[Police Brutality] Has Caused Ongoing National Protests

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  • David WalgasDavid Walgas Registered User regular
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

  • MvrckMvrck Dwarven MountainhomeRegistered User regular
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

  • DecomposeyDecomposey Registered User regular
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    Before following any advice, opinions, or thoughts I may have expressed in the above post, be warned: I found Keven Costners "Waterworld" to be a very entertaining film.
  • MvrckMvrck Dwarven MountainhomeRegistered User regular
    edited August 2020
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Mvrck on
  • CalicaCalica Registered User regular
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    Yes, this is the problem. The use of psychological stress in candidate selection is selecting for a certain type, which is what causes the issue.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • NyysjanNyysjan FinlandRegistered User regular
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    That can't be good for their mental health.
    I wonder how many people just, crack, but nobody notices because they do so in a way that is useful for the military?

  • RingoRingo He/Him a distinct lack of substanceRegistered User regular
    Nyysjan wrote: »
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    That can't be good for their mental health.
    I wonder how many people just, crack, but nobody notices because they do so in a way that is useful for the military?

    All of them

    Some of them practice healthier coping skills than others, but abuse is just abuse and humans don't gain any protection to its effects by thinking "this abuse is worth it"

    Sterica wrote: »
    I know my last visit to my grandpa on his deathbed was to find out how the whole Nazi werewolf thing turned out.
    Edcrab's Exigency RPG
  • RedTideRedTide Registered User regular
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    A lot of physical endurance has a mental component tied into acclimation to the specific task.

    Like you can take someone who is a marathon runner that does plenty of strength training but pitting them against Ranger Rick when all they have to do is 10 miles with a full load out and Ricky is going to leave them in the dust.

    It's not because he's in better shape per se but he knows how his body is going to be challenged - how he should keep his gait, his posture, where he's going to start hurting and be accustomed to ignoring it.

    We see a lot of the same thing in the fire service where some young guys in better shape look like they're going to drop dead after two bottles and the more veteran members are using less air and doing just as much work.

    RedTide#1907 on Battle.net
    Come Overwatch with meeeee
  • Just_Bri_ThanksJust_Bri_Thanks Seething with rage from a handbasket.Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Happens in the military too. That Sergeant first class that is half drunk all day and still smokes is going to plow circles around the high school football star that just got out of AIT.

    ...and when you are done with that; take a folding
    chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
  • OghulkOghulk Tinychat Janitor TinychatRegistered User regular
    The city or Austin council unanimously approved amendments to the next budget that would reduce police by $150 million (close to 30%). This includes direct cuts, reorganizing certain parts into other departments headed by non-sworn officers (like internal affairs and forensics), the elimination of three future cadet classes, and diverting funds to other forms of public safety to take place during the year.

    And, my personal favorite, kicking the police out of their current HQ, moving them to other city buildings, and replacing the HQ with something for the community.

  • MorganVMorganV Registered User regular
    Oghulk wrote: »
    The city or Austin council unanimously approved amendments to the next budget that would reduce police by $150 million (close to 30%). This includes direct cuts, reorganizing certain parts into other departments headed by non-sworn officers (like internal affairs and forensics), the elimination of three future cadet classes, and diverting funds to other forms of public safety to take place during the year.

    And, my personal favorite, kicking the police out of their current HQ, moving them to other city buildings, and replacing the HQ with something for the community.

    While this is indeed awesome, until the Governor decides he's not going to override them (despite that being arguably unethical, illegal or unconstitutional), I wouldn't be celebrating quite yet.

    Republicans have made it abundantly clear that small government is only for when Republicans disagree with overreaching large government policies (see mask mandates).

    Abbott writing some kind of order that says "cities must maintain police funding at 2019 levels, cause LAW AND ORDER!", or signing a bill passed by the Republican Legislature to a similar effect, is if not a probability, definitely a possibility.

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    edited August 2020
    Ringo wrote: »
    Nyysjan wrote: »
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    That can't be good for their mental health.
    I wonder how many people just, crack, but nobody notices because they do so in a way that is useful for the military?

