Infantry Discussion Thread 10: Shovel Edition [NO FWORDS]

[Gallia-]

The whole point of upper class/classical education was so that you didn't work (because work sucks and is for poors) and instead learned things that are interesting in parlors.

Thus the beginnings of a parasite class...

The Prussians in the 19th century then turned the university into a factory for bureaucrats who were expected to do nothing but work, confusing matters greatly.

And its end.

Thankfully, bureaucrats and workmen gave us important and useful things like atom smashers and jet aircraft. Although I suppose you could say that the modern form of the upper class are just left leaning Humanities academics with tenure. At least the part about not working is apt. Given the complexities of modern sciences, any useful contributions are going to be qualified as work, since you'll be researching and studying for 20 years before you produce something useful (if you produce anything at all). RIP gentleman scientist, 16XX-1939.

In any case I question why you want to shit on what is again the original reason universities were created: studying really old history.

Because it's irrelevant.

How much more meaning are you really going to wring out of ancient manuscripts that have been studied for 400 years, vice studying more recent events and synthesizing that knowledge into something both useful and practical for people who need it? Using historical allusion is great and all but it only stretches so far. Are you really going to try to say that Ur invented modern mechanized maneuver with their ponderous four-wheeled carts and we have many lessons to learn from their cuneiform tablets? No, you aren't. At worst, they'll make an allusion to ponderous four-wheeled carts and ponderous four-wheeled automobiles, then discard it immediately.

[Federated Kingdom of Prussia]

Well excuse me for pursuing what I want to. I assume STEM degrees are the only ones worth the money in the Gallan world?

[Gallia-]

They're the only ones worth money in the actual world too. Philosophers and historians are the lowest paid of all university professors. The highest paid are economists, who are STEM with political agendas, and STEM.

http://work.chron.com/salary-liberal-ar ... -5529.html

[Taihei Tengoku]

You guys can attack each other for studying underwater basket weaving somewhere else.

[Laritaia]

Well excuse me for pursuing what I want to. I assume STEM degrees are the only ones worth the money in the Gallan world?

in valant Gallia STEM are the only degrees available(Occultism is considered STEM)

[Korva]

Do you (SPA) have rich parents?

Your college degree is a time/money investment. I got my BA in History but the only "useful" aspect to that was reading/writing large amounts. I'll be a """proud""" holder of a JD in about a week, the useful aspects of my legal education had roughly 0 to do with the old English cases I read the first month of 1L year. All practical information had to do with recent statues/cases/internships.

Ancient history is a nice hobby but it's not all that practical, especially given the opportunity cost.

[Federated Kingdom of Prussia]

They're the only ones worth money in the actual world too. Philosophers and historians are the lowest paid of all university professors. The highest paid are economists, who are STEM with political agendas, and STEM.

http://work.chron.com/salary-liberal-ar ... -5529.html

Yeah, $72,000 a year is basically shit money.

I'd much rather spend my life doing things I hate for ~$85,000 a year.

Do you (SPA) have rich parents?

Your college degree is a time/money investment. I got my BA in History but the only "useful" aspect to that was reading/writing large amounts. I'll be a """proud""" holder of a JD in about a week, the useful aspects of my legal education had roughly 0 to do with the old English cases I read the first month of 1L year. All practical information had to do with recent statues/cases/internships.

Ancient history is a nice hobby but it's not all that practical, especially given the opportunity cost.

No, solidly middle class from the American northeast.

As long as we're talking about ourselves IRL, I'll say I'm an undergraduate dual majoring in history and international studies.

People tell me the only thing I can do with a history degree is be a teacher, but I don't really give a shit, because becoming a professor actually is what I want to do.

Working for the US State Department or some related organization would be something just as reasonable with what I'm studying, but I'd much rather become a professor.

[Taihei Tengoku]

You guys can attack each other for studying underwater basket weaving somewhere else.

[Federated Kingdom of Prussia]

You guys can attack each other for studying underwater basket weaving somewhere else.

Yeah, good point, sorry. This has nothing to do with IDT.

[Gallia-]

You guys can attack each other for studying underwater basket weaving somewhere else.

Taihei Tengoku more like Tsurime Tsundere.

Well excuse me for pursuing what I want to. I assume STEM degrees are the only ones worth the money in the Gallan world?

in valant Gallia STEM are the only degrees available(Occultism is considered STEM)

Since Galla is basically the USSR, pretty much this. Occultism is just maths, though.

Thanks Dtn and RIP, you reminded me Stross exists and let me expose Mai Husbando to his memes.

They're the only ones worth money in the actual world too. Philosophers and historians are the lowest paid of all university professors. The highest paid are economists, who are STEM with political agendas, and STEM.

http://work.chron.com/salary-liberal-ar ... -5529.html

Yeah, $72,000 a year is basically shit money.

