We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.
Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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Samizdata quote of the day – patriotism and bravery in the military… undesirable apparently Personality traits such as patriotism and bravery are viewed as desirable within the military. This often encourages overt masculine behaviour amongst its members, therefore stepping outside the norm and challenging the group is often looked down upon and difficult to do. The task-focused approach can also lead to corners being cut if it is deemed that the ends justify the means, that certain actions or behaviours are tolerated if they achieve the desired result. The danger with this is that such undesirable behaviours, if tolerated for long enough, become the norm and the level of standards gradually erodes… Methods of bonding and creating team cohesiveness within the military often involve pranks and banter, but this isolates those who are different to the norm.
– Group Captain Louise Henton OBE (£) writing in 2003 prior to her tenure as base commander for RAF Brize Norton.
What could possibly go wrong?
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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For context, I take it this gallant officer of the Blairmacht currently commands the RAF base broken into by activists who daubed red paint on RAF aircraft wholly unchallenged.
There will be no Court-Martial, and a jury will acquit anyone charged with a crime of damaging planes on the basis that criminal damage was necessary to protect Hamas or whatever.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14835349/Defence-chiefs-RAF-Brize-Norton-targeted.html
Oh dear. Still she was probably concentrating on more important matters:-
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/25253098.raf-brize-norton-holds-special-event-thank-supporters/?ref=msn
The guests were welcomed by Station Commander, Group Captain Louise Henton, and Commander Air Wing, Group Captain Andy McIntyre.
I just hope the canapés were up to scratch.
Yes, that’s the one :-/
Sounds rather different from when my Dad was in the RAF (1952-60), as a navigator and officer flying on aircraft like Meteors, Canberras and Venoms.
And let’s not forget this disgraceful, and to my mind, illegal episode of a few years ago.
I wonder if the Group Captain realizes that, although teasing and pranks can really hurt your feelings, getting shot down over enemy territory hurts a lot more? I wonder if she realizes that all those teasing and pranks are absolutely designed to prepare her teams for the rigours and privations of being in battle? That the military and military training is absolutely designed in that way for that purpose? And I wonder if she agrees with me that if you cannot handle a bit of pranking and roughhousing that perhaps the military might not be the best career choice for you? After all, if you can’t stand your colleagues calling you mean names or nicking your boots, how well are you going to handle the enemy stripping you naked hosing you down with cold water and shoving a broomstick up your ass to convince you to give up movements of your fellow troops?
The military is supposed to be composed of hard men, lethal killers who are adequately leashed by the civil authorities until they are needed.
I think the Group Captain might be thinking that she is working for the department of social work, or the treasury, where, admittedly her concerns might be more valid.
Well, yes, this is how monomaniacal military units are formed.
Perhaps the militaries should form homogenous divisions within the greater body. We could have men’s battalions, women’s battalions, trans-men’s battalions, non-binary battalions . . .
They could all compete to become the new Ghurkas.