Highlights (with commentary):... and by popular demand ... liveleak can be iffy - if the below doesn't work, click here.
- "Upon his arrival, Fowler set out to make the academy more likethe military and less like a college." (except, of course, putting football as a top priority like typical colleges)
- "Fowler reduced the amount of time midshipmen spent away from the academy pursuing extracurricular activies." (except sending the black Gospel Choir to inner cities.)
- "Fowler, who delinced to be interviewed for this article" (not to worry if he wasn't interviewed. Nobody saw him around the academy either except at football celebrations, so why change now?)
- "Larson itemized a list of Fowler's accomplishments...working to put more substance in ethics training" (Fowler should have taken that ethics training. It might have kept him from that slush fund and playing favorites with the football team over other mids.)
- "Critics say that Fowler lowered academic standards...the Naval Academy generally counters these comments by pointing out that midshipmen always have had widely ranging admission scores." ('widely ranging'? How about those football players now at NAPS who can't read or write but were recruited for two specific purposes? There's a reason the upperclass midshipmen have started calling these students "Fowlers.")
- "Fowler often invited local African-Americans to attend academy functions, such as commissioning, and he saw to it that the city's poorer children received tickets to sporting events." (because nothing leads to a young person's path to success to the academy than throwing around a pigskin. What a great message Fowler sent.)
- [local resident of the Clay Street area Philip W. Coleman] "said he cherished the fact that Fowler invited him to attend home footbal games last year." (let's leave aside that Clay Street is one of the most violent, drug-infested sections of Annapolis, all the residents see is football? Why didn't Fowler get this man tickets to the midshipmen's musical? How about a women's lacrosse game? A student debate? Is football the only offering to the public? Again, what message does this send?)
Acutally, it's probably a good thing Fowler didn't respond to an interview request. He couldn't handle the tough questions. But he has a future. I hear Coach Paul Johnson needs another waterboy down in Georgia.
1 hour ago
24 comments:
That right there is funny, I don't care who ya are.
It is good to know that the USN is proactively participating in waste, fraud, and abuse of America's valuable tax dollars to acquire minimally qualified students to become mediocre or worse, Naval and Marine officers.
American unexceptionalism at its best. The systematic and planned dumbing down of a once proud service.
A perfect example of how to degrade and destroy quality and standards, downgrade them to meet the lowest common denominator instead of holding a high standard.
That is one funny video. I especially like the women's beach vollyball as a real fan getter.
LOL!!
Love the title... End of an Error...
Why is it so hard to find a LEADER to serve as Head of USNA?? Really how freaking hard can this be???
Do we not have ONE RADM / VADM among the Ivory Tower that can do it ? All we ask for is personal integrity.. this ain't hard folks!
If you ignore his pursuit of PCness, Fowler actually did a pretty decent job of making the Academy more military. When Fowler got there, quality of life went way down.
The real problem here is not Fowler, but Mullen and Roughead and this dangerous obsession with diversity. In the end, he's just doing what he's told.
Of course the slush fund was totally on him, but it's been kind of blown out of proportion.
So how many really think things will change? Survey says! Little to none.
Expect for the slush fund thingy, Fowler did what he was told. SecNav & CNO haven't changed and neither will the direction.
Unless you expect USNA grads to be better than other commining sources, they won't. And as a tax payer, the Academy is not looking very cost effective at all.
Blown out of proportion, funny how when the hand is caught in the cookie jar it is no big deal.
Not to mention the waste, fraud, and abuse by the ex-CMCs diversity partys and nights out. $113,000 plus for her socializing under any name is a blatant waste of funds.
Maybe if a real mission like a quality education with even a minimal amount of ethics, integrity and leadership was pursued at Ring Knocker U then it would be less than a total waste of taxpayer dollars.
Football as an emphasis, what a joke and a waste of money and time.
The pole was not greased this year because the grease needs to be distributed to the taxpayers to make the scam a little easier to take.
