JobSecurity said:
Doing it is one thing. But announcing it to the world? What is the point
As someone who loves history and specifically military history I have a hard time understanding about 95% of what goes on now. I can't wrap my brain around how things get done militarily in the world of instant communication and social media and cell phones and such.
Like you said, why even say that hostage rescue teams are en route?
So Israel calls ahead and tells people where and when artillery strikes are coming? WTF??
I was watching one of the news stations yesterday and the reporter is across a field from Israeli tanks gathering and they're zooming in with their cameras and I'm just thinking "What is even the point of reconnaissance or battlefield intelligence anymore? It's all right out in the open! I'm sitting here in my house in Texas and I can see what kind of tanks and vehicles they have there and see exactly where they are and count them in real time."
Every time some situation flares up around the world and you see on the news "As you can see in this live footage here the aircraft carrier Nimitz left Norfolk this morning at 8am headed to the Mediterranean which it will reach at..." I just think "What?? Why??""
I can get on Google Earth and see exactly where the naval docks are and where the army base entrances are and so on. And obviously what the military has is 1000 times beyond that. I can't for the life of me understand how any sort of large-scale operations would take place in the modern world in a genuine war of survival with 100% transparency of everything.
I'm trying to picture how D Day or Waterloo would play out now. "Hi Tom, I'm reporting from behind the low hill here at Waterloo where the British troops have hidden themselves in the tall grass to ambush the French coming up over the hill. I also understand from our other correspondent that the Prussians should be hitting the French on their flank fairly soon as Grouchy is still marching in circles."
It would be like playing a game of Battleship but being able to see your opponent's board. How does that work?