Obama/McChrystal

An interesting article on how Rolling stone got such intimate quotes:
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.co...olcano-helped/

I have not agreed with the policy of letting the media mingle with are fighting forces while in combat to the extent we have it now. Combat is a f***ed up time. Even when you are not on the front line at the time.

The general and his staff failed to identify a potentially dangerous situation, politically speaking. When losing a war, life is a political minefield for men like McChrystal.


Along another vein:
a) I don't agree with nation building and some of our objectives there. It is like our leaders have ignored history. In the Princess Bride, Vizzinni summed it up accurately, when he said, "...You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line"! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha...".

And that was in 1987.

b) There is something weird about a man who only eats once a day, especially when he works as hard as that man does. I'm just sayin....

McChrystal saying what he said in front of a reporter was insubordination and he knew it at the time. He didn't become a four star general by being stupid and he didn't suddenly become stupid overnight. This was his way of committing professional suicide by cop. No one knows for sure what was said at the private meeting between Obama and McChrystal, but I would bet McChrystal left Obama no choice but to fire him.

The MacArthur and Patton situations were different. MacArthur was a national icon and had higher popularity ratings than Truman, so the situation was allowed to go on much longer than it should have. Patton was simply the best battlefield commander we had and his talents were too valuable to lose, but he never rose beyond command of the Third Army. McChrystal isn't good enough to be able to mouth off and get away with it.

Whether you like Obama or not (I don't, particularly) the principle of civilian control of the military is one of the foundations of our system. It's one of the things that makes us not Pakistan. Obama is President, therefore he sets the strategy. The generals are obligated to implement that strategy as if it were their own idea. If a general can't or won't do that, fire his ass.

just read a quick article in Time re the counterinsurgency strategy of Petraeus.

Worked mightily in Iraq because he could buy the Tribes and isolate Al-Qaida. Then McChrystals guys took them down.

In Afghanistan the fighters are not for the most part foreign so it isn't easy to buy them off to fight each other. More of a civil conflict.

Interesting

Put a reporter with Obama (or anyone else) for days at a time with a lot of time on their hands and sooner or later they're going to say something they wish they hadn't. No one can stay "on guard" indefinitely. If you think it, then at some point you'll say it.

Put a reporter with Obama (or anyone else) for days at a time with a lot of time on their hands and sooner or later they're going to say something they wish they hadn't. No one can stay "on guard" indefinitely. If you think it, then at some point you'll say it. Originally Posted by BiggestBest

Then if you're in a position where an unguarded comment could create a national stink, don't let the reporter hang around.

Yeah, Petraeus is a good choice. Even though I probably spelled his name wrong. But do you remember a few years ago when Reid, Pelosi, Obama, Clinton and the others all hated him? They wanted Bush to fire him and treated him very badly in congressional hearings. And people think I'm a cynic because I want them all out. These people are attention whores and opportunists desiring only to increase their own power, and will lift up or destroy anyone, as it suits them. I gotta quit reading these threads, I'm starting to think it matters. Going back hobbying. i did post a review today.

... These people are attention whores and opportunists desiring only to increase their own power, and will lift up or destroy anyone, as it suits them ... Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

That's the wiki definition of "politician":

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/politician

Or else the definition of "WWF wrestler" (basically the same thing) ...



Ha! Made you look!

I gotta quit reading these threads, I'm starting to think it matters. Going back hobbying. i did post a review today. Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

Wise words.

Bush's war (Afghanistan), Bush's strategy (the surge II), and now Bush's general (Patraeous?). I guess Bush wasn't so bad since BHO keeps copying him.

Now there's reporting that the troops are glad he got sacked.