Dakota Meyer on Jocko Podcast.

[SteyrAUG]

He's the poster child for why the Second Amendment exists in the first place. The attitudes brewing in military and law enforcement culture are not only morally reprehensible but make it obvious that they as a group have absolutely zero understanding of the document to which they took their oaths.

When you say "military and law enforcement culture" that presumes or suggests all of them, or even most of them, and that simply isn't the case. While mostly true or strongly true when it comes to the political leadership, the rank and file know they will be on their own with the rest of us if the hammer ever comes down.

Those guys don't own those M-16s, those officers don't own those MP5s. And if the day comes that they find themselves by themselves, they will be thankful for any non MIL/LE types who have any kind of useful training.

[SteyrAUG]

I hate to say this but Swenson is probably as high as he is gonna go, MoH or not. He'll likely retire as a LtCol. He pissed into the Wheaties of several people high on the food chain, essentially calling them out for lack of support. IIRC he was originally awarded the Silver Star as a finger to the eye for "complaining" but enough evidence was brought forward into the limelight (including much from Meyers himself) that they couldn't thwart it any longer. Obviously Congress makes the award but you know damn well there were a few senior flag officers who had their panties in a wad over it, gritting their teeth, but couldn't do a damn thing about it.....except put his career in quicksand.

Sounds like he could have had better support during the event in question, but that is probably true of ALL MOH winners, most Marines and lots and lots of other people who found their ass out in the wind one sunny day when the shooting started in earnest.

He's probably entitled to his hurt feelings, lots of other guys would have quit and hit eject, he stayed behind to do what he felt was his duty and that gives him grounds to criticize others when he finds them wanting rather it's true or not.

While he shouldn't automatically get a new career as a celebrity or be promoted into the stratosphere, by the same token he shouldn't have been sandbagged for shooting his mouth off about things even if it probably is unbecoming to a Marine. I feel he's earned his right to bitch about shit a little bit.

[glocktogo]

So without question, he's entitled to his opinion and he's earned it. He's paid more to have any opinion than many.

That said, it's sad that he doesn't fundamentally understand all the freedoms he defends nor does he have an adequate understanding of the Constitution that he swore an oath to protect and defend. But I've easily heard dumber shit, even from members of the military.

Hell no less a great American than John Glenn gave us the 1968 Gun Control Act.

There’s a fine line between brave and stupid. Some people familiar with that line, cross it at will.

[SteyrAUG]

There’s a fine line between brave and stupid. Some people familiar with that line, cross it at will.

The truly brave are entitled to their stupidity. If Congress is allowed to be excessively retarded then MOH winners are allowed to be dumb as a rock. Doesn't mean I agree with anything they say, but if they want to believe we never went to the moon, I'm not gonna tell them they aren't allowed to think it.

[CRAMBONE]

Sounds like he could have had better support during the event in question, but that is probably true of ALL MOH winners, most Marines and lots and lots of other people who found their ass out in the wind one sunny day when the shooting started in earnest.

He's probably entitled to his hurt feelings, lots of other guys would have quit and hit eject, he stayed behind to do what he felt was his duty and that gives him grounds to criticize others when he finds them wanting rather it's true or not.

While he shouldn't automatically get a new career as a celebrity or be promoted into the stratosphere, by the same token he shouldn't have been sandbagged for shooting his mouth off about things even if it probably is unbecoming to a Marine. I feel he's earned his right to bitch about shit a little bit.

Supposedly that’s why Chesty Puller was never awarded the MOH. He ran his mouth too much.

[CRAMBONE]

I don’t know Meyer and have never meet him. I have worked with people that served with him and opinions are mixed.
Did he earn his MOH? I’d say so.
Did he recently stick his foot in his mouth? Absolutely.

I believe his (possibly booze fueled) rant was directed at a very small sect of the “community” and I’m thinking of one person in particular. Has Meyer stated ARs need to be banned or there needs to be an increase in gun control?

