I see a lot of griping and moaning from you, and accusing more positive people of being 'cheerleaders,' but what do you think you're accomplishing here?
My son signed up before 9/11, and almost all his friends did AFTER 9/11. This generation is filled with patriotic kids who want to defend their country against evil, because they love America and want to keep us safe.
What is your point in belittling them, and continuing to dismiss what's really going on in the military?
I really want to know. What's made you so cynical and negative?
Let's just say I have some experience in fishing the truth out of a sea of optimism, pessimism, and bull$%^#. It's rarely a job that will win you friends, but what it accomplishes should be clear.
My son signed up before 9/11, and almost all his friends did AFTER 9/11. This generation is filled with patriotic kids who want to defend their country against evil, because they love America and want to keep us safe.
I'm sure that the first sentence is true, and you're clearly quite proud of your son and his friends, with good reason. They are doing more than their share.
The second sentence, on the other hand, may be a bit of an overstatement. We wouldn't be discussing this topic at all, if this generation was pulling it's weight, since we're calling on the generation before us for help.
What is your point in belittling them, and continuing to dismiss what's really going on in the military? I really want to know. What's made you so cynical and negative?
You don't really love someone if you don't tell 'em like it is. The Army and I may have parted ways, but I'd never want to see them fail, or to pursue losing strategies. So, my words of harsh truth are for a service and a mission that personally cost me in, as they say, blood, toil, tears, and sweat. I want them to win more than you can imagine, and I'd rather they hear harsh words from me than taste real failure.
An organization full of smart, motivated people like your son, that insists on running itself into the ground, will have a hard time recruiting and retaining. Eventually, it will see those smart, motivated people leave to become contractors, and have to lower hiring standards to replace them. That's what I fear, and that's why I'm complaining.
If I come across as cynical and negative, it's because unrealistic people tend to be more positive than negative. When I deal with unrealistically negative people, I get accused of sugarcoating things. You push people out of their comfort zones, and they'll accuse you of anything.