The U.S. Military Is Reporting Alternative Facts

[$tevie]

The Pentagon claims the data it releases about the progress of its wars are accurate, but it turns out they’re cooking the books.

Such internal uncertainty means that other data the U.S. military has provided to Congress and the American public cannot be taken at face value.
http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/07/the-...uffer89068&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[cbelt3]

A combination of Fog Of War and too many voices, IMHO.

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"
Heinlein's Razor

[Uncle Wig]

There's nothing new about this at all.

[gabester]

cbelt3 wrote:
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" - Heinlein's Razor

Unfortunately those with malice have learned to count on attribution to the latter to further their maliciousness without culpability.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's a fundamental flaw with our system of justice that it requires the recognizance of the wrongdoer to at least acknowledge the rule of law and the existence of the wrong. Effectively, we're allowing malicious types to get by with claims that effectively equate to "temporary insanity" when it comes to more complicated civil matters.

For evidence, I cite: Enron, WorldCom, 2008 meltdown. Effectively, these CEOs and their underlings say, "Golly, we didn't know this would happen. We didn't think it was wrong. We didn't break any laws!"

Thus all we have to show for it is multibillion bailouts, trillion dollar quantitative easing, and Jeff Skilling behind bars at the taxpayer's expense.

[Ombligo]

The military has always played fast and loose with facts, to expect otherwise is playing fast and loose with the facts.

[DeusxMac]

Uncle Wig wrote:
There's nothing new about this at all.

Yep!

[$tevie]

So because it has been going on forever, don't report it and don't try to fix it, is that what you all are saying? Apathy reigns. Either that or the need to appear world-weary and sophisticated online trumps the desire to see it changed.

[DeusxMac]

$tevie wrote:
So because it has been going on forever, don't report it and don't try to fix it, is that what you all are saying? Apathy reigns. Either that or the need to appear world-weary and sophisticated online trumps the desire to see it changed.

Not at all! Quite the contrary; always report it.

But don't headline it with "alternative facts" implying that it's a new phenomenon and linked to Trump's deceitful administration.

[$tevie]

I forgot to put quotes around it. Go complain to Foreign Policy magazine.