Quote:
Originally Posted by Skybird
^this 
The way to talk in private talk with your buddies, is one thing. But loose talking being used in that context, better is not used facing strangers, or anonymous groups of people, it easily becomes offensive, at least unpolite. Like for forums like this one: you better do not write the way you talk to close friends, this is also true when writing letters - if you write as loose and harsworded as you may use your tongue when being with your friends, you easily give the impression to be a stupid prolet showing off that way. If you risk your career over doing so, then your situation assessment works highly erratic. And if you even record it on video and distribute it to 5-6 thousand people, and record the evidence on tape or TV, and ignore complaints and warnings, then you really have lost your marbles, completely. |
Spot on. When you're a public figure, or a figure of authority you have to be politically savvy. It comes with the territory wether you like it or not. And its more important the higher up you go.
As to the whole concept of "traditions", well traditions change as society changes. 100 years ago the US Navy didn't have black officers. It was a tradition to not having women serve aboard. It was tradition to not having women being fighter pilots. It was tradition to not have women serve aboard submarines etc... Many things are traditions. But traditions are not immutable. You have to be intelligent enough to understand the social climate around you, and what would have been acceptable 20 years ago may not be acceptable now.
So yes Captain Honors demonstrated an "epic fail". What he did was plain stupid. Passable for a junior officer (maybe), completely out of the line for a commading officer. Thats the way it is, and he is paying a political price for his behaviour. He is not the first and certainly won't be the last.