I'd much rather spend my life doing things I hate for ~$85,000 a year.

IMO it's better to do something you enjoy than do something that gets lots of money, which is true regardless of my opinion on ancient history's practical utility, if only because that means you'll be better at the job and have a healthier, less stressful life.

[Federated Kingdom of Prussia]

IMO it's better to do something you enjoy than do something that gets lots of money, which is true regardless of my opinion on ancient history's practical utility, if only because that means you'll be better at the job and have a healthier, less stressful life.

Well, thanks. Because I do hate STEM even if it might be far more useful than ancient history. And I do love ancient history.

Anyway, back to IDT.

How useful is XM25? From what little I've read about it, it seems to be doing great. I'd think that it would be limited in its utility, given that you can't carry a rifle as well as the XM25, and rifles can do more like be used at close quarters while retaining the ability to fire grenades - albeit not smart grenades, yet - from underbarrel attachments.

[Rhodesialund]

Though the "Use Garands" remark was probably something of a joke, there /is/ the AC-556.
(Image)
Garand-esque goodness in a slightly more contemporary format, chambered for an intermediate cartridge.

Posting the relevant facto about the AC-556.

[Korva]

using photobucket

using photobucket

using photobucket






using photobucket

[Gallia-]

How useful is XM25? From what little I've read about it, it seems to be doing great. I'd think that it would be limited in its utility, given that you can't carry a rifle as well as the XM25, and rifles can do more like be used at close quarters while retaining the ability to fire grenades - albeit not smart grenades, yet - from underbarrel attachments.

Open question.

It's worse than a 40mm in every way but provides organic ranging, thermal, and airburst in a single package. 40mm launchers need a lot of attachments on rifles that make them about as heavy as XM25 in the end, with less volume of fire, lower ammunition count, and a slower cycle time. It's not really clear if the improved lethality of a 40mm grenade makes up for that.

It probably goes somewhere I guess. OICW is a better answer but XM25 is the best we can do at the moment.

The US Army is still grappling with the BOIP and the Inspector General's audit was a bit concerned about that, too. It seems to be the sticking point of the current controversy is that no one knows what XM25 can do or where it should go. I have experienced a microcosm of this debate by wondering where XM307 fits beside XM312 and Mk 47.

[-AlEmAnNiA-]

do i win "push of pike" or are my soldiers too bogged down by carrying a 1 metre long rifle in the era of high mobility combat

[Gallia-]

They lose because they can't conduct marching fire on full automatic.

Ass destroyed without 900 RPM and SHOCK ACTION.

[Dostanuot Loj]

IMO it's better to do something you enjoy than do something that gets lots of money, which is true regardless of my opinion on ancient history's practical utility, if only because that means you'll be better at the job and have a healthier, less stressful life.

Well, thanks. Because I do hate STEM even if it might be far more useful than ancient history. And I do love ancient history.

If you go professionally into history, especially as a professor, you will spend the vast majority of your career making far far less than $72k until you get tenure. And getting that tenure is nigh impossible because there is so much fierce competition. You need to bring your A+ game, you need to be able to be published before you finish your undergrad. Even (Or especially) if you love history, it will ruin it for you because it will be incredibly stressful.

Or, you can do something else that you like enough that makes the cash, and enjoy history on the side. Then you can enjoy it.

[Puzikas]

>not just getting your M.D
C'mon guys it's so easy I'm not crying about the debt I incurred really I swear

I have experienced a microcosm of this debate by wondering where XM307 fits beside XM312 and Mk 47.

No one really is sure and that's always the problem with assigning the intermediary weapon systems like the 25mm weapons

IMO the XM-25 could replace a squads M203s, probably one per platoon, or be part of the platoons weapon team.
The 307 is way more ambiguous

[Gallia-]

40mm has a place. The original place for the 20-25mm was to augment the rifleman in the squad with his own airburst weapon, alongside the 40mm and the machine gun.

That is probably still the best place, but it's not really possible atm, either.

[Puzikas]

I don't mean to replace all of them, just one squad with them, per platoon
Or like as a company asset.


OwO what's this?

Zoom and Enhance...

*Autistic Screeching*

[Gallia-]

owo is god's own emoticon

[Puzikas]

Fyve-fyve-six of emoticons

[Rhodesialund]

I don't mean to replace all of them, just one squad with them, per platoon
Or like as a company asset.


OwO what's this?

Zoom and Enhance...

*Autistic Screeching*

>Guns & Ammo
>Comprehensive and Factual

Pick One.

[Blancpayne]

Just a question, how's this for my army's assault rail-musket?

[-AlEmAnNiA-]

sure i guess

e: picking a picture of a gat off of deviantart arbitrarily and then asking "how will X do as Y" will probably not garner a lot of serious answers unless you give some background or arbitrarily assign stats