Why don't the military tell the truth ?

Question

It's all propaganda. Millions spent on 100% acurate long range missiles , I saw them on TV during the Saddam thing, they could hit a tank or rocket launcher 100 miles away.
All complete BS wasnt it? We found long after the event that over 60% of these things missed by miles!
Why cant the Isreales take out the rocket launchers being used against them, it cant be that difficult to find where they are coming from, even if they are movable! and most are static!

Where did I get this info??
Google search enginetype in gulf war missile accuracy, look for wsws:news analysis!!
I just rechecked the accuracy wasnt 40% it was 20%
Check out Patriot missile, this report from American News, also check Cheney lies!

'trinitytough' hope my grammer meets your high standards this time?? Really important is'nt it?

'camshy0078' "home made missiles" I thought these were being imported from over the border and warnings had been issued for them to stop supplying, are you saying hand held missile launchers are being used to cause all this damage?

'stratman' this seems a very reasonable answer, unflustered, and not full of BS!
You of course would never get a job in the 'Diplomatic Corp'

Answer 1

Wait. You just said in your 1st point that the missles aren't accurate. Based on the stats you gave they are only 40% accurate.

I tend to think you are wrong and would like to know where you got your information.

But your second point is why can't they hit the missile launchers? It would seem that your answer is in the first point.



ADDITIONAL ANSWER:

The information you cited says that the missile accuracy in question is in regards only to the Patriot missile. Granted it would seem that there may have been misinformation distributed. And that could amount to propaganda. But the source for the article you cite is a TV documentary program from Canada. It must be true because we know that all TV information is true information.

In addition, the Patriot missile is/was an anti missile missile. 20% accuracy hitting a target moving at 1300 miles an hour with a projectile itself going 1300 miles an hour seems pretty good to me. Granted, in baseball that's a .200 batting average which is not great, but it'll keep you on the team.

Your argument also implies that ALL missile accuracy in the Gulf War was at 20%. You have no basis for that argument, you are taking the 20% accuracy of the patriot missile and applying that to all guided munitions. That is called a hasty generalization argument. Among orators that would not be tolerated, unless you are putting forth propaganda. But I would say that based on your judgement of the US military and their propaganda you would never do that.

FYI: I looked into some missile accuracy statisitcs of my own. Particularly the Thomahawk missile. You know the one that can be fired from over 500+ miles away and can hit a target within 10 feet. Turns out that that missile had an 85% accuracy ratio. And it wasn't that the others struck a non-target, rather most malfunctioned soon after firing and crashed into the water.

You should learn how to argue before you start spewing out an argument based on less then all the facts.

Answer 2

Propaganda has been an essential ingredient of worldwide military strategy for eons.
The 'Military' usually follow the orders of their Government and not the other way round.
Guidance systems are only as accurate as the information that is input.
Hezbollah are using guerrilla tactics identical to those used by the Viet Cong, with highly mobile, relatively small groups.
Not an easy target to eliminate.
Israel seems to think that the only option open to them to be the (indiscriminate ? ) blitzing of large areas. This is expensive in terms of civilian casualties and the adverse international criticism which tends to weaken international support.
Special Forces making covert insertions on the back of high grade intelligence to surgically remove Hezbollah units could have a greater effect in subduing them than the shooting from the hip that is the status quo.
I cannot see a quick fix to this.

Answer 3

Why are you blaming the military?

It's the civilian run news organizations like CNN that are putting information on your TV screen, and no one holds them accountable for misleading, inaccurate, and flawed stories.

How often do you hear about an investigation being conducted on Christine Amanpour and her cronies on questionable statements? When is the last time Walter Cronkite had to answer to anything?

And...

Civilian corporations develop the technology that the military wants, so they develop a prototype, advertise it as the greatest thing since sliced bread in Army magazine and display it at conventions that high ranking Generals and senior government staff attend, and the military purchases it. When it is put on display, it is presented as if it is going to win the war, because that corporation wants the contract.

Many times the technology is dead on, or better than advertised. And sometimes you get lemons.

And finally, everything performs differently in combat. Think of it like professional football. You take the best, strongest players, outfit them with the best equipment, and watch them on the field. They still don't perform as they did during practice, they still get hurt, etc.. the chaos and "fog of war" has a drastic effect on everything.

Answer 4

On occasions, the military have to conceal the truth, or even spread information, in order to deceive their enemy. The invasion of Europe on D-Day in 1944 is a classic example of this need.

The military, and perhaps more to the point governments, may then go on to spread misinformation for propaganda purposes, although the truth is probably best in the long run. Once a country has a reputation for lying, it is never believed about anything and is in addition disliked.

As you imply, military equipment represents huge business. Competing businesses are therefore tempted to seel their products by overstating their capability, and military bosses to enhance their status with politicians by maximising claims about what they can achieve.

Social psychologists have identified a phenomenon called "GroupthinK": in large organisations, civilian or military, people come to tell each other what they want to hear, and come to beilieve in what they say, thus losing touch with reality. This results in inappropriate decisions.

I am answering your question in general terms, rather than specifically in relation to Iraq and Israel. However, I doubt whether Hezbollah's rocket launchers are as static as you think. Also, it appears that they are being stored in tunnels or mixed up with civilian buildings, presumably so that they cannot be identified easily from the air or by satellite.

Answer 5

I don't know where you are getting your info, but it is flawed. I was active duty in the early 1980's and the technology then could put a missile inside an individual building. The accuracy was measured in meters. Now, with improved GPS and inertial systems and the laser designated smart munitions we have, I would not want to be anywhere at all on the recieving end of our weapons. If you are so confident, why don't you sneak out to White Sands New Mexico and hide in one of the target areas. If you are right, you'll have a 60 % chance of coming out unscathed. Let us know how that works out for you.

Answer 6

Are you sure you're not hallucinating? How long was either Iraq War? I'm thinking by today's standards...pretty short. The Israelis HAVE taken out missile launchers in Lebanon. Try to refresh your news website once in a while.

Answer 7

The rockets being fired against the Israelis are homemade ones, they don't have a launching station and look similar to the model spacerockets you can buy here. How do you target something like that?

Answer 8

If you were trained to be cannon fodder and go over the top to certain death because your "superior" officier ordered you to, then would you be able to distinguish truth from fiction?

Answer 9

If you really are a budding author, perhaps you should learn grammar before venturing into other areas.

Answer 10

Man, how simple these thing appear to people who have no clue about what they are talking about.

If it were this easy then even you could do it.