Also I feel sorry for the dude. He with through a hell of a deployment (those mountains are horrible and every time I passed through I was thankful I didn’t deploy there much less have a gunfight there), the limelight was forced upon him, a marriage was forced upon him, and he has floundered with what could have been a great post service life. Much like myself at times. So maybe I have more empathy than others because of that. I also believe people are allowed their own opinions and I will never completely agree with anyone. Hell a few years ago y’all were all in an uproar over Pat Mac.

[okie]

When you say "military and law enforcement culture" that presumes or suggests all of them, or even most of them, and that simply isn't the case. While mostly true or strongly true when it comes to the political leadership, the rank and file know they will be on their own with the rest of us if the hammer ever comes down.

Those guys don't own those M-16s, those officers don't own those MP5s. And if the day comes that they find themselves by themselves, they will be thankful for any non MIL/LE types who have any kind of useful training.

That's why I said their culture has become toxic to constitutional freedoms, not every single individual. Pretty hard to deny the culture is what it is when these types can just come right out and talk smack on the constitution and not be stripped of their uniform. Like I said, what he's doing is seditious and borderline treasonous. He, as a paid active duty officer, is using his position to attack the very core of the freedoms he's sworn to uphold.

[okie]

I don’t know Meyer and have never meet him. I have worked with people that served with him and opinions are mixed.
Did he earn his MOH? I’d say so.
Did he recently stick his foot in his mouth? Absolutely.

I believe his (possibly booze fueled) rant was directed at a very small sect of the “community” and I’m thinking of one person in particular. Has Meyer stated ARs need to be banned or there needs to be an increase in gun control?

Also I feel sorry for the dude. He with through a hell of a deployment (those mountains are horrible and every time I passed through I was thankful I didn’t deploy there much less have a gunfight there), the limelight was forced upon him, a marriage was forced upon him, and he has floundered with what could have been a great post service life. Much like myself. So maybe I have more empathy than others because of that. I also believe people are allowed their own opinions and I will never completely agree with anyone. Hell a few years ago y’all were all in an uproar over Pat Mac.

Why, what did he say? Doesn't he pretty much make a living training civilians?

[SteyrAUG]

Supposedly that’s why Chesty Puller was never awarded the MOH. He ran his mouth too much.

And unlike MacArthur, Puller probably would have rather ran his mouth than be given a MOH. Keep in mind Mac got his MOH for "leadership" while he was abandoning the Philippines and leaving the men of Bataan to their fate. That's like giving Yamamoto the Order of the Chrysanthemum for his leadership during the Midway campaign.

Anyone who knows history knows what Puller did and honestly he was too busy doing things to win the war than to go glory dogging for his own benefit. He measured his success in the number of Marines who were still alive the next day after stacking Japanese bodies 6 feet high.

I often wonder if MacArthur ever fired his weapon in combat during WWII.

[SteyrAUG]

That's why I said their culture has become toxic to constitutional freedoms, not every single individual. Pretty hard to deny the culture is what it is when these types can just come right out and talk smack on the constitution and not be stripped of their uniform. Like I said, what he's doing is seditious and borderline treasonous. He, as a paid active duty officer, is using his position to attack the very core of the freedoms he's sworn to uphold.

So to many, many people "military culture" is strong and proud traditions. West Point is military culture. So many more people "LE culture" tends to mean "thin blue line" stuff and brotherhood of fellow officers. When you use those words in a negative context, you insult those who use them otherwise.

It's like me saying the "black community" is all about drugs, crime and hatred of other races." Certainly the local Kiwanis chapter of the "black community" would be surprised by my comments.

So if we are going to be more targeted, we need to say "the anti gun elements of law enforcement leadership" and "members of the military who have forgotten their oath" and things like that. Otherwise you are just going to alienate members of the military and law enforcement community that started out pretty pro second amendment. It only takes a little bit of effort to make people feel "not welcome" and then it does become an "us vs them" situation while the .gov manipulates us both against another.