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2012-10-31 Home Front: WoT

Have America's Generals dropped in Quality?

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Posted by Frozen Al 2012-10-31 12:37|| || Front Page|| [11139 views ] Top

#1 Yes, lots and lots of McClellans.

It's what happens when the peacetime system of promotion and selection trumps any attempt to introduce a wartime system of promotion and selection. Wartime performance, for which the organization exists in the first place, should override all else. There is no fairness in war. There is no box checking in war. There is only skill and leadership on the battlefield which is all that should matter.

Posted by Procopius2k 2012-10-31 14:27|| 2012-10-31 14:27|| Front Page Top

#2 Ask the British about General Clark. Most of them know the story better than the Americans. Can't believe that tool is still running around being a foreign policy advisor.

Posted by rjschwarz 2012-10-31 14:46|| 2012-10-31 14:46|| Front Page Top

#3 Mark or Wesley?

Posted by Shipman 2012-10-31 16:35|| 2012-10-31 16:35|| Front Page Top

#4 ..if you ask people from Texas, the former. They've never forgotten the Rapido River.

Posted by Procopius2k 2012-10-31 18:19|| 2012-10-31 18:19|| Front Page Top

#5 Mark Clark vs. Smiling Albert... has there ever been a bigger mis-match?

Sad, stupid and expensive.

Posted by Shipman 2012-10-31 18:45|| 2012-10-31 18:45|| Front Page Top

#6 I believe it was Wesley.

Posted by rjschwarz 2012-10-31 21:36|| 2012-10-31 21:36|| Front Page Top

#7 American forces have been hobbled by political constraints since WWII. The commanders are better, but the inability to fight wars as all-out affairs where civilian casualties are an afterthought has led to a lot of inconclusive engagements, leaving the enemy with the resources to rebuild his forces. The rank incompetence of WWII commanders was eye-opening, ranging from Mark Clark's disastrous river crossing to Doug MacArthur allowing his air units to be destroyed on the ground *after* receiving news of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2012-10-31 21:48|| 2012-10-31 21:48|| Front Page Top

#8 Right. Our Generals are probably better than they ever have been. Still, just as in 1862, you could fire 90% of them and be no worse off.

Posted by rammer 2012-10-31 21:51|| 2012-10-31 21:51|| Front Page Top

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