War in Israel

[WhiskeySierra6]

Well Ford's inevitable deployment-extension surf and turf has apparently made /r/shittyfoodporn on Reddit.

I don't have any means at my disposal to do so, but I still feel like I'm missing a golden opportunity to bust Big XO's balls, seeing as how once upon a time I was a nugget JO and he was a damn dirty hinge in my squadron. ?

Air Boss is probably a familiar face too.

 

[AIRMMCPORET]

Air Boss is probably a familiar face too.

Who’s the Air Boss?

 

[nittany03]

Who’s the Air Boss?

Probably best asked via PM for PERSEC/OPSEC. Big XO has his official bio on the internet, Air Boss does not.

 

[IRfly]

Interesting article on Slate about the impact of Pres. Biden's support on domestic politics--specifically, the disconnect between the president's reflexive and broad support for Israel's continuing action in Gaza and the views of younger voters that will be vital to his potential re-election.

"When asked if the U.S. should send weapons and supplies to Israel, 59 percent of respondents under 30 said it should not. An even more resounding 64 percent of those between age 30 and 44—a bracket more likely to vote that carries the whole millennial generation and part of Gen X—said the U.S. should not."

Beyond the impact on the 2024 presidential election, this is interesting as a trend for US-Israeli politics as a whole...

 

[Average Monke]

Interesting article on Slate about the impact of Pres. Biden's support on domestic politics--specifically, the disconnect between the president's reflexive and broad support for Israel's continuing action in Gaza and the views of younger voters that will be vital to his potential re-election.

"When asked if the U.S. should send weapons and supplies to Israel, 59 percent of respondents under 30 said it should not. An even more resounding 64 percent of those between age 30 and 44—a bracket more likely to vote that carries the whole millennial generation and part of Gen X—said the U.S. should not."

Beyond the impact on the 2024 presidential election, this is interesting as a trend for US-Israeli politics as a whole...

Unfortunately for Biden, he's between a rock and a hard place and whatever he does is going to piss of a large percentage of the population. It's 2023, people get their news from TikTok and complex social/geopolitical issues are treated like fast-fashion, cheap and trendy.

 

[nittany03]

"When asked if the U.S. should send weapons and supplies to Israel, 59 percent of respondents under 30 said it should not. An even more resounding 64 percent of those between age 30 and 44—a bracket more likely to vote that carries the whole millennial generation and part of Gen X—said the U.S. should not."

Great. Now where’s the data for the followup questions of “please locate Israel and Gaza on a map,” “Explain Zionism and the Balfour Declaration in a paragraph,” and “Explain the three branches of the Federal government and how they work?”

 

[Brett327]

Beyond the impact on the 2024 presidential election, this is interesting as a trend for US-Israeli politics as a whole...

The counterpoint is that the American electorate will continue to exist in a state on functional illiteracy on how our government and international relations in general works, and they'll have completely forgotten about this by the time November 2024 rolls around.

 

[Mirage]

they'll have completely forgotten about this by the time November 2024 rolls around.

Curious to see how this comment ages. If we are at war with Iran, or Biden is asking Congress for yet another $100 bil in additional funding for other countries, I don't think they will.

 

[Brett327]

Curious

Aren't we all? The point remains, most Americans are powerfully stupid about how the world works and cannot be depended upon to hold a coherent thought on anything that matters. Kinda depressing.

 

[Gonzo08]

What’s the general QOL on GRF these days? I was a plankowner and took her to sea the first 1/2 dozen times. I hear she’s a veritable cruise ship compared to those days.

I've only been aboard for a couple of months, but what I hear from my squadron is that there have been vast improvements.

The Wi-Fi isn't the best, but as someone who's never had Wi-Fi on a (boat) deployment before it doesn't bother me too much. It's just frustrating when you see someone sitting in the Wardroom facetiming while meanwhile I can't even get a text message to send.

