Who's the bigger idiot

[lars573]

It is a portion of an ABC (A for Australia) interview between a female broadcaster and
General Cosgrove (former head of the Austrailian military) who was about to conduct a Boy Scout Troop visiting
a military base.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So, General Cosgrove, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base?

GENERAL COSGROVE: We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery,and shooting.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it?

GENERAL COSGROVE: I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised
On the rifle range.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous
activity to be teaching children?

GENERAL COSGROVE: I don't see how. We will be teaching them proper
rifle discipline before they even touch a firearm.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you're equipping them to become violent killers.

GENERAL COSGROVE: Well, Ma'am, you're equipped to be a prostitute,
but you're not one, are you?

Amusing yes. But they were both being idiots. Who's the bigger one.

The Generals interviewer for insinuating that the only possible out come of teaching proper gun use to boy scouts was them become killers.

Or the General himself for that prostitute crack.

[KukriKhan]

It impresses me as perfectly Australian; kind of "Olivia Newton-John meets Crocodile Dundee", equal parts bleeding-heart do-gooder vs. jaundiced eye for reality.

[Csargo]

There both the same sized idiots to me not like that counts as anything coming from me. Meh

[yesdachi]

If it is real, I love it.

[Fragony]

Give him a medal, that is hilarious. Reminds me of Churchill, supposedly some broad told him that if he was her wife she would poisen his tea. He replied that if she was his wife he would drink it

somebody clone him and I will raise him like my own son

[Xiahou]

The woman is a complete idiot imo. Afaik, rifle shooting is still a merit badge activity for Boy Scouts in the US.

[Spetulhu]

Urban legend, but a good one.

http://www.snopes.com/military/reinwald.htm

[Fragony]

The woman is a complete idiot imo. Afaik, rifle shooting is still a merit badge activity for Boy Scouts in the US.

This is so hilarious on so many levels

[Xiahou]

Urban legend, but a good one.

http://www.snopes.com/military/reinwald.htm

Ah, that would explain it. Good find.

[doc_bean]

The general was right, why would he be an idiot ?

[Proletariat]

Guess it's a joke anyway, but the general isn't an idiot. He's just crass. The interviewer, of course, is an imbecile.

[lars573]

Urban legend, but a good one.

http://www.snopes.com/military/reinwald.htm

Fake you say? Oh well, still amusing.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Yes, my apology for conduct unbecoming an officer," I'm sorry you're such a bubble-headed idiot." It would be worth the reprimand.

[BDC]

They clearly have a thing for each other.

[IrishArmenian]

The general is not as stupid as his interviewer because he had the brains to come up with a witty remark that made me laugh when I envisioned a respectable man saying that professionally to a woman.

[Vladimir]

If it is real, I love it.

Idiot reporters.


I stand by my comment!!!

[Navaros]

The General didn't do anything even remotely stupid based on the text of the OP.

General shouldn't even be on this Poll.

[Lemur]

Amusing, but as Spetulhu noted, the whole exchange is an urban (or rural?) legend.

[Husar]

Amusing, but as Spetulhu noted, the whole exchange is an urban (or rural?) legend.

Of course, but look how united all orgahs are in their opinion!

We finally found a topic where we all can agree.

[naut]

Husar I think that comes down to the lack of a GAH! option.

[Spetulhu]

Anti-idiots unite! If this was a true exchange I too would have to say the reporter is the idiot.

The reason I caught it (as if I'm the only one) is that I was bored and read through most of Snopes one dark winter night.

[lars573]

Husar I think that comes down to the lack of a GAH! option.

GAH!=copout wishy-washyness. You'll never find it in any poll I might make.

[Redleg]

Well I will confess to seeing this exchange referencing Fort Benning back in the 1990's. So its been around awhile. I happen to know it was a joke passed around the military back when the military had to stop sponsoring Boy Scout troops.

I wonder what the snopes says about it.

Yep snopes got.

[Devastatin Dave]

Along with the "Gah" option, what about ....nevermined

[Fisherking]

This is very old… It appeared on the internet in 1997 but I heard it maybe as far back as the 1970s when a crusty officer might actually get away with saying such a thing.

There was opposition to rifle and gun training at the time because of the peace movement and the war in Vietnam. How ever I don't know of the military ever conducting such training in an official program. Something like this could only happen involving the National Guard.

*side note: I was taught marksmanship in highschool and the school had a rifle team.
Air rifles (BB Guns) were however banned from the playgrounds.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

The General didn't do anything even remotely stupid based on the text of the OP.

General shouldn't even be on this Poll.

Other people here have said the same thing but Nav was most blunt so....

He is an officer and a gentleman, a senior one at that. His conduct is unbecoming and not so long ago one comment like that might ruin your career. So from that point of view it was idiotic.

However the reporter was an imbecile.

This is, of course, treating the situation as real.

[Bar Kochba]

Give him a medal, that is hilarious. Reminds me of Churchill, supposedly some broad told him that if he was her wife she would poisen his tea. He replied that if she was his wife he would drink it

somebody clone him and I will raise him like my own son

another excellent quote from churchill

Yes, madam i am drunk. But in the morning i will be sober and you will still be ugly. - Winston Churchill

[Papewaio]

*side note: I was taught marksmanship in highschool and the school had a rifle team.
Air rifles (BB Guns) were however banned from the playgrounds.

I can do one better.

The scouts I went to did .22 target, and 10 gauge shotgun clay pigeon shooting.

The school had a shotgun (clay target) shooting team for competitions... of course the shotguns weren't allowed on school grounds.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Other people here have said the same thing but Nav was most blunt so....

He is an officer and a gentleman, a senior one at that. His conduct is unbecoming and not so long ago one comment like that might ruin your career. So from that point of view it was idiotic.

However the reporter was an imbecile.

This is, of course, treating the situation as real.

I imagine if the General Officer had been "Old Blood & Guts" George Patton, then she got off lightly. I keep missing Dave's comments, dang it.

[KrooK]

Generally woman is idiot. General is ok - how long can he answer her stupid questions :)