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Comment by friend_and_foe | Hacker News Reader

I think the decade long wars in the middle east are a huge part PR wise, but theres more to it.

The military is a shitshow. The messaging alienated it's core recruitment base, namely white and black teenagers and young men. It alienates young American men in general, but those demographics in particular are historically the core of America's fighting force. Having to balance domestic recruitment PR to be politically correct while also wanting to reach tough young men and entice them is an impossible task.

It's a giant jobs program. People in the military can tell you, it's devolved from just being rules/procedures based chain of command, to being a full blown Brazil-esque (the movie) busybody bureaucracy.

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For what it's worth, the software industry is also a shitshow.

> Having to balance domestic recruitment PR to be politically correct while also wanting to reach tough young men and entice them is an impossible task.

Can you explain what you mean by this? I feel like you're referring to something obliquely but I don't have the context.

i assume he's saying people who join the military are racist misogynists and because the military can't appeal to this anymore, people don't want to join anymore

You seem upset, as if what you said is blatantly false.

I wouldn't say racist (?? Black and white men fighting together are racist?) mysoginists, but tough men that aren't posterboys for your designated driver would probably be a good description.

If you want a competent fighting force, you have to appeal to tough young men. You don't do that by putting a dude in a dress on your promo material, to put it crassly. Men don't want to go into an environment supposedly to "get shit done" only to have to file paperwork and tippytoe on eggshells with everything they do or say. You don't have to like it but these are the facts. The military gets weaker when you alienate the most able bodied in your society, it's pretty straightforward.

Have you ever served? In combat? I have, USMC infantry. I want a professional fighting force with smart of professional fighters and support. Yes, you need mental toughness. But if you are so mentally weak that you can't handle a course on sexual harassment then you are not mentally tough. You need a "non-woke" safe-space.

What you describe is what Russia wants and needs. Look how well that is working out for them.

The military gets stronger by having a disciplined, smart fighting force. Not some frat-house where being "manly" is the only requirement.

I love this response

Military service people are killers first and foremost. They're put through grueling test and training processes. It doesn't matter what kind of world you wish this was, those people are primarily going to be aggressive men. When you target other groups of people with your advertising, when you make such an environment that those type of men aren't welcome in the military, the military suffers, it's that simple.

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