    All of them

    Some of them practice healthier coping skills than others, but abuse is just abuse and humans don't gain any protection to its effects by thinking "this abuse is worth it"
    There’s a whole bit of training where they are caught and interrogated, and a fellow I know who used to do specialized breaches said the worst bit was being strapped down and listening to a baby crying at 80 decibels for 30 hours. He also said that bit weeded out 40 percent of the guys that were left. But after that only a couple other people drop out.

    On the flip side this guy was cool under pressure, but he also drank so much jack Daniels. He probably never fully processed the trauma of his service. Nice guy though.

    zepherin on
  • Commander ZoomCommander Zoom Registered User regular
    I mean, it can be argued that the whole point of such training is to pre-break them, so it won't happen in the field with real enemies and actual lives on the line.
    A decent organization would have people standing by to put them back together afterward. But then they might not be so useful to the service... and once they're done serving, who cares? :?

  • OghulkOghulk Tinychat Janitor TinychatRegistered User regular
    MorganV wrote: »
    Oghulk wrote: »
    The city or Austin council unanimously approved amendments to the next budget that would reduce police by $150 million (close to 30%). This includes direct cuts, reorganizing certain parts into other departments headed by non-sworn officers (like internal affairs and forensics), the elimination of three future cadet classes, and diverting funds to other forms of public safety to take place during the year.

    And, my personal favorite, kicking the police out of their current HQ, moving them to other city buildings, and replacing the HQ with something for the community.

    While this is indeed awesome, until the Governor decides he's not going to override them (despite that being arguably unethical, illegal or unconstitutional), I wouldn't be celebrating quite yet.

    Republicans have made it abundantly clear that small government is only for when Republicans disagree with overreaching large government policies (see mask mandates).

    Abbott writing some kind of order that says "cities must maintain police funding at 2019 levels, cause LAW AND ORDER!", or signing a bill passed by the Republican Legislature to a similar effect, is if not a probability, definitely a possibility.

    That would not be legal because of balanced budget requirements combined with SB2.

    While cities and counties are products of the state, the state cannot mandate funding levels. They can only mandate that a service be done.

  • MorganVMorganV Registered User regular
    Oghulk wrote: »
    MorganV wrote: »
    Oghulk wrote: »
    The city or Austin council unanimously approved amendments to the next budget that would reduce police by $150 million (close to 30%). This includes direct cuts, reorganizing certain parts into other departments headed by non-sworn officers (like internal affairs and forensics), the elimination of three future cadet classes, and diverting funds to other forms of public safety to take place during the year.

    And, my personal favorite, kicking the police out of their current HQ, moving them to other city buildings, and replacing the HQ with something for the community.

    While this is indeed awesome, until the Governor decides he's not going to override them (despite that being arguably unethical, illegal or unconstitutional), I wouldn't be celebrating quite yet.

    Republicans have made it abundantly clear that small government is only for when Republicans disagree with overreaching large government policies (see mask mandates).

    Abbott writing some kind of order that says "cities must maintain police funding at 2019 levels, cause LAW AND ORDER!", or signing a bill passed by the Republican Legislature to a similar effect, is if not a probability, definitely a possibility.

    That would not be legal because of balanced budget requirements combined with SB2.

    While cities and counties are products of the state, the state cannot mandate funding levels. They can only mandate that a service be done.

    I was pretty sure it wouldn't be legal.

    I just don't think that'll stop Republicans from legislating/executiving, and enforcing it anyway.

    I don't think now is the time to argue something illegal is impossible, not with the shit Trump and some Governors have been doing since 2017.

    Would it get challenged? Absolutely. But that'd mean a city council fighting a legal battle with the state government, for months, if not years, and with no guarantee of a positive outcome.

    Heck, given their current lock on the state legislature, and a relatively shameless Governor, couldn't they repeal the balanced budget requirements and SB2, insofar as it pertains to police funding? That any shortcomings in the balanced budget would have to come from other departments in the local government? Like how at a federal level, Education is in discretionary cost, but the Military is defacto a mandatory one?

  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    I mean, it can be argued that the whole point of such training is to pre-break them, so it won't happen in the field with real enemies and actual lives on the line.
    A decent organization would have people standing by to put them back together afterward. But then they might not be so useful to the service... and once they're done serving, who cares? :?

