Actually, if they come right out of ROTC, there is a good chance they are 2nd LT. (or 3rd LT "butter bars") around 19-21 years of age. And just because you are not an officer at 18, does not mean your years of service do not count toward retirement 20 years into your service.
Commissioning in the US armed forces today (historical exceptions notwithstanding) requires a bachelors degree. Few have that at 19 years old.
..... I think the original Alien movie makes a great example. But the whole movie wasn't about a bad ass woman going to town, it was about a normal woman going to town. The power of two "mother" figures out to protect their "young".....
The cat came into the show pretty late to be a surrogate child didn't it?
Think the GP was describing/conflating the plot from Aliens (the second movie with Bill "Game over, man, game over" Paxton).
Agreed. There is no perfect definition. Robots are easy because they vaguely look like (parts of) people, but any form of automation could fall into this category. The outrage/fear appears to center more on the obsolescence of skilled jobs that used to pay family-supporting wages, which may be permanently shrinking the middle class.
So, what's fair to offset this trend? Razor-thin margin companies such as food distributors can lower their costs through automation to stay competitive, but they're still not very profitable. But a high-margin company like Apple can increase their CxO pay for every employee they replace. Is it fair to charge the former the same robot tax as the latter? What about software companies that have a tiny physical footprint that can automate their process in the cloud? They might have a huge profit-margin that can't be tied to anything we might call a robot.
In the end I think this will just turn into a UBI tax for high-profit corporations. It will be easy to measure compliance by the IRS if they use robots.
Yes. I bought a Gateway in Jan. 95. Pentium 90, 16 MB RAM, 1 GB hard drive. I was the first of my friends and co-workers who had a 1 GB drive for a home computer.
If you had 64 MB and two 1 GB drives in 93 you definitely spent some $$
I was envisioning corporate taxes on business robots. Not consumer goods.
I get that tech has displaced workers for decades, but we are entering an era where new, well-paying jobs are not replacing the old. Basic Income is gaining traction as a response to this reality, and taxing automation seems like a logical means for corporations to contribute.
The Dark Side clouded everything in the prequels, according to Yoda. It brings to mind vulgar images of what Sidious and Maul were doing in the back room in the lead up to the trade disputes.
That's a good plan for most games. Just like binging on entire seasons of TV shows on Netflix where you get to skip commercials and don't have to wait a week to see how a cliffhanger resolves.
The downside is you aren't part of the conversation at the time of release. Like following sports, there is social currency value in playing at release time. For popular multi-player titles, waiting means you might miss out on the peak crowds, and the fun of discovering things on your own before all the walk-throughs, builds, maps, and cheats are posted online. Your friends may have moved on just as you're getting into a game and looking for a group.
Just playing devil's advocate here. For the most part I do as you describe and wait for a 75% off Steam sale on an already discounted price. It's great to pay $5 to play a game that released at $60 the previous year.
I share the sentiment. I work and am friends with people representing Abrahamic religions in many forms and variations, as well as atheists and agnostics, with varying levels of devoutness. I respect them all and treat them everyone professionally. Since God can neither be proved nor disproved, what's the point in getting upset or upsetting others?
I contend that anyone who achieves true objectivity on this issue will opt for agnosticism and just leave the debate behind.
I agree. With the tools and evidence available to us we simply can't know either way. People really struggle accepting this uncertainty. But it gets easier as you age.
Bottom line: If they don't maintain the same standards as regular soldiers they will not be seen as soldiers by the larger force.
Some occupations get no respect (on the hooah scale) regardless of their adherence to military standards. Musicians and cooks come to mind. Yet they are still seen as soldiers because they take the same APFT, fire at the same ranges, and compete for promotion the same way as everyone else.
Credibility is important in the military. If cyber warriors are really needed in uniform then they need to qualify to wear that uniform. Otherwise just make them DoD civilians or NSA techs.
You're right, it likely wouldn't have come up. Like I said, I'll take your word for it on your reasons for leaving.
Yes, I knew very resourceful and crafty individuals at DLI, especially in the difficult category 4 languages like Mandarin. Some of the best people I've met in my life. The best of the best were also great soldiers who fulfilled their oaths before moving on to other careers.
I've known many service members who separated before completing their contracts. I'll take your word for it that you were sincere. However, as a hiring manager in IT at a large corporation, who values honorable military service, I would have some hard questions for you were you to apply here.
They're not mutually exclusive. I didn't serve a killing machine. I also don't believe all military personnel make the best IT professionals.
I believe honorable military service demonstrates a work ethic and set of values that is valuable nearly anywhere, as well as technical skills if the service member held an appropriate occupational specialty. Beyond that, college education, critical thinking and creative approaches to problem solving are variables unique to each individual. You can't equate an infantry corporal to a signal officer captain. They both might be leaving the service after their first contract is up and applying for the same IT job, but they are vastly different in experience and education.
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Actually, if they come right out of ROTC, there is a good chance they are 2nd LT. (or 3rd LT "butter bars") around 19-21 years of age. And just because you are not an officer at 18, does not mean your years of service do not count toward retirement 20 years into your service.
Commissioning in the US armed forces today (historical exceptions notwithstanding) requires a bachelors degree. Few have that at 19 years old.
..... I think the original Alien movie makes a great example. But the whole movie wasn't about a bad ass woman going to town, it was about a normal woman going to town. The power of two "mother" figures out to protect their "young". ....
