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Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli

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Dne 12/08/2015 v 07:10 Fabian Russell napsal(a):
> On Tue, 11 Aug 2015 22:13:25 -0500, gilber34 wrote:
> 
>>
>> it is the fault of the British for not protecting him, keeping him home,
>>
> 
> Your assumption is that scientists are "better" than ordinary people
> or soldiers and that they deserve special treatment.  This in an aristocratic
> sentiment and has no place in a democratic society.

They deserve special treatment,
but not because they are better.

It is because of their skills, similar as technicians,
as these skills are for the army limited resources.
The army cannot afford to waste these resources at posts
that can be accomplished by anybody.

It was implemented in a communist army of Warsaw pact,
and lead to disaster, often placing soldiers
to posts they did not fit to.

Typically,
someone not cooking was made a military cook,
while a cook was made an infantryman or a tankist.
> 
> The article mentions that in the next war scientists were used differently.
> By that time, however, the nature of warfare changed in that it had become
> dependent on engineering and technology.  Scientists could be valuable to the
> war effort outside of the trenches.  But that was not so true during WWI.

This I can agree. WW I was merely a flash mill.
> 
> If scientists should be spared then what about poets, writers, musicians, or
> philosophers?  These people could not contribute to the technology of war but
> they could benefit society greatly through their non-scientific works.  Maybe
> we should also protect these non-scientists who have good minds.

War is loss for everybody but those who profit on it.
Unfortunately,  engineer or mathematician is easier to be involved in
important but safe military activities than writer or painter.
> 
> In a democracy no one merits special status or protection.  In times of national
> crisis all are expected to serve regardless of their position or potential
> 

Yes, but the question is, where they should serve ?

Millions of men can by an infantryman,
but just hundreds can be war airplane designers.

Feynman, before Manhattan project,
helped to design some advanced aiming device for artillery.
Putting him into a sherman tank, killing him,
would serve less even for military.

-- 
Poutnik ( the Czech word for a wanderer )

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How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> - 2015-08-11 20:05 -0500
  Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli gilber34 <invalid@invalid.com> - 2015-08-11 22:13 -0500
    Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-08-12 05:10 +0000
      Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Poutnik <poutnik4nntp@gmail.com> - 2015-08-12 08:45 +0200
        Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-08-12 21:11 +0000
          Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Poutnik <poutnik4nntp@gmail.com> - 2015-08-13 00:04 +0200
            Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-08-12 23:19 +0000
              Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Poutnik <poutnik4nntp@gmail.com> - 2015-08-13 01:37 +0200
              Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-08-12 23:47 +0000
                Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-08-13 01:11 +0000
                Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-08-13 02:30 +0000
          Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Poutnik <poutnik4nntp@gmail.com> - 2015-08-13 01:10 +0200
      Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli gilber34 <invalid@invalid.com> - 2015-08-12 12:07 -0500
    Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Double-A <double-a3@hush.com> - 2015-08-12 18:46 -0700
      Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-08-13 02:32 +0000
        Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Double-A <double-a3@hush.com> - 2015-08-13 13:59 -0700
          Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-08-13 22:58 +0000
            Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-08-14 01:13 +0000
              Re: How science lost one of its greatest minds in the trenches of Gallipoli jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-08-14 01:56 +0000

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