Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Report: Too many whites, men leading military. Just saw that headline thanks to an astute Ricochet reader's Facebook posting. I'd thank him but I don't know if he wants to be named.
According to the Military Leadership Diversity Commission's new report to Congress, we've got a real problem with white guys leading the military:
The U.S. military is too white and too male at the top and needs to change recruiting and promotion policies and lift its ban on women in combat, an independent report for Congress said Monday.
Seventy-seven percent of senior officers in the active-duty military are white, while only 8 percent are black, 5 percent are Hispanic and 16 percent are women, the report by an independent panel said, quoting data from September 2008.
Here's what I don't get. Seventy-seven percent of senior officers in the active-duty military are white, apparently. According to the 2009 US census, 79.6 percent of Americans are white. You can logically argue that we need more women leading the military--though God knows why you would--to make it more representative of American demography. But you just can't argue that we need fewer white guys.
Then you've got 10 percent of the top brass sort of ... not accounted for. Add those numbers: They don't make 100 percent. But the remaining 10 percent isn't white, presumably. Maybe the actual report is clearer on this, but from the way it was explained in this article I just can't tell: Who is this mystery race, and do we need more or less of them in the military leadership to make it look more like America?
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Jun '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
I suspect that "too white" is just code for too Southern, too Christian, and too conservative. But, that's who signs up....
Dec '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
A few years back I watched a C-SPAN interview with John Schaeffer author of "Keeping Faith." The story was about the author's son and his decision to volunteer for service in the USMC and his father's attempt to understand his reasons for doing so. The experience was a revelation for the father who was an affluent liberal and who admitted as much. To his surprize he saw far more interaction among diverse service personnel within the military than he did on the college campuses. As a spouse of a soldier, I can attest that "diversity" is working well within the military - both active and reserve and does not need further tinkering. I'm annoyed at the recent comments of Admiral Mullen.
Oct '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Yes, that can be argued logically, IF the primary purpose of the military were to be representative of America's demography.
If, however, one subscribes to the notion that the primary (if not sole) purpose of the military is to break things and kill people, then it's not a logical argument.
Which explains why it's a favorite argument of the Left.
Dec '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Actually, I think there are stats out there that show more kids from the mid-west / rural areas are volunteering, but the point is that diversity for diversity's sake is a wrong headed approach.
Personally, R.L. Ermy's line from "Full Metal Jacket" is the best --- "To me you are ALL equally worthless..!"
Jul '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
These bean counters are sensitive to the slightest demographic skew, and so they are undoubtedly throwing gender into their assessment. And given recent developments, quotas for sexual orientation will be next. This has become a bi-partisan, the way Washington works kind of deal. It is stupid, it is dangerous, it is Washington.
Jun '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Johannes Allert
Actually, I think there are stats out there that show more kids from the mid-west / rural areas are volunteering, but the point is that diversity for diversity's sake is a wrong headed approach.
Personally, R.L. Ermy's line from "Full Metal Jacket" is the best --- "To me you are ALL equally worthless..!" · Mar 9 at 8:11am
I'm maybe using a more expansive (cultural) definition of "Southern." I should've used "redneck" instead. I guess it's not a pejorative anymore.
See http://www.wefest.com/11/directions.php and note the location.
Dec '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Let's not forget the shortage of wickans represented in the military ranks..
All kidding aside, perhaps the more important question is how much more will U.S. society be detached from it's military? The numbers of citizens who actually participate in military service is in the single digits regardless of race, class, religion or gender.
Dec '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
etoiledunord
Johannes Allert
Actually, I think there are stats out there that show more kids from the mid-west / rural areas are volunteering, but the point is that diversity for diversity's sake is a wrong headed approach.
Personally, R.L. Ermy's line from "Full Metal Jacket" is the best --- "To me you are ALL equally worthless..!" · Mar 9 at 8:11am
I'm maybe using a more expansive (cultural) definition of "Southern." I should've used "redneck" instead. I guess it's not a pejorative anymore.
See http://www.wefest.com/11/directions.php and note the location. · Mar 9 at 8:37am
Hey ! Sugarland is playing this year and it's right up the road! Thanks!
May '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Senior officers tend to be older by necessity of experience. Whites, on average, have an older population than blacks and Hispanics, who have more children. There's nothing to see here.
Dec '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
The proportion of 16% women is equal to, or a point above, the quota long used for an entering class of future officers. Here, at least, the behemoth has proven efficiency.
It didn’t take a sniper to see this one coming on the day of the appointment of the first female, nor does it provide satisfaction, cold, grey, or otherwise, in vindicating slippery-slopers who said out loud what was being whispered.
Who is left to hold the line, to keep politicians from using the armed services as a spoils system and compromising our warrior ethos?
Edited on March 9, 2011 at 6:11pmSep '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
I don't want a military that looks like America. I want a military that kills bad people and breaks things. That's all. I don't care if they all have 3 eyes and purple pigment.
Mar '11
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
If your going to talk these numbers it would be more appropriate to base it on the ratio of the volunteers. Unless they institute the draft i would base my numbers on that. Either way its useless, the military should be purely merit based.
Oct '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Johannes Allert: Let's not forget the shortage of wickans represented in the military ranks..
All kidding aside, perhaps the more important question is how much more will U.S. society be detached from it's military? The numbers of citizens who actually participate in military service is in the single digits regardless of race, class, religion or gender. · Mar 9 at 8:43am
You've made a powerful argument for continuing the draft. The connection between a nation and its military is important to my mind. The cross-pollination (forgive me, Lileks) of mores binds the military to those it serves and vice versa. Additionally, it instills in all Americans the price paid to maintain freedom and liberty.
May '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
If they did all have 3 eyes and purple pigment, it would still be considered "diverse" because they are not white.
May '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Absurdity, thy name is diversity. I was a Director once on a Regional Committee for Latin America. We interchanged cultures, nationalities, races, whatever, on a routine and regular basis. Corporate sent us to a "Diversity Course" at a black College and we discovered that Diversity in the states, at that time, was Black and White racial. Given the diversity complexity we handled, this appeared absurd.
It would seem that we are taking the same context (with a couple of additions) to proportions where the word absurd is completely inadequate.
May '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
If America had a draft, how big would our armed forces be? It seems to me that one can favor the draft or military budget cuts, but not both.
In theory, I like the idea of a draft. My Swedish friends had to serve for at least two years. Drafts seem fair, but unnecessary and costly.
How many women are in the armed forces? If 32% of our soldiers are women, then that 16% is already high.
May '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Here's your military diversity.
Edited on March 9, 2011 at 7:49pmFeb '11
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
Aren't hispanics, sometimes at least, counted as white? Could that be the reason for the discrepancy?
May '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
2010 was the first Census to add Hispanic as a race choice. That happened when "Other" came in third in 2000.
Believe it or not, that's a major bone of contention in Major League Baseball. Fewer and fewer American-born blacks are playing the game, and those that do don't consider dark-skinned Latin players as "black." It's just silly, especially since in sports we root for laundry.
Sep '10
Re: Report: Too Many People Who Can't Do Math Advising the Military
This is just nostalgia for an old anti-war argument. Back in the days of Vietnam and the draft, a disproportionate number of minorities were killed. They really, really miss this argument.
Edited on March 9, 2011 at 10:25pm