The cat came into the show pretty late to be a surrogate child didn't it?
Think the GP was describing/conflating the plot from Aliens (the second movie with Bill "Game over, man, game over" Paxton).
Robots are easy because they vaguely look like (parts of) people
You're thinking of androids. Robot is a far broader term. Or will you deny the existance of Kiva robots
That's why I included (parts of). A Rhoomba fits this model. But it's harder to quantify how many skilled laborers were replaced by VisiCalc.
Agreed. There is no perfect definition. Robots are easy because they vaguely look like (parts of) people, but any form of automation could fall into this category. The outrage/fear appears to center more on the obsolescence of skilled jobs that used to pay family-supporting wages, which may be permanently shrinking the middle class.
So, what's fair to offset this trend? Razor-thin margin companies such as food distributors can lower their costs through automation to stay competitive, but they're still not very profitable. But a high-margin company like Apple can increase their CxO pay for every employee they replace. Is it fair to charge the former the same robot tax as the latter? What about software companies that have a tiny physical footprint that can automate their process in the cloud? They might have a huge profit-margin that can't be tied to anything we might call a robot.
In the end I think this will just turn into a UBI tax for high-profit corporations. It will be easy to measure compliance by the IRS if they use robots.
Yes. I bought a Gateway in Jan. 95. Pentium 90, 16 MB RAM, 1 GB hard drive. I was the first of my friends and co-workers who had a 1 GB drive for a home computer.
If you had 64 MB and two 1 GB drives in 93 you definitely spent some $$
First thing I thought of, too.
I was bummed to find out that the the USS Enterprise in the movie was actually played by the USS Ranger, temporarily re-branded.
I was envisioning corporate taxes on business robots. Not consumer goods.
I get that tech has displaced workers for decades, but we are entering an era where new, well-paying jobs are not replacing the old. Basic Income is gaining traction as a response to this reality, and taxing automation seems like a logical means for corporations to contribute.
Robots should be taxed to cover the universal basic income for those whose jobs they are taking.
There is no such thing as "off the record". Anyone working PR knows this.
Yes, racial tension have gone up, not because Obama fueled them, but because he revealed them.
The fact the question is being asked so openly at a large, public corporation is proof that Trump has little chance in the general election.
The Dark Side clouded everything in the prequels, according to Yoda. It brings to mind vulgar images of what Sidious and Maul were doing in the back room in the lead up to the trade disputes.
That's a good plan for most games. Just like binging on entire seasons of TV shows on Netflix where you get to skip commercials and don't have to wait a week to see how a cliffhanger resolves.
The downside is you aren't part of the conversation at the time of release. Like following sports, there is social currency value in playing at release time. For popular multi-player titles, waiting means you might miss out on the peak crowds, and the fun of discovering things on your own before all the walk-throughs, builds, maps, and cheats are posted online. Your friends may have moved on just as you're getting into a game and looking for a group.
Just playing devil's advocate here. For the most part I do as you describe and wait for a 75% off Steam sale on an already discounted price. It's great to pay $5 to play a game that released at $60 the previous year.
Great post.
William Shatner's greatest role.
Good post. Wish I had mod points.
Then they open the cabin door to let the other pilot back in or yell for help.
If you can stop a jaeger, you can stop a tsunami.
I share the sentiment. I work and am friends with people representing Abrahamic religions in many forms and variations, as well as atheists and agnostics, with varying levels of devoutness. I respect them all and treat them everyone professionally. Since God can neither be proved nor disproved, what's the point in getting upset or upsetting others?
I contend that anyone who achieves true objectivity on this issue will opt for agnosticism and just leave the debate behind.
I agree. With the tools and evidence available to us we simply can't know either way. People really struggle accepting this uncertainty. But it gets easier as you age.
Even the Spanish Inquisition regarded waterboarding as torture.
I wasn't expecting that...
Nobody does...
Good post. Wish I had mod points.
Bottom line: If they don't maintain the same standards as regular soldiers they will not be seen as soldiers by the larger force.
Some occupations get no respect (on the hooah scale) regardless of their adherence to military standards. Musicians and cooks come to mind. Yet they are still seen as soldiers because they take the same APFT, fire at the same ranges, and compete for promotion the same way as everyone else.
Credibility is important in the military. If cyber warriors are really needed in uniform then they need to qualify to wear that uniform. Otherwise just make them DoD civilians or NSA techs.
You're right, it likely wouldn't have come up. Like I said, I'll take your word for it on your reasons for leaving.
Yes, I knew very resourceful and crafty individuals at DLI, especially in the difficult category 4 languages like Mandarin. Some of the best people I've met in my life. The best of the best were also great soldiers who fulfilled their oaths before moving on to other careers.
I've known many service members who separated before completing their contracts. I'll take your word for it that you were sincere. However, as a hiring manager in IT at a large corporation, who values honorable military service, I would have some hard questions for you were you to apply here.
They're not mutually exclusive. I didn't serve a killing machine. I also don't believe all military personnel make the best IT professionals.
I believe honorable military service demonstrates a work ethic and set of values that is valuable nearly anywhere, as well as technical skills if the service member held an appropriate occupational specialty. Beyond that, college education, critical thinking and creative approaches to problem solving are variables unique to each individual. You can't equate an infantry corporal to a signal officer captain. They both might be leaving the service after their first contract is up and applying for the same IT job, but they are vastly different in experience and education.