Is Kimmet Crazy?

[Stuv]

I have been thinking about Colonel Kimmet a lot lately. Is there a chance this guy is unstable? He seems awfully obsessed with paper-work and military protocol while the end of the world is happening outside his window. I am all for organization and an attempt to re-build but his love of administration seems a bit extreme. What if he is off the rails? How will Michael handle this crisis?

[HorrorHiro]

I'm pretty sure his obsession with paperwork and protocol comes straight from his training and conditioning. I myself am not nor have I ever been apart of a military, but I'm fairly sure it's because soldiers are generally taught to follow protocol (and of course orders) no matter what, this does include the world as we know it ending.

Remember soldiers kind'a have to be trained to do a lot of this protocol type stuff while people are dying all around them, trying not become apart of the body count, and trying to kill whoever they are told too.

[HorrorHiro]

I'm pretty sure his obsession with paperwork and protocol comes straight from his training and conditioning. I myself am not nor have I ever been apart of a military, but I'm fairly sure it's because soldiers are generally taught to follow protocol (and of course orders) no matter what, this does include the world as we know it ending.

Remember soldiers kind'a have to be trained to do a lot of this protocol type stuff while people are dying all around them, trying not become apart of the body count, and trying to kill whoever they are told too.

Of course he could have PTSD or something like that from seeing combat, but as of right now we don't know much about him.

[nikvoodoo]

mmmm double post......

I don't think it speaks poorly on Kimmet at all. The world outside is falling apart, sure. But if that's the case, he is perfectly qualified to lead because he's going to be able to make the tough decisions others were not able to (proven by those who didn't want to shoot first at the zombies).

And remember he said he knows from experience that people won't work for free. He had to rebuild at least a part of society to get people to do what needed to be done. So it may seem like he's rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, but it's serving a greater purpose of getting those to fall in line and accept authority. The Mallers are a pretty prime example of how a touch of anarchy can manifest itself in a world without rules.

[HorrorHiro]

Yeah...sorry bout that. Tried to edit, and my laptop decided to shit itself, therefor resulting in the double post.

[nikvoodoo]

Yeah...sorry bout that. Tried to edit, and my laptop decided to shit itself, therefor resulting in the double post.

I kinda figured. I'll take out the first one and leave the edited one behind. That is if the forum stops eating my admin panel....

[HorrorHiro]

The Mallers are a pretty prime example of how a touch of anarchy can manifest itself in a world without rules.

I did take some offense to that, not that you should care, and I completely understand if you don't; but I did feel the need to throw in my own 2 cents...

Vast majority of the Mallers (most of the original ones anyway) were more than likely a by-product of the mass-incarceration happening thanks to privatizing prisons to Capitalists. Mass incarceration is extremely prominent in California (and other states as well), California's prison overcrowding has gotten to the point where the prisons are exceeding 200% the populations they were built to hold.

And lets get things straight Nik, Anarchy didn't happen, the Apocalypse happened. The Mallers (again most of which were just slaves to be used as damn near free labor by the Capitalists that owned the prison) saw the opportunity to turn the tables on their situation and took it.

Maybe things would have been different (as in the Mallers not existing) if this country focused less on putting people in prisons for the most insecure of offenses and focused more on reforming prisoners to be functioning members of society....

Just had to get that rant out.

[Cabbage Patch]

I did take some offense to that, not that you should care, and I completely understand if you don't; but I did feel the need to throw in my own 2 cents...

Vast majority of the Mallers (most of the original ones anyway) were more than likely a by-product of the mass-incarceration happening thanks to privatizing prisons to Capitalists. Mass incarceration is extremely prominent in California (and other states as well), California's prison overcrowding has gotten to the point where the prisons are exceeding 200% the populations they were built to hold.

And lets get things straight Nik, Anarchy didn't happen, the Apocalypse happened. The Mallers (again most of which were just slaves to be used as damn near free labor by the Capitalists that owned the prison) saw the opportunity to turn the tables on their situation and took it.

Maybe things would have been different (as in the Mallers not existing) if this country focused less on putting people in prisons for the most insecure of offenses and focused more on reforming prisoners to be functioning members of society....

Just had to get that rant out.

I agree that the Mallers are nothing like Anarchists. Their actions throughout the story have proven that they are an organized, disciplined organization. And with the recent revelation of "The Families", it's clear that they have a source of legitimacy and history at their core that goes way beyond the kind of law-of-the-jungle model that I would mentally associate with anarchy. There's a lot more to their story than is apparent to us, even now.

I do have a quibble with your comment about the prison. Eastern Bay Penitentiary was cited in the story as being a federal prison, not a state prison. And while some of California's city and county jails are run by private industry contractors the California State Prisons are all run by the state. I'm not saying the problems you cited in the prisons aren't true, just that they can't be laid quite so directly on Capitalists.

