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Bad ideas in war



Witnesses say soldier killed another Afghan civilian in 'village idiot killing' incident | ABC News

Bad ideas in war? Expect soldiers to have intelligence above that of trained dogs

Wikipedia: Killing of Dad Mohammad

Victim: Dad Mohammad

Accused: Oliver Schulz (redacted: Soldier "C")

Charge: Murder

Trial: 2027
 
Gawdzilla Sama said:
My IQ was 123 when I applied for a slot in the USN.

I'd like to meet your dog.
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Not that I put much trust in IQ for anything else than solving IQ tests. Or, strangely enough, understanding HYPOTHETICAL questions, which people below 85, i.e., one standard deviation down, seem to have trouble with according to several studies. (Which might explain a couple of posters we've had over the years;))

But in all fairness, he said "expect", not anything about the average, much less the peaks. Expecting EVERY SINGLE new recruit to not pull the pin and go, "aaww, this pineapple gave me a wedding ring..." (like in The Simpsons,) is excessively optimistic. Like, yeah, you were 123, I was 149 (though a BS internet one put me as high as 225 -- in English, so not even my mother tongue for all those word questions -- and I still don't think either actually means anything) but don't tell me you haven't seen recruits that just screamed "Darwin award waiting to happen." :P

I mean, I've mentioned it before, at one point we're going pistol training. Like, you know, the army does. They load 6 rounds into each mag, insert it, give it to you, you shoot 6 times at the target give it back. I'll admit I was a squad clown, so I won't be hypocritical. The OTHER squad clown shoots his load. The gun doesn't lock open so either it's malfunctioning, OR someone actually loaded a 7th round and it has a live round in the chamber. He turns around. presses the barrel against my head and presses the trigger. It goes *CLICK*. Ok, so gun malfunction. I barely had the time to think "oh, ha ha, I almost got murdered. That's one prank and a half. Funny guy." Our sergeant major had an extensive meltdown. Our captain actually lost it and physically assaulted the guy, but I guess he wasn't gonna press "I tried to murder a squad mate, and the captain assaulted me" charges.

You might think everyone is smart enough to figure out that not even flagging someone you don't intend to shoot with the gun also means "DON'T POINT IT AT THEIR HEAD AND PULL THE TRIGGER", but there we go. Obviously at least one guy couldn't figure that one out :P
 
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Or I swear to fsm, we had one who brought a ninja sword, nunchucks and throwing stars in his luggage when he arrived at the unit.

Like, don't worry, sonny boy, we'll give you all the weapons you need, no need to bring your own. And we're a flippin' AA unit. You ain't gonna bring down a Sukhoi ground attack plane with a ninja star. I wish you could, it would make all our jobs easier, but it ain't gonna happen :P
 
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Gawdzilla Sama said:
I've noticed a lot of people don't trust IQ tests. The obvious presents itself.
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Well, I guess it could be a bit of a bias. Acing every one of them (unlike Trump acing a dementia test;)) makes them seem not all that meaningful. Like, eh, who would get stumped by counting blocks or finding synonyms if they paid attention in school? Seems more like an education Q than IQ.

I mean, I still think they don't mean much, but I'm also presenting the other side with the possible reasons I might be wrong. Kinda like a lawyer sharing discovery :P
 
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HansMustermann said:
Well, I guess it could be a bit of a bias. Acing every one of them (unlike Trump acing a dementia test;)) makes them seem not all that meaningful. Like, eh, who would get stumped by counting blocks or finding synonyms if they paid attention in school? Seems more like an education Q than IQ.

I mean, I still think they don't mean much, but I'm also presenting the other side with the possible reasons I might be wrong.
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I would present a whole lot of my cousins to counter your argument. They aren't actually a box of rock in general, they just act like they're a box of rocks.

HOWEVER, you can go down in history if you prove the IQ tests are as you claim.
 

What Does an IQ of 123 Mean?​


An IQ of 123 falls in the Superior range, indicating cognitive abilities that are meaningfully above average. Approximately 94% of the population scores at or below this level. Individuals in this range typically demonstrate strong analytical reasoning, above-average verbal comprehension, and excellent problem-solving capabilities. Academically, this level of ability supports success in rigorous undergraduate and graduate programs, and it is well-represented among professionals in law, medicine, computer science, and academic research. People scoring in the Superior range often process new information quickly and are skilled at identifying patterns and connections across different domains. This cognitive profile provides a solid foundation for both intellectually demanding careers and continued learning throughout life.
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dellarte said:


Witnesses say soldier killed another Afghan civilian in 'village idiot killing' incident | ABC News

Bad ideas in war? Expect soldiers to have intelligence above that of trained dogs

Wikipedia: Killing of Dad Mohammad

Victim: Dad Mohammad

Accused: Oliver Schulz (redacted: Soldier "C")

Charge: Murder

Trial: 2027
Click to expand...
I can't think of a stupider idea in war than treating your soldiers as no smarter than trained dogs.

At least a lot of the others in this thread were trying to solve urgent problems under extreme duress.
 
Gawdzilla Sama said:
I would present a whole lot of my cousins to counter your argument. They aren't actually a box of rock in general, they just act like they're a box of rocks.
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To be fair, it's been known for a very long time that a lot of highest IQ people hold on for dear life to the dumbest ideas, due to just cognitive dissonance. As in "saying wrong stuff is dumb, only dumb people are wrong, if I were wrong it would mean that I'm dumb..."
 
@Gawdzilla Sama
And? As I was saying, you're 123. I'm 149, same as mom. Strangely enough she even scored 100 in a language she barely knows, just for the lulz. But yeah, plug 149 there and see what it says. It's more than 3 standard deviations off the centre, while yours is one and a half. (Still impressive, mind you.) If IQ meant what you seem to think it does, then you should bow before my mighty flagpole sized penis... err... intellect, instead of arguing against my point ;)
 
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What my IQ means to me is that I got the jobs I wanted in the USN, got a full ride at Purdue. (Left before I got my Ph.D., wasn't any fun any more.) And I don't bow to anyone for any reason. Some of the officers I worked with found that out. Have fun, don't get caught.
 
But anyway, back to what was being said,,, are you denying, after being in the USN, that some recruits are way south of your 123 or even 100? Remember the claim wasn't that EVERYONE is below 100, but just that you can't EXPECT everyone to be 100+. Sure, some will be. A lot won't. In most countries you cold be a whole 2 standard deviations below 100 and still qualify. You have to adjust training to the lowest common denominator, not the highest. You're not supposed to just train the brightest, but everyone.

I mean, unless you're doing some specialist training and certification. If you're doing sniper training and that guy can't even remember how to use the mil-dots, flunk his sorry ass.
 
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