Interesting
George W. Bush may have served in the National Guard, and he may have flown "fighter aircraft," as you point out. However, it should be noted that he never spent one day in Vietnam, where the "kill rate" for pilots of fighter aircraft would have been many times higher than what he faced. --Posted by Anonymous to Wattenblog at 11/12/2006 11:11:18 PM
Ben's response:
New pilots don't know squat and are at heavy risk regarding their take-offs and landings, paticularly landings.
Experienced pilots are usually of consumate skill and are at heay risk from ack-ack and enemy combat fire.
Who is more at risk?
I suspect the new pilots,
Ben
Ben's response:
New pilots don't know squat and are at heavy risk regarding their take-offs and landings, paticularly landings.
Experienced pilots are usually of consumate skill and are at heay risk from ack-ack and enemy combat fire.
Who is more at risk?
I suspect the new pilots,
Ben
posted by Ben Wattenberg at 6:07 AM
4 Comments:
Here you appear to have done the same context-destroying thing you've done so frequently in the past: lifted a comment made to one of your earlier blog posts, and then turned it into a separate blog post itself, followed by your response. Can you not see how this destroys the original context of the comment? A casual reader has no idea where this comes from.
Again the suggestion: allow all comments to show up directly underneath your blog posts (turning off moderation was a big step in this direction -- kudos). Then if you have something to say in response, add it as just another comment (using your ID -- so readers can tell it is you replying/commenting). This will create a coherent discussion thread that other readers can easily follow. This makes sense, right?
Occasionally, it may be desirable to make a comment to one of your earlier blog posts, and your reply to it, the focus of a separate blog post -- e.g. because the topic is important to you, and you want to highlight your response. You should feel free to do this, being careful to preserve the original context -- e.g. with a link to the blog post where the original comment was posted.
Questions: Do you understand this suggestion? Is there a reason you do not do this? Perhaps a lack of technical know-how?
Believe it or not, I am trying to help you improve the format and reader-friendliness of your blog. Which IMO is badly needed.
eh
Ben, your response has absolutely nothing to do with the reader's question. You are confusing us.
Ben, your response has absolutely nothing to do with the reader's question.
True.
However, I am not confused, although I am often unsure about whether Mr Wattenberg is or not.
But it does appear he has trouble replying directly to a direct question, also admitting when he is wrong, as this post and comments shows.
eh
Ben Writes: "Who is more at risk? I suspect the new pilots"
OK, are you saying that because of his status as a "new pilot," George W Bush was more at risk in the National Guard than his counterparts who actually flew combat missions in Vietnam? I sure hope that's not what your saying. The logical inconsistency with that is astounding.
Being a "new pilot" may be dangerous. However, are you implying that because it may be riskier for an unexperienced pilot to fly than an experienced pilot, that such new pilots are somehow braver, or more admirable than "experienced" pilots who flew actual combat missions and received enemy fire in Vietnam?
100 percent of "experienced pilots" were, by definition, "new pilots" themselves at the start of their careers. They then went on to face real combat in hostile enemy territory.
The fighter pilots in Vietnam faced the same risks as GWB did when they were newbies, but the difference is that GWB did not stick around to face further risks in combat. They met and exceeded the risks that GWB took by getting past their new pilot status and taking enemy fire in Vietnam.
On the other hand, GWB's probability of injury or death rapidly approached Zero when he chose to leave the Air Nat'l Guard early to attend Yale.
Who risked their lives, on balance, more? GWB, or the fighter pilots who flew missions over Hanoi?
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