[farmfriend]

I thought we were talking about men and women. Why do you keep bringing up race?

The best way to see prejudice is to use race. It makes it real clear.

The point is that the most effective warriors should be sent to fight.

Why the assumption that men are the most effective? The Israelis have used women quite effectively.

You seem to be saying that everyone should have an equal right to die in war.

They should. It is only your sexist belief that makes it sound silly. Everyone should have an equal right to die just as everyone has an equal right to live. Forcing one sex to be the sole bearer of that ill fate is treating that sex as disposable.

[norcalvet]

Ok, the analogy between women in the military (in terms of having an "equal right to die" as you seem to see it) and racism against blacks still isn't clear to me. Please explain.

Despite all our technology these days, a big component of of combat is still physical strength. Men, on average, are physically stronger than women by a significant degree. This is true intuitively and it is true in my own military experience. Men can't get pregnant. Men don't menstrate. Men can take significantly more physical abuse and retain a potential to procreate. This doesn't even address the issue of whether or not we want women to transform from nurturers into warriors even if they can.

I am sexist because I think decisions about who should fight wars should be based on what wins wars? Everyone should have an equal right to die? What a convoluted argument.

I'm not familiar with the intracacies of the Isreali military, as you apparently are. I can only speak from my experience in the Marines, where I concluded that women do not belong in combat roles.

[wardaddy]

Wrong....the Israelis stopped using women in front line troops nearly 2 decades ago.