    Yeah, it's already pretty clear that the people in charge of the training regimens don't give two shits about making sure the recipients are functional after their service is finished, as evidenced by the truly obscene levels of suicide and mental issues among veterans.

    Bash people into shape as weapons, use them until they're broken, then leave them to suffer and die as unaided civilians is basically the entire current system of the military.

  • RingoRingo He/Him a distinct lack of substanceRegistered User regular
    For some cute full circle bullshit, while it's not necessarily a specific reason why we haven't bothered making an effort on veterans readjusting to life after their service, all the research we've done so far has shown that the solutions to that problem are the same solutions we should be applying to victims of incarceration. There's quite a lot of overlap in the forms of PTSD and the resulting coping mechanisms and negative outcomes between both prison inmates and soldiers! :rotate:

    Sterica wrote: »
    I know my last visit to my grandpa on his deathbed was to find out how the whole Nazi werewolf thing turned out.
    Edcrab's Exigency RPG
  • HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    The bolded is kinda contradictory.

    I haven't known many people who went that route but "They can quit anytime and there's no shame or hard feelings" doesn't strike me as particularly realistic when it comes to the kind of people that volunteer to but themselves through the shit that spec ops training entails .

  • bwaniebwanie Posting into the void Registered User regular
    Given the low numbers of individuals completing the whole course i think it's well understood that most of your inital group won't make it. And you never know when that moment is going to come for you so i don't think they give eachother too much shit over not hacking it.

  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    Also you're going back to a group of troops who, in almost every single case, have never even attempted the training. So, like, yeah, they're not gonna shame you, you got further than they did.

    Also also yeah the training is absolutely a mental endurance test as much as anything else, it's understood most folks just won't be able to make it. I remember hearing about Ranger training, apparently they spend the first day in-processing and doing all the paperwork and everything and introducing the staff and going over all the training and everything, then dinner, then like 2-3 hours later they call everybody out to the training field and are like, "okay, we're not going to bed until at least 5 people quit" and just work everyone all night if they have to.

    Supposedly.

    Twitter! | Dilige, et quod vis fac
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User regular
    Oghulk wrote: »
    The city or Austin council unanimously approved amendments to the next budget that would reduce police by $150 million (close to 30%). This includes direct cuts, reorganizing certain parts into other departments headed by non-sworn officers (like internal affairs and forensics), the elimination of three future cadet classes, and diverting funds to other forms of public safety to take place during the year.

    And, my personal favorite, kicking the police out of their current HQ, moving them to other city buildings, and replacing the HQ with something for the community.

    that is pretty wild. We're talking about the building right downtown, yeah?

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    The bolded is kinda contradictory.

    I haven't known many people who went that route but "They can quit anytime and there's no shame or hard feelings" doesn't strike me as particularly realistic when it comes to the kind of people that volunteer to but themselves through the shit that spec ops training entails .
    The no hard feelings, no shaming bit is self preservation. You don’t want Senator Texa$ son who fancies himself the ultimate warrior but taps out during hell week, causing an issue. I’ve been told they are quite respectful. “Hey this wasn’t for you, but if you still want to support the unit we have support roles you can be apart of.”

    But then again most people who sign up for spec ops aren’t trying to be the person who fixes their trucks.

  • RedTideRedTide Registered User regular
    zepherin wrote: »
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    The bolded is kinda contradictory.

    I haven't known many people who went that route but "They can quit anytime and there's no shame or hard feelings" doesn't strike me as particularly realistic when it comes to the kind of people that volunteer to but themselves through the shit that spec ops training entails .
    The no hard feelings, no shaming bit is self preservation. You don’t want Senator Texa$ son who fancies himself the ultimate warrior but taps out during hell week, causing an issue. I’ve been told they are quite respectful. “Hey this wasn’t for you, but if you still want to support the unit we have support roles you can be apart of.”

    But then again most people who sign up for spec ops aren’t trying to be the person who fixes their trucks.

    That's kind of the dice roll of signing up for the Navy though, very few dudes shooting at folks but lots of dudes turning wrenches.

    RedTide#1907 on Battle.net
    Come Overwatch with meeeee
  • TetraNitroCubaneTetraNitroCubane The Djinnerator At the bottom of a bottleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2020
    It is now a felony to protest at the Capitol in Tennessee
    For 61 straight days, protesters have camped outside the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, demanding a meeting with the governor to discuss racial inequality and police brutality.