WUBAs in booty shorts. Ummm, I am not too certain about that. USNA is not USC or UCLA.
Maybe the leaders look at it and realize they can not lead. The screwdriver is right up RT 50, diversity direction seems to come from above, and maybe it just is not worth it for those that would love to change stuff but realize their last tour would be covered in mindless, politically dumped poo. So, some RADM sells his soul for the VADM moniker.
Diversity is never having to apologize for a healthy stern.
Maybe a probing Command CLimate Survey and report to the ISIC would help.....
So...how many stars did he retire with?
I am willing to bet 3. Retire early for the good of the service. How many times has that happened?
To quote President Ford, "Our long national mightmare is over."
And for Mr. T, and others, who wonder where there might be "leaders" there are plenty of them around. You'll find them on the list of Lieutenant Generals and Major Generals.
Nothing new here unfortunately. Wish change would come to the Severn, but it's as likely at USNA as PBO being able to give a speech without a teleprompter.
Anonymity is invidious.
One either has the personal integrity to stand up for what one believes and demand an answer to the question or one hides behind a 'handle'. If one believes very strongly in a thing then one puts one's name and reputation to the test and still demands an answer. I used to do that all the time. Ooops, still do. Always have.
Fowler was troublesome on many levels but I don't recall so much as one critic who had the balls to come out and contradict him on ANY issue. Not by name. Not by reputation. Not by position. I used to write articles to Proceedings. Used my name. Damned the morons at NAVSEA and MINEWARCOM and OPNAV. Spoke my mind. Used MY name.
I rather regret that the USN has failed to produce a S.L.A.M. Marshall, Ralph Peters, or David Hackworth. It's pathetic. One of the most dangerous signs is that the JO no longer care since they're out at the end of obligatory service and the remainder don't care and remain for the 20 year pension.
Anonymity? Good enough for the Federalist Papers .... good enough for me!
Publius; me hero!
All in good time - just like with Hamilton.
I can't believe the Capitol quoted Professor Gentry in thier article. Of all the civillian professors I have interacted with at USNA, she is, by far, the absolute worst at understanding the time constraints which midshipman have on their day.
Why do we have varsity athletics at the service academies? Participation in varsity athletics by MIDN/OCs in other officer accession programs is actively discouraged because it steals time from academics, military training, and PT. While it does happen, it requires CO permission and if your grades slip, no more varsity sports for you. Why a different emphasis for OC Joe in STA-21 and MIDN Jim at USNA? How is that good for the country or the Navy?
Ever read "All The Ships At Sea" by Lederer?
The Navy stopped promoting leaders after 1947. Nowadays we get the driftwood that 'manage' NAVSEA and PEO Ships and PEO EIS and PEO C4I and SPAWAR and well, you name it. They're solid Enterprise material with a keen focus on cutting our carbon footprint by 50% by 2020 and operating in Afghanistan sans gasoline by 2013.
<span>On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days and other fields will bear the fruits of victory.General Douglas MacArthur
That's why.</span>
You should have seen NAPSTERS back in 1981. All your imaginings made flesh.
In his book, <span>Silent Victory</span>, Clay Blair writes about a study of successful submarine COs done at the end of WW II to determine what activities they had participated in as midshipmen. The assumption was that the study would conclude that intercollegiate athletics, especially football, would be the common denominator. The results were inconclusive.
All this reminds me of one of the USNA recruiting ads running in high rotation on AFN. Usually between Rachel Maddow (the prettiest man on TV) and the commercials that tell me I'm a spouse battering, child abusing, co-worker raping alcolholic coke head with a serious gambling problem.
The Diversity Trinity (Mullen, Roughead, Fowler) clearly had something to do with it seeing as it features the Obligatory White Guy (OWG) and every other race possible, hispanic, black, asian female, and one female who looks like she could fill in for just about any background she'd care to claim. Fine job of being inclusive that, surprised they didn't throw in a native american too, or maybe they're not considered enough of a demographic to matter.
Post a Comment