Are American soldiers really intelligent or was that American politician Kerry right?

Question

Do they all have degrees for example?

Answer 1

Kerry's right.

Answer 2

As in all Army's there are some, particularly officers, who will have college degrees when they enter the Army; however others use the educational opportunities the Army offers to gain qualifications that they would not otherwise be able to afford.

The lady Engineer from West Virginia who was captured and held captive early in the Iraq campaign said in interviews on her return that she had joined the army to get an college education because her family could not afford the tuition fees.

Kerry should not be criticised too much: he's a dumb politician, but no-one can take-away the fact that, unlike Bush and his cronies, he put his life on the line to serve his country in Vietnam, and was decorated for bravery at that time.

Answer 3

If they weren't intelligent, then how do they know how to operate complicated vehicles and weaponry? How do they repair NVGs? How do some of the world's finest military heroes know what to expect in the heat of combat? How would they have they planned out the battlefield without intense knowledge of geography and earth studies? A good soldier knows the terrain around him because he has intellect. He can analyse and use his knowledge to aid him in the field. And aside from all that, just because someone does not have a degree does not mean they aren't smart. A degree isn't some automatic thing that makes you smart. It's a certificate. A measly document that says you passed such and such. It says nothing about you, your intellect, or you capabilities.

Answer 4

The vast majority of American soliders are intelligent, hardworking, and good-hearted. Some enroll out of loyalty to the country, some enroll because they are looking for direction in their lives, and some enroll because they have goals, but need the financial and educational assistance the military offers. These people are capable of going on to make wonderful contributions to our society. It's a shame that so many of them are having their futures cut short by the actions of this current government, which consist of people who display none of the fine character that the soldiers do.

As for Kerry, I understand what he was trying to say, but it's bad taste to make jokes about the troops. As for him apologizing, why should he? He's not the first guy to say something offensive. Did Ann Coulter apologize for her comments about the 911 widows? Did Barbara Bush apologize for her comments about the Katrina victims? Did Rush Limbaugh apologize for his comments about Michael J. Fox?

Answer 5

No, they don't all have degrees, but some of them do.

Like any army, the US one has its fair share of idiots and intelligent folks, as well as those somewhere in the middle.

I think every army has its fair share of recruits who joined as a last resort, as a way to escape from a way of life that would see them ending up in prison etc., but that doesn't mean those people are necessarily stupid - they either had very few opportunities in life or failed to capitalise on the ones they were offered at the time.

Answer 6

American soldiers are intelligent and Hanoi Kerry was absolutely WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!All American soldiers are high school graduates with some working on some kind of a degree
by going to college in their spare time.

Answer 7

I think that each definition of "intelligent" is personal it depends on what u consider intelligent. I am a very liberal Democrat but I don't think that it was very cool of Kerry to say that. I personally can't stand Bush and don't support us being in Iraq but I support the soliders themselves. Not everyone there is there by choice...

Answer 8

I believe Kerry was right. How come an intelligent person become a part of a rogue army?? Doesnt make any sense.

Answer 9

someone just said that the soldiers in Iraq are defending us....from whom?......I still wonder if anyone really knows the truth about why we are fighting...a recommendation watch that movie on dvd...why we fight".
moreover: intelligence is one of the hardest aspects to measure in ahuman being, because while your waist or the size of your brain could be measured, intelligence is abstract and dependent on the subject that is the main task at that moment by the functioning of the brain, therefore talking about me being intelligent is very subjective, now of the soldiers in irak, well when they joined maybe they did not know that our stupid president was going to send them on a terra-country-forming campaign, therefore they can not be held accountable for the misdeeds of the administration.
finally: saying that someone is not intelligent is very un-intelligent.
"the more I know the human being, the more I love my dog"
by the way I almost forgot....intelligence has nothing to do with education, they are two complete different things, in fact one could be practiced more easily by having the other applied and concentrated towards the other (meaning an intelligent person that applies such intelligence towards education could be beneficial, but not definite guarantee of result or measure of intelligence).

Answer 10

It is dangerous to generalise. Of course there will be American soldiers, sailors and airmen who are superbly intelligent - probably those who are wondering what they are in Iraq for and there will be others who are not unintelligent but maybe don't have university degrees. You can't measure intelligence by qualifications - that's stupid. I do wish US politicians would stay of UK TV - they are so PR orientated they are a bad example - our lot don't have the money to fund their own PR programmes and we all know they're talking absolute verbal d*********h!

Answer 11

I'd love to see some figures showing the percentage of the civilian population vs. military population having college degrees. Conservatives must know this number because they're so outraged at Kerry it must mean he's wrong....

Or are the cons just being politically correct in objecting to a true statement by Kerry?