09-16-2010, 09:06 PM
....and a further thought that I expressed some years ago to Paul B. as a fatal objection to 'othismos/pushing' combat is that the officers/leaders stood
Where in the crowd video did you see a front rank policeman being propelled into the crowd out of control? It is the file that follows its leader in this example.
Paul, this arguement is not even internally consistant. You cannot close with spearmen, but if you do you can only do so sporatically??? Who ever said that this has to occur on a 1,000 yard front in perfect coordination! I have told you so many times my fingers are numb that this need not be the case and more specifically that this level of coordination along the front of a parataxeis is not needed. I just showed the undulating front of the police line in that video.
Quote:at the head of each file. Can you imagine the Officer furiously back-pedalling and screaming "NO!NO!" as the grinning file of 'squaddies/GI's' propel him relentlessly on to the waiting spears of their foes??
Where in the crowd video did you see a front rank policeman being propelled into the crowd out of control? It is the file that follows its leader in this example.
Quote:I venture to suggest that you can't "push" against a line of furiously jabbed pointy things/spears - you just can't get close enough to your opponents - and any 'othismos', if it does mean physical pushing, was not done as a co-ordinated phalanx ( it couldn't be - a co-ordinated shove on a 1,000 yard front? ) but rather 'localised', sporadic, and for the most part accidental. Like the 'fighting' riots, what you would see is a line seething and writhing along its front, but trying to maintain all-important cohesion, with sections moving forward, fighting for a minute or two, then drawing apart until one side 'breaks' - remembering that all retreats must start from the rear!!
Paul, this arguement is not even internally consistant. You cannot close with spearmen, but if you do you can only do so sporatically??? Who ever said that this has to occur on a 1,000 yard front in perfect coordination! I have told you so many times my fingers are numb that this need not be the case and more specifically that this level of coordination along the front of a parataxeis is not needed. I just showed the undulating front of the police line in that video.
Paul M. Bardunias
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A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
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A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