    On Wednesday, the GOP-dominated legislature responded — by passing a bill making camping on state property, including the Capitol grounds, a felony.

    The bill’s backers described the legislation, which also stiffens penalties for protesters who spit on police, block streets and disrupt meetings, as a necessary tool to battle violent demonstrations.

    “It is to prevent what has happened in other cities like Portland and Washington, D.C.,” Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R) said Wednesday after the measure passed. “If people … knowingly thumb their nose at authority and don’t do what authorities have requested they do, they should be charged with a serious crime."

    It is ostensibly to prevent 'occupy' style protests, but I'm sure that once the clock strikes whatever hour they wish, being present will be enough to land you with a felony charge.

    TetraNitroCubane on
  • BlackDragon480BlackDragon480 Bluster Kerfuffle Master of Windy ImportRegistered User regular
    RedTide wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    The bolded is kinda contradictory.

    I haven't known many people who went that route but "They can quit anytime and there's no shame or hard feelings" doesn't strike me as particularly realistic when it comes to the kind of people that volunteer to but themselves through the shit that spec ops training entails .
    The no hard feelings, no shaming bit is self preservation. You don’t want Senator Texa$ son who fancies himself the ultimate warrior but taps out during hell week, causing an issue. I’ve been told they are quite respectful. “Hey this wasn’t for you, but if you still want to support the unit we have support roles you can be apart of.”

    But then again most people who sign up for spec ops aren’t trying to be the person who fixes their trucks.

    That's kind of the dice roll of signing up for the Navy though, very few dudes shooting at folks but lots of dudes turning wrenches.

    My prefered MOS (NUC) when I put myself in the Navy pipeline would've been staring at diagnostic readouts of a floating nuclear reactor all day . Sadly, I was ruled medically unfit, my recruiter was crushed. Early onset arthritis and a clubbed foot cost him a nice bonus.

    No matter where you go...there you are.
    ~ Buckaroo Banzai
  • Just_Bri_ThanksJust_Bri_Thanks Seething with rage from a handbasket.Registered User, ClubPA regular
    ...and when you are done with that; take a folding
    chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
  • mcdermottmcdermott Registered User regular

    And that's ACAB in a nutshell. You're a bastard, or you're out the door. The end.

    Hell, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt in the first video, but thing is despite what he may or may not believe about what he would have done in the situation, one of the officers present joined to try and be the change as well. And committed a murder while still a fresh rookie. That's a cop who, had he not been on the scene, might have recorded the same video in response. But in the moment...he did nothing. Same way this officer, in the moment, may well have done nothing.

    Because even saying that you may and should do the right thing is enough to get your badge taken. Let alone actually doing the right thing and exposing a single crack in the blue wall.

  • CalicaCalica Registered User regular
    zepherin wrote: »
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    The bolded is kinda contradictory.

    I haven't known many people who went that route but "They can quit anytime and there's no shame or hard feelings" doesn't strike me as particularly realistic when it comes to the kind of people that volunteer to but themselves through the shit that spec ops training entails .
    The no hard feelings, no shaming bit is self preservation. You don’t want Senator Texa$ son who fancies himself the ultimate warrior but taps out during hell week, causing an issue. I’ve been told they are quite respectful. “Hey this wasn’t for you, but if you still want to support the unit we have support roles you can be apart of.”

    But then again most people who sign up for spec ops aren’t trying to be the person who fixes their trucks.

    That, and the only way SEAL training is even remotely ok is if the trainers have ongoing explicit consent. I don't know that the military cares about consent, per se; but at that level it's also important for the safety of everyone involved, and they do care about that.

    There's apparently a literal bell you ring if you want to quit, which I suspect is partly because it's easier to ring a bell than to say "I quit." They make it clear at the beginning of training that the bell will be ringing a lot, and that if you give anyone shit over it you're an idiot. They very much want to normalize tapping out.

  • Commander ZoomCommander Zoom Registered User regular
    edited August 2020
    Calica wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    Calica wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Mvrck wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    I would legitimately love to see this study if you can re find it.