I'd say QOL-wise, the biggest consternation remains the Aft Wardroom/Chief's Mess situation. For those not in the know, the story is that at some point early in the Ford's life-cycle, the Chief's mess convinced the CO that the space that was designed to be the Officer's Aft Wardroom should, in fact, be the Chief's Mess. So the Chiefs have a gigantic wardroom while the Officers are crammed into a smaller wardroom next door that is about half the size of your average Nimitz-class Wardroom 3. There has been constant steady pressure from the air wing to combine the Aft Wardrooms into one large Khaki Wardroom but so far, no dice. It's especially frustrating because the forward wardroom is a combined Khaki space, so why not the aft wardroom also??

Otherwise, it's really nice to have your own head in your stateroom (especially for an O-5), but the boat still has a big issue with communal heads throughout the ship. Lots have either been closed because no one will take care of them, or a work center puts a cypher lock on it and won't give anyone else the code. So a lot of times the answer is that you have to huff it back to your stateroom/berthing in order to use the head, which isn't ideal for anyone.

On the plus side, the hot water never goes out, so it's got that going for it....

 

[Mos]

"When asked if the U.S. should send weapons and supplies to Israel, 59 percent of respondents under 30 said it should not. An even more resounding 64 percent of those between age 30 and 44—a bracket more likely to vote that carries the whole millennial generation and part of Gen X—said the U.S. should not."

That was a CBS poll. The Quinnipac poll they cited earlier had a slightly lower percentage against for 35 and under and more in support of in the 35 to 49 age range, so it seems like Slate is picking and choosing results to make their point.

 

[IRfly]

Great. Now where’s the data for the followup questions of “please locate Israel and Gaza on a map,” “Explain Zionism and the Balfour Declaration in a paragraph,” and “Explain the three branches of the Federal government and how they work?”

Right, because most voting citizens understand the issues at stake on the ballot…or even care

 

[nittany03]

I'd say QOL-wise, the biggest consternation remains the Aft Wardroom/Chief's Mess situation. For those not in the know, the story is that at some point early in the Ford's life-cycle, the Chief's mess convinced the CO that the space that was designed to be the Officer's Aft Wardroom should, in fact, be the Chief's Mess. So the Chiefs have a gigantic wardroom while the Officers are crammed into a smaller wardroom next door that is about half the size of your average Nimitz-class Wardroom 3. There has been constant steady pressure from the air wing to combine the Aft Wardrooms into one large Khaki Wardroom but so far, no dice. It's especially frustrating because the forward wardroom is a combined Khaki space, so why not the aft wardroom also??

For all the outstanding Chiefs I was lucky enough to serve with over 20 years, by the time I retired, I was and still am of the opinion that the Mess as an overall institution (and senior enlisted more generally across the force) needs a long-overdue smackdown and realignment of its role in the Fleet overall. By which I mean four words: back to deckplate basics.

 

[IRfly]

That was a CBS poll. The Quinnipac poll they cited earlier had a slightly lower percentage against for 35 and under and more in support of in the 35 to 49 age range, so it seems like Slate is picking and choosing results to make their point.

Ehh…fair enough. But I think the point stands to a large degree.

In general, the voters who care a lot about Israel are christians (particularly evangelical protestants). And though they might approve of Biden’s actions vis-a-vis Israel over the last few weeks, my unscientific opinion is that few if any of them will actually vote for Biden because of it.

On the other hand, dislike of the blank check for Israel (and it’s probably not *actually* a blank check, but Biden sure is trying to make it look that way) could absolutely lose voters for Biden. Not that they’ll vote for Trump, but they could stay home.

And although Biden crushed Trump in the popular vote in 2020, at the state level margins were thin…

 

[Spekkio]

For all the outstanding Chiefs I was lucky enough to serve with over 20 years, by the time I retired, I was and still am of the opinion that the Mess as an overall institution (and senior enlisted more generally across the force) needs a long-overdue smackdown and realignment of its role in the Fleet overall. By which I mean four words: back to deckplate basics.

While I don't disagree...

There are DHs, XO, and CO on the GRF that could fix the problem of restoring use of spaces to be in accordance with ships design drawings and could stomp out unauthorized locks on heads, but don't. Those people are not chief petty officers.