[nikvoodoo]

Did I say the Mallers were anarchists? I didn't. And I specifically chose my words carefully to not imply they are anarchists. Nor will you ever see me say the Mallers are anarchists. Does that mean that they don't have bits of anarchy sprinkled throughout their group? Nope. Not at all. They do because they are free to do what they want without government reprisal (like steal clothing, stake claim to territory and possessions within it, or take slaves).

I can make the exact same argument for the Colony, the Tower and every other group barring perhaps Irwin because we don't know enough about them yet. When was the last time you were able to throw a molotov cocktail onto someone without being arrested? Crashing a yacht into the beach that doesn't belong to you certainly would catch the authorities eyes if they were around. And I know I've gotten away with a murderous coup within my gated community without being arrested or punished.

[reaper239]

1979

i'm sorry, i just felt like being a jerk. i'll go away now.

[HorrorHiro]

Did I say the Mallers were anarchists? I didn't. And I specifically chose my words carefully to not imply they are anarchists. Nor will you ever see me say the Mallers are anarchists. Does that mean that they don't have bits of anarchy sprinkled throughout their group? Nope. Not at all. They do because they are free to do what they want without government reprisal (like steal clothing, stake claim to territory and possessions within it, or take slaves).

I can make the exact same argument for the Colony, the Tower and every other group barring perhaps Irwin because we don't know enough about them yet. When was the last time you were able to throw a molotov cocktail onto someone without being arrested? Crashing a yacht into the beach that doesn't belong to you certainly would catch the authorities eyes if they were around. And I know I've gotten away with a murderous coup within my gated community without being arrested or punished.

Thank you for clarifying, and thanks again for being careful about your wording as to not offend anyone.

[nikvoodoo]

Thank you for clarifying, and thanks again for being careful about your wording as to not offend anyone.

Well it didn't work with the first comment because I offended you...I was trying to skate the line between anarchist and what I view they are doing. I am sorry you took offense to my original comment. I was trying to be as clear as I could simply because I knew you were involved in the conversation and I'm aware of your stances.

My apologies, good sir.

[HorrorHiro]

http://assets.diylol.com/hfs/726/6bf/cdf/resized/suspiciously-evil-sloth-meme-generator-apology-accepted-d1e82a.jpg

[Stuv]

Good point Nik. I agree that some discipline and chain of command are definitely needed. He just seemed obsessed with the minutia of it as Michael was trying to get his bearings and share some valuable intel about LA. . I am definitely intrigued by Kimmet and interested in hearing more from him. I just wondered if Michael was going to have to challenge another higher ranking officer again. I hope not. He seems to have enough problems. :)

[nikvoodoo]

Good point Nik. I agree that some discipline and chain of command are definitely needed. He just seemed obsessed with the minutia of it as Michael was trying to get his bearings and share some valuable intel about LA. . I am definitely intrigued by Kimmet and interested in hearing more from him. I just wondered if Michael was going to have to challenge another higher ranking officer again. I hope not. He seems to have enough problems. :)

I think it might be the comfort in the minutia that is what helps Kimmet. If you're so focused on the every day normal mundane paperwork garbage, you might be able to function on a normal real world level. Instead of the hyper-tense , high strung way The Tower had to live for months on end.

[Loyal Retainer]

I believe the whole obsession with procedure and protocol may be him trying to hold onto the way things used to be. In times of stress people revert to what they know best, and this especially true of military personnel. That's why training is so intense, it is meant to become so ingrained in you that you don't have to even think to react. It becomes muscle memory of the brain. The good ol' Colonel is simply reverting back to his training to keep himself grounded. That's my two cents.

P.S. If I ever meet a "sane" person in the zombie apocalypse I will be extremely weary of them. :)

[Miss]

is Kimmet crazy?.... no in a word is he slightly obsessed with the details that might not be a priority yes, but to take his side for a minute he is more then likely a carrer millitary man and from personal experiance carrer millitary men, in peace or war times make sure the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed no matter what but we dont really have enough info on him yet but it seems to me he is just making sure the basis are covered

[Stuv]

You guys all make great points and I certainly did not mean this as an attack on Kimmet. I would not want the responsibility he has to carry in the situation he is in. I was just wondering if he was going to be a story device to challenge Michael now that he is back in the active military

[HorrorHiro]

You guys all make great points and I certainly did not mean this as an attack on Kimmet. I would not want the responsibility he has to carry in the situation he is in. I was just wondering if he was going to be a story device to challenge Michael now that he is back in the active military

Kimmet is Micheal's Commanding Officer, and given how Micheal generally is I don't think it there could be much conflict between the two. Now if you replaced Micheal with Saul, hell yes Kimmet and Saul would be constantly against each other.