    Anecdotal, but I can say we had a recently discharged Ranger come out to our football group a few years back, and hang out with some of our workouts when my friends were going for Ninja Warrior. He was not overly impressive. Like, yeah great shape but, compared to the rest of the group? Just...fine. Super nice guy though.

    While Rangers are a part of special forces, they're more light infantry than super sneaky dark of night black opps commandos. So while he may not have looked to be in shape any better than the rest of your group, he could still probably carry 80lbs on his back in a light jog for 10 miles and still be good to go out for beers after.

    And based on some Rangers I've known, also do it hung over and/or with the shits.

    It wasn't a matter of looks. It was a matter of he was not. These were just normal folks who took their fitness activities very seriously in their free time. Certainly a bit of self selecting in terms of the group makeup, but the point was that he didn't come in and immediately blow everyone away. He was a bit better at some activities than some folks, worse at others (ironically, endurance stuff he didn't even really stand out in, but that may be unfair to him given the group included two serious mountaineering guys. There was a decent gap with them/him and the rest of us on big hikes). The point is, those that qualify are not super humans. They just put the training in, and their training is not all encompassing. Sure he had great endurance, but the lady in the group who did wind up getting on the show would routinely smoke every single one of us guys in any climbing competition. He was at the back of the pack in terms of raw speed and agility. I'm assuming they don't dedicate a lot of time to ladder and 3 cone drills in the Rangers, so that's expected.

    Now a lot of people don't, won't or can't for any variety of reasons, put in that time and effort into training. But the toxic bullshit about how superior they are is just that. They're just people put into extreme training situations, nothing less but also nothing more. But the aura built up around Spec Ops types is that they are these insane specimens, when in reality, there are plenty of hobbyists in certain activities that go out and do shit as tough or tougher as a weekend getaway.

    Edit: And to tie this back in, this aura of superiority is what pervades all the way down into things like SWAT and riot control. If you pump up the achievements like they are superhuman feats, it creates this aura around them that these folks start to believe in. Soldiers and police don't deserve a special cookie for being in the shape and going through with the training needed to do their job effectively. It doesn't make them amazing, it just means they got paid to exercise a whole lot (in the soldiers case, I'm not entirely convinced there are any policing athletic standards past the academy).

    Keep in mind that there's more to special forces training than the physical. Special forces training is designed to teach people to function under extreme physical and mental stress... which it does by putting people under extreme physical and mental stress. Hunger, sleep deprivation, mind games, constant disruptions - abuse, frankly. The military puts "elite" trainees through as much hell as it can in a controlled, relatively safe environment to prepare them for the real thing.

    I read Lone Survivor when it came out in 2007 (I worked in a bookstore at the time; I read a lot that summer). The descriptions of SEAL training emphasize the constant psychological stress. Much of it is designed to keep trainees constantly off balance.

    Trainees are allowed to quit the training literally any time they want, no shame and no hard feelings. They don't get to try again if they leave voluntarily, though. According to the book, there are always some people whose bodies can't make the physical benchmarks no matter how hard they work; but most people who wash out just decide at some point it's not for them.

    The bolded is kinda contradictory.

    I haven't known many people who went that route but "They can quit anytime and there's no shame or hard feelings" doesn't strike me as particularly realistic when it comes to the kind of people that volunteer to but themselves through the shit that spec ops training entails .
    The no hard feelings, no shaming bit is self preservation. You don’t want Senator Texa$ son who fancies himself the ultimate warrior but taps out during hell week, causing an issue. I’ve been told they are quite respectful. “Hey this wasn’t for you, but if you still want to support the unit we have support roles you can be apart of.”

    But then again most people who sign up for spec ops aren’t trying to be the person who fixes their trucks.

    That, and the only way SEAL training is even remotely ok is if the trainers have ongoing explicit consent. I don't know that the military cares about consent, per se; but at that level it's also important for the safety of everyone involved, and they do care about that.

    There's apparently a literal bell you ring if you want to quit, which I suspect is partly because it's easier to ring a bell than to say "I quit." They make it clear at the beginning of training that the bell will be ringing a lot, and that if you give anyone shit over it you're an idiot. They very much want to normalize tapping out.

    that said, there's probably also a 'safeword' element - people might say things (or scream things) in the moment, but actually ringing the bell is a distinct and deliberate act with only one possible interpretation, and no take-backs.

