Has anyone noticed that the US hasn't won a war since the Surgeon General's report on tobacco?

[taterguy]

Were we a more effective fighting force when our soldiers were armed with smokes?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. You could be right! Maybe a combination of armed with smokes, and armed with...

.... actual and sufficient equipment.

I also sometimes wonder if it's less helpful allowing the troops to have access to email and cell phones to stay in touch with their families daily, even hourly. I wonder if one of the advantages of the military pre-2000 was that when they were deployed, they were their own family and had to come together as one unit because they could get news only through letters - now they don't quite have to come as deeply together since they can all talk to their family at home a couple times a day if they want to. And by being able to stay in constant touch with their family at home, they probably get a lot of the more trivial (but disturbing) news than they would through a letter.

[taterguy]

2. I dunno, some people are more addicted to email than cigarettes

I'm not sure if the average 20 year old could function without email, since they've never known anything else. They might turn into a useless, quivering mess.