I hardly know what to think or say about Gen. McChrystal. Except, that I believe him to be a great warrior general, someone with savvy, someone whom I can’t imagine didn’t know the outcome of speaking out in an interview as he and his staff did. Apparently, according to military code of ethics and rules and regs and all that, it is imperative that he resign or be fired. No criticism of superior ‘officers’ or the commander-in-chief can be tolerated. I understand that.
I can’t help but wonder though, as the phrase “desperate times calls for desperate measures” keeps running through my head. Was McChrystal so frustrated and concerned for his troops and his country under the command of someone so unfit to lead the United States of America, that he felt this was the only option?
I have no idea. But, like I said, “desperate times call for desperate measure.“ Did Gen. McChrystal consider these to be such desperate times?
I’ll just say this: I can only imagine the frustration Gen. McChrystal, a career army man with savvy and high standards and a clear understanding of America’s enemies, must have felt, being under the command of the inept bumbling idiots occupying the White House. I’m not sure he made the right move here or not, but I can’t begin to imagine his frustration.
The Reaganite Republican has a great round-up of posts on this, with updates.
The Left Coast Rebel also puts forth that McChrystal just said what most of us think about Obama on domestic issues too.
God bless and keep our troops.
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Like you said, he isn’t above the rules. It would make sense to keep him but it just may not be possible.
I don’t think they can possibly keep him. Maybe he’s done, and doesn’t want to stay. I really have no idea, only thoughts. One of those thoughts is that if he, a true patriot and lifelong warrior, felt like there was no alternative than to go out with a big splash that would let the country know what he thought of his “superiors”–if he thought the country in such danger–then it’s possible in my mind, that this is what he would do.
OTOH, why would he do it in Rolling Stone? I hope that one day we learn more about his thinking in this. All I know is that if I were in trouble, I would want the general with me and not the Man/Boy king.
The “fact” that he supposedly fired the press aide that set up the interview implies this was not something he expected and thus was not an extraordinary step he took to warn or wake up the country but something much less: a screwup of some kind.
I’m sure he’ll be forced to resign. BO doesn’t want more bad press then he already has. Firing him would just add to his misery. I also know the general can go onto bigger and better things. Just saying.
Have a terrific day.
CP: Firing him would allow zero to pretend to be the strong executive he thinks of himself as. He also knows something of history and may well channel Truman and McArthur. It worked out well for Harry.
Sneed, that’s why it’s so puzzling to me. It does “seem” like a screwup, especially with the rag being Rolling Stone. Just seems out of character for people who should know better to foul up like that. I agree too on the firing; I don’t think zero will allow him to resign. You’re right; he’s going to want to look tough, like the real boss.
I’m with you Pup – I don’t know what to think. On one hand what Gen. McChrystal did was to behave in an insubordinate manner and when your boss is the President of the United States…that’s not small thing.
On the other hand – everything he said is right and true. I can’t imagine the conflict within him on this. I’ve read some background on this and it appears that the Rolling Stone journalist was quite the self-important twit who may have ambushed the General in a Paris bar…a setting where the journalist may not have made his intentions clear.
Then again, the General isn’t fresh from school and there are stories out that there that this was planned.
Doesn’t matter though – the General’s resignation has been accepted and the weary and courageous General Patreus takes the helm. Which leads me to feel that both men will come out of all this the worse for the wear, at least temporarily.
Hey Pup, just wait til the book comes out. lol I am hearing speculation that he did this on purpose. I also wonder if O didn’t need to get the oil spill off the front page of the news for a couple of days. It really was killing him. This week will be Kagan’s nonimation hearings. You gotta know when the O is getting hammered, they plan to change the conversation.
I was listening to Rush on Saturday….it seems that if the troops can’t call VP Biden, “Bite Me”, Rush is taking up the slack.
The other thing that is just so doggone funny about this is about how “seriously” the White House took all this so-called “insubordination”. And this from the man and administration who has been breaking laws right and left since he took that famous oath of office (on the Bible, no less) to defend and uphold the Constitution. If it wasn’t so dad gum serious, it would be hilarious.