QED

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Wednesday, December 9, 2009 - 4:35 PM Share

The "friggin' in the riggin''" item about fraternization gone wild aboard a Navy destroyer drew the most reponses of any item ever posted on this blog. This is after months of me slogging through reports on friendly fire incidents, counterinsurgency doctrine, military personnel issues, and so on. What really gets you all going? Sex, or, more precisely, "gender issues."

It reminds me of what a sportswriter once told me -- that the worst job on a newspaper is covering baseball, basketball or football, because every reader believes himself to be an expert on the subject. Kind of like sex.

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EXPLORE:NORTH AMERICA, MILITARY, WOMEN

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MATT MURPH

5:00 PM ET

December 9, 2009

Tigergate

Why do you think the Tiger Woods story is so huge right now? Sex and golf: two things you can suck at but still really enjoy doing.

STARBUCK

5:46 PM ET

December 9, 2009

This is why a certain milblog

This is why a certain milblog likes to arbitrarily post pictures of Megan Fox in the middle of entries on COIN. You'd be surprised at the amount of traffic I get from people looking for Megan Fox pics (especially from Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc)

STARBUCK

5:47 PM ET

December 9, 2009

Wait, don't tell me that's a

Wait, don't tell me that's a picture of the Village People...

NORWEGIAN SHOOTER

8:04 PM ET

December 9, 2009

Yeah, it is

It took me a second scroll through to notice the beading on one of the background singers. Is Tom implying that lots of seamen are fans of the VP?

RUBBER DUCKY

6:42 PM ET

December 9, 2009

Naw. Misogynism

It's misogynism redux.

HUNTER

10:25 PM ET

December 9, 2009

Unfortunately

The blog entry with the most activity "friggin in the riggin" was somewhat over-represented by one poster. So I am not sure if it is representative of a good conversation.

CAPTAIN NOVAL

11:43 PM ET

December 9, 2009

Not so much discussion

Mainly Rubber Ducky and Ericstratton_iii posting over and over and over.

Make your point, be polite, and then shut the hell up and let other people have their say.

ERIC_STRATTONIII

10:24 AM ET

December 11, 2009

Sorry, not going to let things just go un-answered

Captain, that is silly, not going to "shut the hell up", this is a blog, it is not like someone cannot be heard or get there opinion across. I pointed out some things that others are not comfortable hearing and it started off a firestorm, not a big deal but do not act like this was the Sean Hannity Show where people get shouted down. That is just silly.

ERIC_STRATTONIII

1:34 PM ET

December 12, 2009

Here is my last comment on the topic-Read the book

One, hardly anyone challenged my research, test or history or anything else much except to say that it was about "opportunity" and most reacted with emotion and did not like my "shrill" or "arrogant" style, it was not debate.

Two, I am sure Mr. Ricks knows that it was a few people arguing over and over, I am pretty sure he is capable of reading.

Three, read, "Men, Women & War: Do Woman Belong in the Front Line"-Martin van Creveld. He is a bit of a crusty old guy but he is Israeli and so speaks to there times with the subject, is a very smart and valued historian/commentator on military matters and he is usually pretty spot on for whatever the topic is.

Fourth, no one seems to get past one post or even read them all and take them into context, most seemed to want to assign blame to the men right away, does this not say something about how we still view the subject?

Fifth, Rubber Ducky, that was just a silly comment and it is why it is tough to take you very seriously on the topic. It is that attitude that keeps it from being a fairness issue and push quotas and double standards in place of merit. Not once did you say that they should have to meet the same standards or that women might, just might have had a hand in the incidents aboard ship. It is a view all to common amongst the hard left folks who are on DACOWITS and other women groups involved with the military.

Lastly, I should not reply to insults with insults, that is on me, this is a touchy subject for me since I see it everyday and have seen how the military has only gotten worse over the last 15 years. I also know that I, unlike almost all of the posters, will be the one who will pay the price for it when we go on quotas and double standards over merit, hence why it is a bit of sore subject for me.