ROTC "Criminals"

As someone who hopes to complete ROTC at an Ivy, it is important to note that this sentiment, however disgraceful, is not wholly representative of the sense I've perceived. Further, while there is a very strong argument to indict Sec. Kissinger as a war criminal, I don't think the same spirit should be used to oppose ROTC. Yes, the military (and our politicians) need to be less hawkish often. But to try to bar all connections with our military does no good. Following that logic, Brown graduates should not work for Boeing or even the State Department, a so-called 'enabler' of this.

At Yale, around 78% responded in a survey that either they would be OK with the return of ROTC or agnostic about it. Still, there have been TWO AROTC cadets there SINCE VIETNAM.

Princeton seems to be the most accommodating generally. I read somewhere that their student-body president was a cadet last year.

Harvard, though the leader in non-military academy Medal of Honor count, still does not have its own program. When President Kennedy studied there, that classic 'New England liberal' did NROTC. It's a shame that todays students won't have the same opportunity.
 
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OpEd doesn't surprise me, these even pop up at some of the more conservative schools that have wide support for their ROTC programs. Seems like the comments section doesn't fully support this kid.
 
I didn't even finish the first paragraph because it is so poorly written or edited...shockingly so.

"A November 2014 Herald article described the lack of military support on Brown’s campus." Military support for what?

"Students anticipating careers in the armed forces outlined ROTC as one of their central concerns, and while ROTC is only one facet of military presence on campus, it is undoubtedly one of the most important." Huh? That's a sentence?

Go ahead and flame me, but this is an Ivy League School not the ESL program at West Wyoming Diesel College. Class of 2016 means he has been there for two and a half years and this is what he and his editors have to show for it.
 
$100 says this clown ends up on Sean Hannity's show. Hannity will treat him as a card carrying member of the media elite and it will be the proudest moment in this kid's life.
 
So, I read the article and found another one by him. Turns out, he is a Palestinian national who complains about being pulled into secondary inspection every time he travels overseas. So, he has a slight grudge against government authorities. Take it with a grain of salt.
 
Isn't it nice that the author can write such an article without fear of repurcussions? One has to wonder has that has come to be... hmmmm:rolleyes:
 
BigBillNY said:
Turns out, he is a Palestinian national who complains about being pulled into secondary inspection every time he travels overseas.
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I take back my criticism of his language skills. His English is infinitely better than my Arabic.

He is still an idiot and an ingrate. I'd like to see him run his mouth against Hamas or the PA the next time he visits the homeland.

Bull, remember he did not take military science classes, so he wouldn't know the difference between an MRAP and an M1A. He's right, however, about the militarization of the police. We've got no room for the surplus. Ft. Riley is full and if we give the stuff to the Iraqis, it just ends up in the hands of ISIS.

http://thehill.com/regulation/217136-senators-blast-dod-program-to-militarize-police

I'm with Tom Coburn on this one.
 
As a Harvard midshipman, I would just like to point out that there are a lot of things in play as to why we don't have our own unit. There's only 11 midshipmen across all four years with three marine options including myself. We are all part of the Boston Consortium where BU and MIT host. So by extension Tufts and BC don't have their own programs either, in part because existing ones exist elsewhere. My guess is that someone found it more practical to organize it this way, and that it would be hard to justify building an entirely new program for so few people.

Just thought I'd throw my two cents to the fact that Harvard doesn't have it's own program which is often brought up. That being said, it is a pain for us to have to travel around everywhere to get to class, pt etc.
 
cb7893 said:
Bull, remember he did not take military science classes, so he wouldn't know the difference between an MRAP and an M1A. He's right, however, about the militarization of the police. We've got no room for the surplus. Ft. Riley is full and if we give the stuff to the Iraqis, it just ends up in the hands of ISIS.

http://thehill.com/regulation/217136-senators-blast-dod-program-to-militarize-police

I'm with Tom Coburn on this one.
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I agree with most of that portion too, I just want to be the cop that gets to drive a tank around town. :D I've got opinions about policing, but that's a different discussion.

For the rest of the article, ehhh whatever. He's young, living a comfortable life at Brown, and unfortunately misguided, but luckily he's got that right. I'm glad he's enjoyed his sense of safety and security, provided by those willing to ensure it on his behalf. What a beautiful country

He does use the term liberal quite liberally, but it sounds like a contradiction when he refers to the military as conservative and state-sanctioned, but the state they are sanctioned by is led by a liberal and until recently, a liberal legislature. You know, the ones that send the criminals everywhere to do criminal stuff. Sounds like his real quarrel is a few pay grades higher than he's currently targeting. Kind of like a cop blaming a thief's hands for stealing...

I propose a name change for anyone in ROTC from "cadet/mid" to "state-sanctioned war machine." It's way more catchy
 
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Now I am just disappointed that I never had an ID card with a rank of... "State-Sanctioned War Machine."
 
Have you read the comments left for him on the link? I am sure he has already and probably is now ashamed of the OP ED he wrote. There is not one positive comment posted. Some of them are classic. My top 3 are:
1. 60,000 a year doesn't buy you a clue I guess
2. The range of allowable political thought at Brown runs the gamut from A to B
3. Anyone else want to start a student NRA group on campus? Shh...we would have to keep it a secret from Peter Makhlouf.

Honorable mention impo goes to
So...Mr. Makhlouf...how's freshmen year Political Science treating you so far?

I was like many others and stopped reading very quickly, but did read each and every post on the comments, they at least kept my attention!
 
Yea I read the comments as well and they were much better than the article, but I doubt this guy has the ability to feel shame for his views. If anything, now he's a victim writer or something.
 
kracy said:
As a Harvard midshipman, I would just like to point out that there are a lot of things in play as to why we don't have our own unit. There's only 11 midshipmen across all four years with three marine options including myself. We are all part of the Boston Consortium where BU and MIT host. So by extension Tufts and BC don't have their own programs either, in part because existing ones exist elsewhere. My guess is that someone found it more practical to organize it this way, and that it would be hard to justify building an entirely new program for so few people.

Just thought I'd throw my two cents to the fact that Harvard doesn't have it's own program which is often brought up. That being said, it is a pain for us to have to travel around everywhere to get to class, pt etc.
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It's more practial, only if they can't create a full program. I am sure if there is a full support from the school full ROTC programs can be established at schools mentioned above. First, they are good schools so accepted students should be very competitive for ROTC scholarship. Those are also expansive schools, so ROTC scholarship can be complementing recruting tools for both ROTC and schools themselves.
 
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Ohhhhh Brown. The pride of Rhode Island, but on the lower end of the Ivy league schools. Brown prides itself in being different. "Look at us.... we're such rebels." I wouldn't lose too much sleep over this...
 
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