Are redshirts the standard Federation ARMY troops?

[Worlds Spanner]

Quite right. I said that it would be logical to not have an army if one could put absolute faith in one's navy.

I'm contending that in fact the Feddies are logical, just delusional.

It's the only way to explain there not being a ground force of any real impact.

If they know they need a ground force, where is it?

They must be keeping their ground force in the same place they keep their reactors which don't explode, their ship designs which aren't retarded, and their economic model which isn't communist.

None of these exist (which I think was your point). Reactors and ship designs (besides going together) are explainable - they've got to work with the tech they've got, it just sucks to be them in that respect.

Economy - They choose Communism knowingly.

Ground Force - Well, shit. They need one. They don't have one. Why?

I've argued that they use a delusional application of logic to believe that they don't need one.

If you don't like that theory, I want to hear a different one.

[Thirdfain]

I think it is political. The government can get away with a fleet- After all, the Federation ships are largely exploration vessels, or diplomatic couriers, not warships.

An army , on the other hand, only has one use- combat. Creating one would go against the principles on which the Federation is founded. In addition, an army needs a great deal of discipline, and large numbers of noncommisioned men- things which the Federation would never be willing to fund or deploy.

[Vympel]

I think it is political. The government can get away with a fleet- After all, the Federation ships are largely exploration vessels, or diplomatic couriers, not warships.

An army , on the other hand, only has one use- combat. Creating one would go against the principles on which the Federation is founded. In addition, an army needs a great deal of discipline, and large numbers of noncommisioned men- things which the Federation would never be willing to fund or deploy.

*has visions of common grunts studying fucking ... art philosophy or something*

[Thirdfain]

COME ON YOU MAGGOTS! drop and give me Act 3 of Shakespeare's "Macbeth!"

[Sea Skimmer]

COME ON YOU MAGGOTS! drop and give me Act 3 of Shakespeare's "Macbeth!"

"But sir, being forced to do that would violate our integral human rights. Now maybe if you ask nicely and we take a vote in the soldiers council some of us would be willing. But I'd rather go read at my own pace."

[Worlds Spanner]

Great, laughing out loud and reading that to my roommate here!

[Darth Servo]

*has visions of common grunts studying fucking ...

Thats what the SD.net army would be like.

[PainRack]

None of these exist (which I think was your point). Reactors and ship designs (besides going together) are explainable - they've got to work with the tech they've got, it just sucks to be them in that respect.

Economy - They choose Communism knowingly.

Ground Force - Well, shit. They need one. They don't have one. Why?

I've argued that they use a delusional application of logic to believe that they don't need one.

If you don't like that theory, I want to hear a different one.

Here's a better one.

A modern ground force represents an extremely huge investment.Vehicles,transportation,weapons,ammunition,keeping it in the field.

Sooner or later,the army must have underwent a White Paper that described how useless it really was against a spaceship threat with weapons capable of blowing it up with one shot.

So,in response,they decided to remove the trappings of a army and thus instead mount a foot infantry,that derivives its mobility from spaceborne elements and transporters.For support,it will rely entirely on aerospace elements.

After all,that was what was suggested during the first part of the last century.

[Striderteen]

Kinda like the infamous post-WWII British white paper that said manned aircraft were going to be obsolete because of guided missiles?

[phongn]

Kinda like the infamous post-WWII British white paper that said manned aircraft were going to be obsolete because of guided missiles?

Somewhat. Both had kernels of truth, though the Sandys paper moreso.