Neither of which came remotely close to a nuclear detonation or triggering the launch of nuclear weapons.
What, like you? No thanks. I honestly don't think you know your ass from your elbow in matters historical, your own opinion of yourself notwithstanding.
I'm an expert in modern American history. I'm a specialist in Cold War military history. That is a fact.
Well I am planning to waste less of my time debating you, but I'll bite, as they say. For my part I'm not an expert on anything historical. Whatever I know, or claim to know, is purely autodidactic. However, I do remember the raw terror of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Small children understand that much --- it's unnerving to see your own parents very scared. Your version of reality in 1962 stands at odds with that of the top-level participants on both sides. I think that alone undermines your claims to "expertise". To substantiate your claim that US military action would not have been costly (laughable on many counts, but be that as it may...), you referred me to a work of counter-factual history. In other words: fiction. I'm not knocking counter-factual history (or "alternate history" as it's also known) ---- it's interesting, fun, sometimes useful. The British writer Len Deighton wrote a great novel called SS-GB about Britain following a successful German invasion circa 1940. I don't think that could have happened because I don't believe the Germans had the means to carry out an invasion. But that isn't the point. The author wants to explore what may have happened and set it against certain Brits' mythology about themselves. All this to say that what little of your "expertise" I've experienced leaves me underwhelmed.
And there it is. We should listen to "Nono"s account. Because FIFTY FOUR YEARS ago!!! He got really scared. Oh my. Note, to have any kind of clear recollection of events from 1962, "nono" would have to be more than sixty years old. I don't think he (or she) is that old.[/quote]
Gosh, until this instant I hadn't realized what a complete asshole you are. Stupid, yes (and celebrated throughout the board for that feature). But assholaholism is a whole nuther kettle of fish. Well, sonny, you'd better work at the loving-husband'n'father bit because if you're anything like this in real life (and how could you fail to be?) you must have people quickly ducking down alleys as you walk down the street. Actually, I don't remember being scared, but I'm sure I was. Though I wasn't old enough to understand what there was to be afraid of. I just remember the awe of seeing adults being a trifle frantic, something completely new and, well yes, frightening, unsettling. Ask anyone who was in North America then and old enough to speak and understand entire sentences. Well, Hyper-General Dayton, your crassness does nothing to conceal the absurdity of your claim to "expertise". I guess I'll just have to wait to be wowed by it. Bated breath here LOL.
I have asked a bunch of people who were "old enough to speak and understand entire sentences" back then. After all, most of my interactions have been with adults (those at least two decades older than me) my entire life. And virtually all of them in reference to the Cuban Missile Crisis have spoken of being "worried". Hardly "frantic". Me thinks you've watched "Blast from the Past" too many times. Good movie though.
What makes you think you are either an expert or a specialist? Lets be frank, your skills have not exactly been much saught after in the real world of late. Maybe you are not as good as you think you are?
The Cold War doesn't figure prominently in the social studies syllabus for high school students. So naturally that knowledge would not be much sought after in the real world. And I've studied the Cold War extensively for years. If you want I can give a partial list of books I've read on the subject.
"some" is a term I didn't use. You threw it in there to minimize what I have done. How do you think most people become experts in a subject?
I would suggest academic qualifications and/or work experience. Given we know you lack a degree and you just said the subject does not feature much in the work you do, your expert status would appear to be somewhat limited. But hey, if it makes you feel better, call yourself whatever you want.
I have given presentations on the subject to professional organizations. I doubt they would've invited me to do so if my "status" was in question.
Like this? Seriously dude, give your head a shake. You have to buy into every bullshit thing Sean Hannity says in order to be a principled conservative.
I haven't watched Sean Hannity's show regularly since Alan Colmes left. Don't know why he left. They had some really great chemistry I thought.
Never watch him, though could probably pick out his face. Oh, forgot one: the War on Business is also over. America's entrepreneurial spirits will rock once again, and we'll bin most of the atrocious legacy of that out-of-touch, disconnected, and elitist mediocrity, Obama.
BATED breath? Okay, I'll cut you some slack because you are a foreigner. Otherwise I would point & laugh
I know that - and for some reason I thought it was spelled "baited". Granted in my defense I've never used the phrase before. But I stand corrected - sure enough it is spelled "bated." Cool to know! Of course I'm not British so I'll never use the term (along with "dustbin" "fortnight" "brickbat" "mum" etc) but now I know how to spell it. http://www.gingersoftware.com/english-online/spelling-book/confusing-words/baited-bated
that's because it's a modified form of "abated" - i.e. a way to say "holding your breath" Rather than "baited" as in trying to catch some prey
So if I read a number of books in their original non-English languages, would I be an expert in those subjects even though I don't speak or read those languages? Of course not, reading without understanding means nothing.
Well, in all these years at TBBS and WF, you have consistently demonstrated your inability to understand things.
