results in human progress is achieved with unanimous consent. (Christopher Columbus)

    All great truth passes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
    (Arthur Schopenhauer)

    ONWARD

  3. #23
    Council Member Stan's Avatar
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    Default USA bashing is OK too

    I may be one of the aforementioned four (4) that is causing trouble of late and although Fuchs has taught me to be humble I have yet to experience humiliation (probably on its way).

    I'd have to echo Kiwigrunt's comments - we are far harder on our own than we are on foreigners herein.

    Tough, Strange and Diverse crowd and getting thin skinned will only egg us on

    I hope you stick around and teach us a little about the use of cultural competence. Isn't that in fact what your beef is ?

    In closing...

    Quote Originally Posted by Kiwigrunt View Post
    Bring it on.
    If you want to blend in, take the bus

  4. #24
    Council Member Fuchs's Avatar
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    Default

    What did I do?
    I can't teach what I don't know.

    - - - - -

    I can in general understand the thread opener's problem.
    It's a general problem in contact with most people from the U.S., though.

    The relative isolation and the illusion that the anglophone world is big enough (=all that counts) allowed for a set of assumptions, myths, points of view that can easily collide with their non-anglophone counterparts.

    On top of that, anglophone people are typically numerically superior on their (anglophone) turf and numerical superiority can easily mislead in regard to correctness of claims and views.


    It's almost a hobby of mine to provoke cracks in their assumptions, myths, points of view...
    I have a troll (or two) on my blog's comments section who calls me anti-American for it.

  5. #25
    Council Member Stan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fuchs View Post
    I have a troll (or two) on my blog's comments section who calls me anti-American for it.
    To be fair, you did tell me well in advance that your blog was not pro-USA. I didn't find your blog entries to be overtly negative however.

    If all the non-anglophones refuse to participate we will be left with you and JMA
    If you want to blend in, take the bus

  6. #26
    Council Member Fuchs's Avatar
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    Default

    My blog is pro-USA, it's just not pro-USA methods.

    It's actually pro-every-country.
    There's no reason to be against any country, but there are reasons to disagree with what countries tend to do, and this includes the own one.



    In regard tot he USA and UK; I'm concerned that they're both problem and conflict generators and my country is way too close to them to tolerate this silently. "We" have had our historical dosage of allies pulling "us" (=our ancestors) into crappy situations - we don't need a repetition of that.

    Israel is different; it creates conflict as well, but it's distant enough politically (no formal ally) and thus I don't care about its effects so much.

    Same for Iran, which does not appear to radiate any problems our way (actually, Germany has a quite good reputation in Iran and is not being considered a foe or threat by Iranians afaik).

    Couldn't care less about East Asia, for its conflicts certainly don't radiate to my country unless we work hard and stupidly on getting involved.

  7. #27
    Council Member Stan's Avatar
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    You are taking this far too seriously

    We are supposed to create a friendly environment where other foreigners would join the fold (council) and then we hammer them in opposition even if they are right

    With that, I'm going to leave you with a picture. This should make it clear why being involved with demining is so much fun
    Attached Images Attached Images
    If you want to blend in, take the bus

  8. #28
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    Default Lots of ordinance shown, Stan...

    just lots of ordinance.

    Suuri ruumis - ja taistelussa hotellipoijassa ! Sotilan marka unelma ...

    BTW: All the computers are now working. But, I still can't do umlauts in SWC posts. You'll get it anyway.

    Regards

    Mike

  9. #29
    Council Member Stan's Avatar
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    Default Ordnance without and "i"

    Hei Mika !
    Älkää uneksiko nuoresta miehestä

    What I found is that after previewing and/or posting when you realize that the umlauts are missing, you hit "edit" and put the umlauts back and they stay for some reason. My Finnish is so bad that it may be easier without the umlauts.

    This must be why all the foreigners won't post

    Regards, Stan

    Quote Originally Posted by jmm99 View Post
    just lots of ordinance.

    Suuri ruumis - ja taistelussa hotellipoijassa ! Sotilan marka unelma ...

    BTW: All the computers are now working. But, I still can't do umlauts in SWC posts. You'll get it anyway.

    Regards

    Mike
    If you want to blend in, take the bus

  10. #30
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    Default I'll try your quote as a test

    Test:

    from Stan:
    lk uneksiko nuoresta miehest
    above after cut & paste, preview and post.

    from Stan:
    älkää uneksiko nuoresta miehestä
    above after edit.

    Regards

    Mike
    Last edited by jmm99; 11-29-2011 at 03:47 PM.