    Commander Zoom on
  • NSDFRandNSDFRand FloridaRegistered User regular
    edited August 2020
    zepherin wrote: »
    Calica wrote: »
    shryke wrote: »
    Henroid wrote: »
    I wonder how much the whole "SEAL Team 6" thing got to their heads about how awesome they are.

    AFAIK this was a big part of it. Or so I remember people writing about it claiming. They got famous and it attracted shittier people to join up and created a .... we'll go with "less professional" atmosphere. All the stories created this idea, within the SEALs themselves, that they are lethal badasses or something and that changes how people behave.

    Also, I believe a ton more deployments then usual leading to stress and burnout on top of all that.

    This sort of "we are elite" cult-like behavior is absolutely ancient and its usefulness in controlling physically brutal but mentally inept individuals has been exploited countless times throughout human history. Special combat units with unique privileges, kill teams, royal guards, officers, etc; virtually every large military force constructs something like this at some point or another.

    I mean, this is one of the core concepts that Dune brings draws up to critique over fifty years ago: building an elite loyal-to-the-death combat group is relatively easy, all you need to do is give them better training, better gear, extra privileges, and feed them constant reminders that they are the "chosen" elite, above and beyond the "common" soldier and especially civilians. Throw in some enigmatic emblems, stupid secret handshakes, and a pile of repressed homoerotic hazing "rituals" and whammo, you've got yourself deathtroopers who have completely lost themselves in their own made-up mythology. It's basically as if a group took the 40k Space Marine mythos super-seriously, except they use real guns with their bizarro military cult. And the ones who get exposed to actual combat get to get really fucked up with PTSD and all of that, making them even more reliant on the other members of their group as the only relatable people they know.

    Something like SEAL Team 6 has been told they're the best and that their value lies in their unmatched skills (which is a blatant lie), when the real value is a having a group of incredibly loyal murderers who are so convinced of their own mythology that they will gladly risk death to murder people for whoever is giving the orders.

    Not surprisingly, this cult-like bullshit has infected police forces, resulting in cops who largely view civilians as inept sheep with themselves as the wolves.

    ...it never occurred to me that the cult-like bullshit was a deliberate tactic to attract and corral society's born killers. That makes a weird kind of perfect sense.

    Is that a conscious thing societies do, or is it one of those social adaptive patterns we're not really aware of?

    There was a study I read once that showed that 50% of the population had the reflexes visual acuity and can be trained physically to be In special forces. They are looking for the 3% of those with the acumen that can look at a human who is not a direct threat to them or others, and pull the trigger.

    And also willing to do a lot of running during training. A LOT of running.

    And get into political asskissing to fast track it to the likes of Fort Benning or Coronado. Anymore getting a congressional recommendation via campaigning or donations lets lots of guys get a shot at advanced training as soon as they complete basic rather than earning it like my cousin did by busting his ass for 5 years in the early 80's before getting his chance at Pendelton and making Force Recon.

    Well this is may be true for certain branches.

    The Army has had a "Baby SF" program in some form for decades especially in the now deactivated Reserve Groups and still active National Guard groups (IIRC it used to be called Rep 63). The 18X "street to SF" thing was advertised as a way to go from the recruiters office to selection but like any other path to selection, including dropping a packet as an experienced NCO and even walking across the finish line, it is not a guarantee of being selected. The 18X contract used to have an exclusive training class called SOPC, meant to further supplement basic soldier skills like land nav for kids right out of boot, that is IIRC now something everyone going to selection goes through because it significantly increased the chances of selection. Those chances are still in the low teens percentage I believe.

    The Ranger Regiment also recruits guys out of basic and sometimes still has contracts for kids who sign up as 11X to go straight to airborne school and get a chance at getting into the regiment. It used to be called RIP (Ranger Indoctrination Program) and is now RASP (Ranger Assessment and Selection Program). Just like SF and SOF, the Ranger Regiment also enforces standards after selection and absolutely will remove soldiers for failing to maintain standards. But they recruit young guys because the Ranger Regiment is a SOF capable light infantry formation but still has a conventional, even if specialized, infantry role in its mission essential task list.

