“The military doesn't teach rifle marksmanship. It teaches equipment familiarity. Despite what the officer corps thinks, learning to shoot a rifle is not like learning to drive a car. Instead, it is like learning to play the violin.... The equipment familiarity learning curve comes up quick, but then the rifle marksmanship continuation of the curve rises very slowly....by shooting one careful shot at a time, carefully inspecting the result (and the cause).” ThinkingPlayCausesResultsTeachMilitaryCarGunShotsCome UpCarefulDespiteShootingOfficersEquipmentCurvesFamiliarityViolinRiflesContinuationLearning CurveMarksmanship Author:Daryl Davis
“...several of the first presidents, including Jefferson and Madison, generally refused to issue public prayers, despite importunings to do so. Under pressure, Madison relented in the War Of 1812, but held to his belief that chaplains shouldn't be appointed to the military or be allowed to open Congress.” FirstsWarReligionBeliefPresidentPrayerIssuesMilitaryPressureIncludingCongressDespiteUnder PressureMadisonChaplainsWar Of 1812 Author:James Madison
“(God) gives the weak a weapon for self-defense that the strong, despite his military and nuclear arsenals, can do nothing against. There are clerics who condemn this and even say that these are suicide operations that are not allowed in Islam.” GivingSelfStrongCan DoMilitaryWeaponsWeakSuicideIslamDefenseNuclearDespiteOperationsSelf DefenseArsenal Author:Yusuf al-Qaradawi
“Despite everything I've achieved in my life, the culinary awards, the military commendations, the honorary degrees, I have never, ever lost sight of what's truly important. The thing that gives meaning to these triumphs. Someone to share them with. A companion. A help mate. A wife.” LifeGivingImportantHelpingLostWifeShareMilitaryDegreesSightDespiteTriumphCulinaryCompanionAwardsMatesHonoraryCommendation Author:Andrew Schneider
“Peace on this planet will not be forged by military strength. It will be forged by those who come together despite their government's differences.” GovernmentTogetherPeaceDifferencesMilitaryPlanetsDespiteForged Book:Deception Point Source: Deception Point
“Despite the creations of new sections, secret intelligence activity remained mistrusted and neglected in military circles, although there were a few enthusiasts like Baden-Powell, who went on foreign trips disguised as a butterfly collector and regarded spying as sport.” SportsSecretMilitaryCreationActivityCirclesDespiteButterflySectionsNeglectedCollectorsSecret Intelligence Book:Secrecy in Britain Source: Secrecy in Britain
“A superpower that no longer stands for anything, that no one believes in anymore, that is seen only as a bully, will fall despite its military might. If the Bush administration ever wanted to reflect on history, it might think about this.” IfsThinkingBelieveMightWantedFallMilitaryDespiteAdministrationBullySuperpower Author:Mark Kurlansky
“Nation building is our central task, both in Afghanistan and in Iraq. And states, nations can't just be built with military power. Despite all difficulties, it's very inspiring to see how the Kurds, the Arab Sunnis and the Shiites are coming together here, how they're jointly defining the basis on which their state is to be built, the political course this state will pursue and who is to receive which cabinet positions.” StatesTogetherPoliticalCoursesNationsMilitaryPositionBuildingBuiltTasksBasesDifficultyIraqPursueDespiteAfghanistanDefiningCabinetsComing TogetherNation BuildingMilitary PowerKurdsVery Inspiring Author:Zalmay Khalilzad
“Doing something, however pathetic, is psychologically better than doing nothing. In the current political environment - that is, with no more Cold War tensions - the tendency is to counteract the feelings of fear and vulnerability with a variety of military, paramilitary and police measures, despite the reality that this kind of excessive reliance on force in many ways intensifies the very problem it is purporting to solve.” WayKindWarFeelingsProblemRealityPoliticalForceEnvironmentMilitaryColdPoliceCurrentsSolveTendenciesDespiteVarietyVulnerabilityTensionCold WarReliancePatheticDoing NothingPolitical Environment Author:Richard A. Falk
“In the United States, rising esteem for the military in uniform corresponds to the growing militarization of the society as a whole. All of this despite repeated revelations of the illegality and immorality of the military's own incarceration systems, from Guantanamo to Abu Ghraib, whose systematic practices border on if not actually constitute torture.” IfsStatesWholeUnitedPracticeUnited StatesGrowingMilitaryEsteemDespiteBordersTortureRisingRevelationsUniformsSystematicImmoralityIncarcerationGuantanamoAbu Ghraib Author:Michael Hardt
“Despite all the noise and hullabaloo - military cooperation, intelligence cooperation, all of that has continued. We have defended them consistently in every imaginable way. But I also believe that both for our national interests and Israel's national interests that allowing an ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that could get worse and worse over time is a problem. And that settlements contribute.” WayBelieveProblemInterestMilitaryConflictIsraelNoiseDespiteAllowingCooperationPalestinianConsistentlyOngoingSettlementNational Interests Author:Barack Obama