  11. #31
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    Default Followup

    But, that good result occurs only if I use the basic Edit. If I Go Advanced, the umlauts are wiped out again.

    Nonetheless, for a good deed done, you deserve at the least a virtual present - something that every "young man" should have:



    Keeps the bad dreams out and lets the good dreams in.

    Originally an Ojibwe thing (asabikeshiinh, bawaajige nagwaagan), my wife has one similar to the one above hanging in the front door.

    Regards

    Mike

  12. #32
    Council Member Stan's Avatar
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    Default Thread hijacked

    I am speechless.

    Say, you don't take that thing into the bedroom, do you
    If you want to blend in, take the bus

  13. #33
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default For the more discerning

    Alas beyond my IT skills, so on the attachment a more demure Italian sailor who beats IMO the bomb-riding USAF lady "de-miner", less lethal too and after all this is the 'Social Club' thread.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    davidbfpo

  14. #34
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    Default Hey Stan,

    clarification needed. When you speak of taking "that thing" into the bedroom, do you speak of my wife or the Dreamcatcher. I personally think the Dreamcatcher is rather cute.

    Regards

    Mike

  15. #35
    Council Member Stan's Avatar
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    Default

    David,
    She's cute but her weapon is unloaded

    Mike,
    I meant that fuzzy looking thing you call a dreamcatcher.

    Regret the confusion
    If you want to blend in, take the bus

  16. #36
    Council Member Kevin23's Avatar
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    Default Keeping SWJ/SWC Relevant?

    With drawdown's coming in Afpak along with the end of the War in Iraq, I feel we are at a crossroads over how to keep this site relevant going forward. I bring this issue up because I notice there has been an active dropoff in the number of articles on the main site, as well as the number of posts in the Council it's self recently.

    Therefore, since I feel that SWJ/SWC has been such a valuable resource for both practitioners and students(like myself) of Small Wars. Espeically with debate and the exchange of information from those who have served in these types of conflicts, as well as those studying them, and who may face them in the future.

    So I feel we are at a crossraods of how do we keep it relevant and a forum of discussion in regards to new challenges beyond Iraq & Afpak?

    I'd like to hear the opinions of other's on here in terms of this issue, and what they think of the future of this site as well.

  17. #37
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Kevin23,

    There is an earlier thread 'SWC disappointing' about a month ago, which I started after a Dutch comment:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=14620

    As SWC has a US majority IMHO it reflects the end of Iraq (OIF) and the intention to draw-down in Afghanistan. Instead of being active commitments, even war-fighting, Small Wars are likely to become more political and some may wish to "lurk" and not comment.
    davidbfpo

  18. #38
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    I hope the community doesn't feel OIF and OEF are the only small wars in the world worthy of discussion and study. I realize they're the only small wars that we recently sent thousands of troops of to, so it is only natural that there may be members and viewers from the U.S. and elsewhere that will visit less frequently or leave the community altogether. On the other hand, since OIF and OEF-A were deeply flawed from a policy stand point, so deeply flawed they were abberrations in the study of small wars, it will be good news for the study of small wars when they pass into history. Africa, Central Asia, S. Asia, SE Asia are teeming with small wars that our media doesn't cover, which is why it is important we attempt to increase the number of contributions from non-U.S. writers and participants. I think we probably have chased some off with our biases, especially the general bias towards the approach to small wars that has been propagated in FM 3-24. I have yet to see an article from a Thailand security force that discusses their small war in Southern Thailand, or their successful COIN operation against a communist insurgency in the 70s. There is amble room for African authors to contribute. Fortunately we're seeing articles from members who served in India's security forces, but it would be nice to see the same from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. There are plenty of other forums that address events in the world outside of Afghanistan and Iraq, but even those topics should remain of interest to professionals as their conflicts evolve over time.

    I agree that membership will downsize, but I don't think and strongly hope the site doesn't fade away. It is too important, it is a great forum to exchange ideas, and have your ideas challenged in a forum that you'll never find in any of our professional institutions.

  19. #39
    Council Member MikeF's Avatar
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    Default Show us don't tell us

    sennef@cimic-coe,

    Bitching does not help.

    Send us an article. We are constrained ONLY by the submissions of our authors.

    You can reach me at submit@smallwarsjournal.com or mike@smallwarsjournal.com

  20. #40
    Council Member MikeF's Avatar
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    Default Show us don't tell Us

    We are only constrained by what authors submit.

    Encourage others to send in submissions to submit@smallwarsjournal.com or mike@smallwarsjournal.com

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