Jackie wrote:
Seriously, I don't see Travis as the sort to fraternize with the non-military. There would be no opportunity for their paths to even intersect outside of Blake's dissident activities bringing them together. Pre-loathing, they don't share a shred of commonality.
For a while, I toyed with the idea that Blake did spend some time pre-series working for the military. I gave this up, because I think there's no way he'd be able to stand the discipline, but where did he acquire his considerable military skills? Where did he learn to be such an excellent strategist, fight space-battles (Duel and Hostage), improvise weapons and quarter the area looking for the enemy (Duel), build a fire (Time Squad)...?
N.
Natasa Tucev tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu wrote:
Jackie wrote:
Seriously, I don't see Travis as the sort to fraternize with the non-military. There would be no opportunity for their paths to even intersect outside of Blake's dissident activities bringing them together. Pre-loathing, they don't share a shred of commonality.
For a while, I toyed with the idea that Blake did spend some time pre-series working for the military. I gave this up, because I think there's no way he'd be able to stand the discipline, but where did he acquire his considerable military skills? Where did he learn to be such an excellent strategist, fight space-battles (Duel and Hostage), improvise weapons and quarter the area looking for the enemy (Duel), build a fire (Time Squad)...?
N.
My comment elsewhere that Blake might have learnt some survival/hunting skills on Exbar is probably part of the explanation.
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Natasa said:
For a while, I toyed with the idea that Blake did spend some time
pre-series
working for the military. I gave this up, because I think there's no way he'd be able to stand the discipline, but where did he acquire his considerable military skills?
I agree that Blake wouldn't voluntarily join the army, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if a term of military service were compulsory.
Where did he learn to be such an excellent strategist,
<not touching this one with a ten-foot pole> </not touching...>
fight space-battles (Duel and Hostage), improvise weapons and quarter the area looking for the enemy (Duel), build a fire (Time
Squad)...?
I agree with Jacqui about Woodcraft Fun with Uncle Ushton. (BTW, would YOU send your kids to prison for a vacation? I know Alfred Hitchcock's dad had the kid locked in a jail cell for a couple of minutes as a warning about what happens to naughty boys, but this seems over the top to me.)
As for space battles, Liberator must come with a helluva set of manuals, because the entire crew quickly learns how to use most of the features.
I bet the Federation also had a compulsory Officer Training/Hitler Youth organization to combine indoctrination with basic skills that would be needed during military service.
-(Y)
--- Natasa Tucev wrote:
For a while, I toyed with the idea that Blake did spend some time pre-series working for the military. I gave this up, because I think there's no way he'd be able to stand the discipline, but where did he acquire his considerable military skills? Where did he learn to be such an excellent strategist, fight space-battles (Duel and Hostage), improvise weapons and quarter the area looking for the enemy (Duel), build a fire (Time Squad)...?
I agree with Jacqui - Blake would have learnt the outdoor stuff on Exbar.
As far as being an excellent strategist goes he wouldn't necessarily have needed military training. Off the top of my head I can think of half a dozen great military strategists who didn't go to staff colleges - The Emperor Julian, Cromwell, Garibaldi, Trotsky. In fact I seem to recall that when I studied German History, one of the reasons suggested for Hitler's initial military success was that whilst the allies had been taught at staff college that they should dig trenches and set up machine gun posts, Hitler had been impressed by some bright young thing who had advocated the use of tanks. De Gaulle made a simillar suggestion in the 1930s which was pooh-poohed by the French military establishment.
The predictability of Travis strategy in Duel and the too intricate attack pattern in Hostage could be taken as suggesting that Federation Space Command was the equivalent of 1930s Sandhurst, whereas Blake not being shacked by recieved wisdom was free to invent strategies that actually worked.
Incidentally, I suspect Avon of having a military background. He knows about ciphers and explosives and his demeanour in Project Avalon reminds me of a staff officer briefing his CO (he also knows about guns). I suspect that he worked in military intelligence but didn't see active service (hence his remark to Jenna in Cygnus Alpha). He is also adept with a gun, despite his inexperience, which is consistent with his being trained but not having fired a shot in anger before the business with the visa sellers.
Stephen.
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Stephen wrote:
Incidentally, I suspect Avon of having a military background. He knows about ciphers and explosives and his demeanour in Project Avalon reminds me of a staff officer briefing his CO (he also knows about guns). I suspect that he worked in military intelligence but didn't see active service (hence his remark to Jenna in Cygnus Alpha). He is also adept with a gun, despite his inexperience, which is consistent with his being trained but not having fired a shot in anger before the business with the visa sellers.
I'd always assumed that there would have been some sort of basic military service that everyone gets dragged through. Although I reckon Vila got out of it somehow.
Una
--- Una wrote:
I'd always assumed that there would have been some sort of basic military service that everyone gets dragged through. Although I reckon Vila got out of it somehow.
There are two models of military dictatorship. The one which militarises the population, the obvious example being the Facist regimes in Italy and Germany. The other being the Roman model where the military have a monopoly on the use of force and are, therefore, able to run affairs as they choose.
I'd assumed that the Federation was the latter on the basis of Par's remarks about Space Command running the Federation. I suspect that my assumptions were coloured by the fact that the majority of soldiers we see signed up rather than being drafted. I think I see the Federation as akin to the Roman Empire in series 1 & 2, like the Empire after Augustus it is a military dictatorship behind a civilian facade. In series 3 and 4 it is more like the Roman Empire after the death of the Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator) when the constitutional facade was pretty much dropped and the Empire was run openly as a military dictatorship with coup d'etat being the approved manner of succession.
Given the absence of canonical data on the subject, if you want to have the crew joining the Federation Youth and doing their military service you can do. I suspect that Una's right though and Vila got out of it.
Stephen.
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"Una McCormack" una@qresearch.org.uk wrote:
Stephen wrote:
Incidentally, I suspect Avon of having a military background. He knows about ciphers and explosives and his demeanour in Project Avalon reminds me of a staff officer briefing his CO (he also knows about guns). I suspect that he worked in military intelligence but didn't see active service (hence his remark to Jenna in Cygnus Alpha). He is also adept with a gun, despite his inexperience, which is consistent with his being trained but not having fired a shot in anger before the business with the visa sellers.
I'd always assumed that there would have been some sort of basic military service that everyone gets dragged through. Although I reckon Vila got out of it somehow.
Una
Probably with the same sort of 'baffle gabbing' he used in SLD to confuse the guard
Jacqui
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