A Factual Myth: American Soldiers, Project 100,000, and the New Standards Men

( Robert Thomas Albrecht,Jd ) 서울대학교 미국학연구소 2012 미국학 Vol.35 No.2

The term factual myth is used to describe a mixture of truth and distortion. Factual myths are significant since studies show that many members of the general American public rely on cues provided by elites to determine their support or opposition to the policies and activities of their government. When elites disseminate factual myths they do more than simply repeat a half-truth. They impact the democratic choices of significant segments of the American population. Factual myths should be distinguished from opinions. Factual myths are statements made as fact that are non-truths. Not all non-truths rise to the level of factual myths, but when a sufficient number of elites parrot the same non-truths, a factual myth is created that once entered into the public mind is very difficult to change. This paper illustrates the creation of a factual myth in American society in the period immediately before and following Operation Iraqi Freedom-the factual myth that US soldiers serving in Iraq were mentally or socially inferior to their peers in civilian society. Some of the people disseminating the factual myth probably believed its veracity because of a program operated several decades earlier by the Department of Defense that intentionally brought into military service men who were mentally unqualified to serve. This program, called Project 100,000 by its originator Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, brought approximately 354,000 mentally deficient young American men into military service during the Vietnam War. Some of these men served honorably and well while others failed. More than 2,000 of them died in combat. Many of these men, in their public interactions with others, unintentionally created a general impression of American soldiers as mentally inferior. It was an impression that persisted well beyond 1971 when the program ended. Examples of elite opinion expressed in the period following Operation Iraqi Freedom which led to the creation of a factual myth regarding the quality of the soldiers serving in Iraq are provided. A review of the research which establishes that elite opinion influences public opinion regarding the public`s perception of the validity of government actions and policies is covered. Then the basis for the factual myth is examined-Project 100,000. The paper closes with suggestions for mitigating the effects of factual myths in the future.

A FACTUAL MYTH: American Soldiers, Project 100,000 and the New Standards Men

Albrecht, Robert Thomas 서울대학교 미국학연구소 2012 미국학 Vol.35 No.2

The term factual myth is used to describe a mixture of truth and distortion. Factual myths are significant since studies show that many members of the general American public rely on cues provided by elites to determine their support or opposition to the policies and activities of their government. When elites disseminate factual myths they do more than simply repeat a half-truth. They impact the democratic choices of significant segments of the American population. Factual myths should be distinguished from opinions. Factual myths are statements made as fact that are non-truths. Not all non-truths rise to the level of factual myths, but when a sufficient number of elites parrot the same non-truths, a factual myth is created that once entered into the public mind is very difficult to change. This paper illustrates the creation of a factual myth in American society in the period immediately before and following Operation Iraqi Freedom—the factual myth that US soldiers serving in Iraq were mentally or socially inferior to their peers in civilian society. Some of the people disseminating the factual myth probably believed its veracity because of a program operated several decades earlier by the Department of Defense that intentionally brought into military service men who were mentally unqualified to serve. This program, called Project 100,000 by its originator Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, brought approximately 354,000 mentally deficient young American men into military service during the Vietnam War. Some of these men served honorably and well while others failed. More than 2,000 of them died in combat. Many of these men, in their public interactions with others, unintentionally created a general impression of American soldiers as mentally inferior. It was an impression that persisted well beyond 1971 when the program ended. Examples of elite opinion expressed in the period following Operation Iraqi Freedom which led to the creation of a factual myth regarding the quality of the soldiers serving in Iraq are provided. A review of the research which establishes that elite opinion influences public opinion regarding the public’s perception of the validity of government actions and policies is covered. Then the basis for the factual myth is examined—Project 100,000. The paper closes with suggestions for mitigating the effects of factual myths in the future.

