WHAT IS THE “CLEAR AND CONCISE ORDER?”
by OPOVV, ©2015
(Jul. 22, 2015) — “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We’re here at the ‘Institute of Military Linguistic Applications’ at an undisclosed location not that far from a town called Woodbury. We’ll be interviewing Professor Dr. Major Zarkov, who is the author of the recent best-seller, ‘Forget Polite: Just Say It’. And here he comes down the steps.
“Welcome to the show, Professor. Your book has been #1 for the past 17 weeks and seems to have hit a nerve with the American people. Why do you think your book is flying off the shelves?”
“Hello. Thank you for having me on. To answer your question: because there’s no such thing as ‘political correctness’ on the battlefield, and the battlefield has become every square inch of our planet. We can’t be having one set of rules for Bangor, Maine, and another one for Baghdad.
“Communication is the key to success, on the battlefield or off. Marriage is a good example. Although I was going to use that example as an ‘OFF,’ maybe it’s really an ‘ON’. No matter. We use words to communicate, and it’s important to share a concise definition for all of the words we use, which is why Ebonics and slang aren’t allowed.
“You wouldn’t give the order to ‘Bug-out’ or to ‘Burrow-a-Crib’, meaning ‘retreat’ and ‘dig-a-foxhole’, respectively. No, any order must be understood clearly and immediately the first time it’s heard, because there just may not be enough time to repeat the message or hear it the second time.
“And that’s how I came by the title for my book which, by the way, I use in one of my linguistics classes. No ‘political correctness’ and no concern about ‘offending’ anyone, because if you’ve got to take the time and make the effort to follow ridiculous guidelines, that’s what could bite you, meaning any hesitation could get your troops and yourself killed.
“We teach young commanders to lead, and sometimes it’s advantageous to retreat in order to set a trap or to really regroup in order to fight another day. We teach how to win, irrespective of the odds.
“Sometimes the odds are so overwhelming as to be looked upon as being impossible, but history is chock-full of impossible odds being conquered by a determined person and/or people willing to bite the bullet and do whatever it took to succeed.
“I could give you example after example where dedication and determination saved the day, but let’s bring it all to the present tense, right here in the USA today. Let’s say you’re the Commander of the problem, and the problem is illegal immigrants and Muslims. That’s right; your job is to solve the problem. It’s up to you to issue a clear and concise order. So what would you say, Mr. Roving Reporter?”
“Deport. Deport.”
“Very good. You just received the grade of a 4.0. You ever served in the military? Yes? Well, good for you. Thank you for your service, I’m sure.”
“And thank you, Professor Major. By the way, just asking, but is ‘Major’ you name or rank?”
“Rank. What a strange question. Here, I’d like to make one last point, that is, if we’ve the time. We do? Good.
“Look, we were discussing the importance of communicating orders. It is true that some orders are incomplete, outdated, inaccurate, even illegal – remember the Nuremburg Trials? – and face it, just plain wrong. To expect that every order ever given was the best one would be an error, but we’re not here to talk about good, better or best.
“Look, I’ll give you an example. Five of our troops were just gunned down in Chattanooga last week. We didn’t wait for any orders from the White House to lower our flag to half-mast; we just went ahead and did the right thing. You get where I’m coming from? And I’ll leave it at that.
“Thanks again for having me on. Wife watches your show religiously. Goodnight.”
“And a good night to you, Professor Major. Didn’t wait around for orders to fly Old Glory at half-mast, honoring the five that were mowed down last week. I must say that I like the Professor’s style. That said, I’ll wish you all a good night and thanks for watching. This is your Roving Reporter. Goodnight.”
“That’s a wrap. Did you get the flag at half mast in the last shot? Good job. What say we grab a burger before the ride back to they Big City? My treat.”