Gynne Dwyer - Military Analysts ?

[X Royal]

This afternoon I was flipping through the channels on the TV when I came across Vicki Show on CTV. Her guest was Gwynne Dwyer(military analysts  :rage who at one point described our young soldiers as " sitting around the barracks constantly watching war movies over and over as this is what their interested in,and the reason they in the military. He also said they are not intelligent as a group of people."

No wonder some civilians get a poor impression of our military when a so called military analysts spouts this crap on national TV. I suspect the audience of this show would be mostly middle age woman.

 

[winchable]

I've seen Gwynne Dyer speak before and I got a different impression of him actually!

 

[Slim]

He was actually an officer in the RCN a few years back. He's known for several documentries on the service...Nothing like what they say these days, but impressive enugh in their time, I guess.

Slim

 

[X Royal]

Yes Gynne Dwyer is a well spoken man but on this show he clearly stated a very unimpressive opinion of our junior soldiers. He painted the impression of them as less than intelligent and who love the thought of war. When asked about watching war movies he stated not often then made the earlier comment about our junior members. Maybe he chooses his words to suit the audience he is dealing with not believing many knowledgable military supporters would be watching. The only reason I stopped at the show was because I recognized him. After seeing what I seen he will not be getting any of my money through the sale of his books. My opinion of him has definitely changed.

Pro Patria

 

[pbi]

Gwynne Dwyer, IMHO, is way WAY past his "best before" date. This rubbish he has recently spouted on television is, IMHO, all too typical of his pompous, sanctimonious attitude. He generally seems to be trying to appeal to that large sector of the population who know nothing about the military. I will never forget a particularly stupid and biased "documentary" he did a few years back called "Anybody's Son Will Do". It was based on USMC recruit training (prior to the Crucible system) and was IMHO just more of the same: an effort to show that anybody who would voluntarily serve in the military (esp the Army/Marines, and ESPECIALLY the Inf...) is obviously a mouth-breathing social reject.

He forgets (or wishes to conceal..) that a good number of those soldiers he mocks have seen alot more of the bad side of the world, including combat, than he ever has or ever will.

I have very little time for him: yet another "military expert" with IMHO a rather slim claim to that title. Cheers.

 

[Bill Smy]

I echo pbi's comments. Not a friend of the military at all.

 

[pbi]

I echo pbi's comments. Not a friend of the military at all.

Too right. Just a friend of his pocketbook. Cheers.

 

[X Royal]

Thanks pbi & Bill Smy I was begin to think people were doubting my opinion on him and what I heard him say. pbi IMO your opinion of him was demonstrated by his comments on the TV show in respect to our young combat soldiers.

Pro Patria

 

[winchable]

I wasn't doubting you x-royal.
I should elaborate more, when I heard him speak he never said anything against the military. That's not to say he's not like that however.
He was focussing more on the political aspect of the world when I saw him anyway.
But PBI is right, like most people in the spotlight his loyalty is probably as deep as our pockets.

 

[Bograt]

I had lunch with Gwynne. I was working at MUN's international office, and he was in sin city selling his latest collection of written work. He is opinionated- but he has to be, his pieces appear in the opinion section of the paper. If he had something valuable to contribute I'm sure he would be working for Janes.

Its easy to have a view of a topic if you are seeing it from the ivory towers of pseudo acedemia. This is not to say however that what you see is what is actually going on.

Vicky's CTV show isn't exactly a fertile ground for conservative ideas. I do enjoy it when the Shopping Bags are on. They have been the focus of many of my daydreams.

 

[pbi]

If he had something valuable to contribute I'm sure he would be working for Janes.

Unfortunately that would require a level of factual accuracy he is IMHO not known for. Cheers.

 

[Gunnerlove]

When is the last time you spent a night in a barracks full of privates? The combined intelect is stunning. Nothing like watching a group fist fight break out over what was going to be watched on "the" TV, Full Metal Jacket for the 5th time or some porn movie.

 

[X Royal]

When is the last time you spent a night in a barracks full of privates? The combined intelect is stunning. Nothing like watching a group fist fight break out over what was going to be watched on "the" TV, Full Metal Jacket for the 5th time or some porn movie.

That paint brush sure is painting a wide streak. That description might be accurate for a few but I tend to believe its not representative of the whole. Admittedly it has been a while since I spent an evening in the barracks with a bunch of privates. But when I first joined the educational requirements to join the forces were far less and even then this description was inaccurate.
Also most barracks with the exception of when they are being used for courses have the option of having a TV in each barrack room.
BTW you may want to put something in your profile in respect to your military experience so we may be able to determine quickly if you are speaking of personal experiences or just repeating something you may have heard somewhere.