When to Fight: New Preemption, Responsibility to Protect, and International Law in the 21st Century

Robert Thomas Albrecht 계명대학교 국제학연구소 2012 국제학논총 Vol.17 No.-

In the conduct of international relations, nations still at times resort to armed force to attain particular outcomes. In the 21st century to date, two new justifications for the potential use of armed force have been introduced. They are the Bush Doctrine of preemption, articulated in The United States" National Security Strategy of 2002, and the United Nation"s doctrine of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). This paper will explain these two doctrines and subsequently examine them through the lens of jus cogens - the idea that some rules of international law are of such fundamental importance that deviating from them are prohibited. The intent is not to suggest that either of these doctrines will anytime soon rise to the level of of jus cogens in international law. Instead, the goal of this paper is to determine, by application of the rigorous requirements of jus cogens analysis, whether either of these two doctrines are legally viable in the long term. This analysis should reveal the strengths and weaknesses of both doctrines and whether either doctrine will someday attain general long-term acceptance in international law. Part I of this paper introduces the plan for the analysis. Part II examines how the Bush Doctrine of preemption relies on the redefining of a critical word that weakens the legal viability of the doctrine. Part III takes a similar look at the legal basis for R2P and identifies general categories of supporters and opponents of that doctrine. In Part IV, the jus cogens filter will be applied to both doctrines with the results of that analysis provided in the Conclusion.

United States Foreign Policy and The North Korean Nuclear Issue

Robert Thomas Albrecht(로버트 올브렉트) 동아시아국제정치학회 2003 국제정치연구 Vol.6 No.1

A New Direction: Mass Customization in English Language Training

로버트 토마스 알브레트(Robert Thomas Albrecht),남미영(Miyoung Nam) 미래영어영문학회 2016 영어영문학 Vol.21 No.1

본 연구는 대량맞춤(mass customization)이라는 비즈니스 개념을 대학 영어 글쓰기 환경에서 학습 효과를 증진시키기 위해 적용하게 된 배경과 실제 적용 과정을 상세하게 설명한다. 대량맞춤 개념의 정의 및 다양한 분야에서의 적용 사례를 분석하고 영어 학습 환경에서의 성공적인 활용을 위해 고려해야할 점을 검토 제시한다. 본 연구에서는 수업자료를 모듈화하고 매 수업시간 글쓰기 과제를 통해 학생들의 부족한 점을 분석하여 다음 수업에 보완함으로써 학생들에게 맞춤식 글쓰기 수업을 제공한다. 또한 수업 개발 과정과 수업 전달 과정에서 대량맞춤의 개념이 얼마나 효과적으로 적용될 수 있는지를 주저자의 대학 영어 글쓰기 수업 환경에서의 적용 사례를 통해 보여준다. 수업 개발 과정에서의 생산성 향상과 수업 전달 과정에서의 효율성 증대의 결과를 보여주고 향후 연구 방향을 제시하며 영어 학습 환경에서 대량맞춤 개념을 보다 효율적으로 적용할 수 있는 방안을 제시한다.

A process focused study of task-based L2-L2 email writing

남미영,Albrecht, Robert Thomas 미래영어영문학회 2014 영어영문학 Vol.19 No.2

영어글쓰기 수업의 일환으로 국내 소재 대학 영어글쓰기 수업 수강생과 중국 소재 대학의 영어글쓰기 수업 수강생 각각 한 명씩 두 명이 한 팀을 이루어 주어진 주제에 대하여 이메일이라는 의사소통 도구를 통해 자유롭게 생각과 의견을 교류하도록 하였다. 이는 영어글쓰기 수업시간 외에 영어 사용이 제한적인 교육환경에 보다 실질적인 영어 사용의 기회를 부여하기 위하여 계획되었다. 한 학기 동안 본 과제 관련하여 학생들이 작성한 영어 글쓰기 샘플, 과제수행을 위해 주고받은 이메일, 그리고 학기 중과 학기 말에 수행한 설문지 등의 자료를 수집 분석하여, 학생들의 본 과제수행에 대한 전반적인 인식과 영어글쓰기 실력향상을 위한 도움 정도를 분석하였고, 과제수행 과정에서 발생한 문제점 또한 분석하였다. 연구 결과, 학생들은 과제뿐만 아니라 다양한 주제에 대하여 의사소통을 하였으며, 몇 몇 학생들은 과제보다는 관계형성을 위해 상대적으로 많은 이메일을 주고받아 과제수행을 위한 시간부족으로 인하여 과제를 효율적으로 수행하지 못하는 결과를 초래하였다. 하지만, 기존의 자유로운 의사소통과는 달리, 주어진 주제를 중심으로 의사소통을 하도록 하여 결과물을 제출하도록 하는 과제기반 이메일 의사소통이 학생들에게 보다 많은 의사소통의 기회 및 영어글쓰기의 기회를 부여한 것으로 나타났다.