I'll make it short today, as I have 10 minutes of video below.
First of all, as a matter of form, it's never good when you have soldiers publicly complaining about those above in the chain of command General Stanley McChrystal should have known this, and that any article which stated or even implied a dissatisfaction with the failings of the Obama administration in the war in Afghanistan was going to lead to ass reaming. I don't know his motivation in letting Rolling Stone in to write the article. And in the end, it may cost him his position, and the ability to continue the fight. And as a result of that, it may mean some halfwit politician general who isn't fit to pour piss out of a boot with instructions written under the heel will be the go-to(-hell) guy inVietnam Afghanistan. More on that in a bit.
First of all, as a matter of form, it's never good when you have soldiers publicly complaining about those above in the chain of command General Stanley McChrystal should have known this, and that any article which stated or even implied a dissatisfaction with the failings of the Obama administration in the war in Afghanistan was going to lead to ass reaming. I don't know his motivation in letting Rolling Stone in to write the article. And in the end, it may cost him his position, and the ability to continue the fight. And as a result of that, it may mean some halfwit politician general who isn't fit to pour piss out of a boot with instructions written under the heel will be the go-to(-hell) guy in
If you haven't read the whole article, start clicking. It's worth reading cover to cover.
While the picture it paints of Afghanistan is bleak (it is Rolling Stone magazine), it also paints a portrait of a profane, balls-to-the-wall general who doesn't necessarily give a damn about the rules as long as he can get the job done. The biggest problem is that the strategy he's employing requires rules of engagement so insane that they can't win. Not that Afghanistan was a place we thought we could win anyway (unless you forgot the history of the place).
While the picture it paints of Afghanistan is bleak (it is Rolling Stone magazine), it also paints a portrait of a profane, balls-to-the-wall general who doesn't necessarily give a damn about the rules as long as he can get the job done. The biggest problem is that the strategy he's employing requires rules of engagement so insane that they can't win. Not that Afghanistan was a place we thought we could win anyway (unless you forgot the history of the place).
The fact is that General McChrystal has been doing what it takes to win for years. And Obama, to his credit, put the General where he is today, which gave us the best possible kind of leader to try to win that mess. Now, as I finish this post, McChrystal is arriving in Washington to meet with Obama. My hope is that he schools Obama in what he is fighting and Obama understands (and lets him get back to work). Because this is not about politics. It's really about finding a way to win and get out without having to have spent lives in vain.
But politics often eats the best soldiers that don't play well with politicians. To a degree, General McChrystal does remind me of another great general of history:
(I had to go with the first vid when I heard who the commentator was.)
Oh, and what would a Patton reference be without the speech (from the movie):
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2 comments:
"And as a result of that, it may mean some halfwit politician general who isn't fit to pour piss out of a boot with instructions written under the heel will be the go-to(-hell) guy in Vietnam Afghanistan."
*cough* General David Petraeus *cough*
And Mr. Obama HAD to accept the general's resignation for his egregious behavior and his very poor judgement. He broke on of the rules of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Can we all just say McChrystal did something very, very dumb, and in the military when you do something as stupid as what he did, you have to be replaced.
Mr. Obama did it with dignity and acknowledged McChrystal's service to his country (despite the fact that this general lied through his teeth about the Tillman death.)
I wonder how many of the leftists who are applauding Obama for sacking McChrystal wanted George W. Bush to keep on disloyal underlings?
Ah, but it was different, of course. It was the "R" after his name.
Now, of course, I hope some sanity comes to Afghanistan policy. The only viable exit strategy is to defeat the remaining terrorists. Not an arbitrary retreat/surrender/pullout or whatever you want to call it.
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