Stephen A. Lawrence wrote:
When the issue of Newman's motor came up on this list, and I
asserted that their comparisons were meaningless because they didn't
measure input and output power, I received a number of extremely
obnoxious, and ultimately highly insulting, emails from a
representative of Newman&Co.
But the point-blank question, "what is the power output?", which I
asked repeatedly and directly, received NO response -- except
threats and ranting and a meaningless "challenge" to bet $10,000
that no other motor could do better than his.
I read many of those obnoxious messages here so I know what you mean.
I spoke with Newman a couple of times. He seems confused. He does not
understand fundamental concepts. He is aggressive although he did not
insult me.
What you have illustrated here is that sometimes personality faults
combine synergistically to make a bad situation into a disaster. A
stupid general will lose. An recklessly aggressive plus stupid
general will not only lose, he will destroy the army, the way
Confederate Gen. Hood did in the Battle of Atlanta a few miles from
where I sit. (Gen. Johnston fought delaying actions in a long retreat
from Chattanooga to Atlanta. This was a good strategy. If he had
remained in command and held back Sherman another two months, Lincoln
might have lost the election, and the Confederacy would have won the war.)
Another disastrous fault is too much faith in oneself or in the
Divine. Field Marshal Montgomery described Gen. Douglas Haig:
"Haig was unimaginative. Maybe he was competent according to his
lights, but these were dim. Confidence of divine approval appeared to
satisfy him. Nothing can excuse the casualties of the Somme and
Passchendaele . . ."
- Jed