    NSDFRand on
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    So confirmed via BBC, soldiers and cops in Belarus are disposing their uniforms in solidarity with protestors over there.

    I bring that up in this thread because there is literally NOTHING stopping supposed "good cops" from doing similar actions here in America. Keeping the uniform on is an act of supporting the fascism.

  • StarZapperStarZapper Vermont, Bizzaro world.Registered User regular
    edited August 2020
    It is now a felony to protest at the Capitol in Tennessee
    For 61 straight days, protesters have camped outside the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, demanding a meeting with the governor to discuss racial inequality and police brutality.

    On Wednesday, the GOP-dominated legislature responded — by passing a bill making camping on state property, including the Capitol grounds, a felony.

    The bill’s backers described the legislation, which also stiffens penalties for protesters who spit on police, block streets and disrupt meetings, as a necessary tool to battle violent demonstrations.

    “It is to prevent what has happened in other cities like Portland and Washington, D.C.,” Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R) said Wednesday after the measure passed. “If people … knowingly thumb their nose at authority and don’t do what authorities have requested they do, they should be charged with a serious crime."

    It is ostensibly to prevent 'occupy' style protests, but I'm sure that once the clock strikes whatever hour they wish, being present will be enough to land you with a felony charge.

    Way to double down on Facisim, Tennessee. Literally full on "respect my authoritah!" Really, do what they tell you to do or you'll be arrested?, that's what it's come to in 2020. JFC.

    StarZapper on
  • NineNine Registered User regular
    Racist militias in Georgia are attempting to hold a rally in defense of Stone Mountain. It's not going great for them. From a thread by a local journalist:


    The pro-Confederate folks are severely outnumbered... seemingly outgunned, too.

    The AJC has a liveblog.

  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
  • TetraNitroCubaneTetraNitroCubane The Djinnerator At the bottom of a bottleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2020
    The Proud Boys are holding a rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan today. Counter-protesters have shown up and it has gotten violent.

    Twitter thread from a primary source at the scene:


    Downtown Kalamazoo: First Congregational Church is hosting a vigil at Arcadia Creek Festival Place after rumours spread that the Proud Boys, a white nationalist group, were holding a rally. Right now, members of an anti-fascist group are the only ones here. Stay tuned.

    It's gotten violent in the last few hours (spoilered for violent confrontation):

    Hell has broken loose


    Proud Boys are attacking counter protesters, spraying pepper spray. I have been hit and sprayed.


    Kalamazoo, Michigan


    There have been no police present

    TetraNitroCubane on
  • CelestialBadgerCelestialBadger Registered User regular
    I bet there were police present. Just not in uniform.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited August 2020
    I bet there were police present. Just not in uniform.

    So just after that tweet they showed up. And arrested Robinson, the Mlive journalist streaming the event.

    enlightenedbum on
    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • TetraNitroCubaneTetraNitroCubane The Djinnerator At the bottom of a bottleRegistered User regular
    edited August 2020
    The police showed up eventually after looking into it more. But not before the Proud Boys apparently got completely run off.


    Today's Proud Boys rally in Kalamazoo had been in the works for weeks. Community leaders hosted a peaceful unity rally in a show against the event. The Proud Boys showed up and sparked altercations with peaceful protesters. And barely 30 minutes later Proud Boys were fleeing

    Kayla Ruble is an investigative reporter from Michigan.


    Police in riot gear have given a five-minute warning to clear the area until they start arresting people near East Water and Edwards streets. The Proud Boys have largely cleared out, overwhelmed by counter-protesters.

    Johnny Domol is a reporter for the local channel 8 news in Michigan

    I guess the cops felt like they had to finish what the Proud Boys started and couldn't handle.

    TetraNitroCubane on
  • JaysonFourJaysonFour Classy Monster Kitteh Registered User regular
    Been following this from home- local news ( https://wwmt.com/news/local/proud-boys-group-plans-to-rally-saturday-kalamazoo-church-plans-counter-protest ) is claiming arrests are being made (about 2:30 p.m., but claims the violence was just limited to fistfights.

    Just... I'm staying home. From the sounds of it, things are kicking off something solid.

    steam_sig.png
    I can has cheezburger, yes?
This discussion has been closed.