skippy the bush kangaroo: nice try, but no dice...

Sunday, April 16, 2006

nice try, but no dice...

stephen pizzo on the u.s. generals now coming out against the mesopotamian clusterhump where once was iraq:

...the administration is trying to counter these devastating statements by noting that none of the generals voiced such reservations during the lead-up to the war. and, because so many americans now lack any direct experience with the military, the tactic may just work. after all, it's easy to dismiss these retired generals just that easily. "so, where were your qualms when we really needed them, general?"

that's a bu!!$#!+ complaint, and i'll tell you why: we need these generals to speak up now more than ever, and that is precisely what they're beginning to do. to those of you who've been voicing just that complaint: hel-lo-ooo...

pizzo has his own, more detailed, answer:

...when an officer has a particularly sticky problem with the actions or orders of a superior officer, s/he can "request permission to speak freely, sir."

well, that was tried, by army gen. eric shinseki, who was promptly and unceremoniously "shit-canned." (another term my fellow vets may find familiar.)

the pentagon's civilian leaders sent a clear message to the rest of the pentagon brass: "do what we want, or we'll find a junior officer who will"...

and, since the pentagon brass holds the belief that "civilians rule," well, that was that. for a while...

there's a difference between a high-ranking officer involved in fighting the iraq war, like john batiste, coming out against it, and a politician involved in advising rumsfeld, wolfowitz, etc. on how to fight the war, such as newt gingrich, coming out against it. it's called "politics." batiste isn't trying to win votes, he's speaking his conscience. gingrich is just trying to distance himself from his own involvement in a spuriously justified invasion that has mutated into a civil war. if my fellow liberals and progressives want to attack someone, gingrich is fat, lame, and available.

bon appetit...

(full version at blogwhoring civilian's medley...)

posted by Jim Yeager at 5:34 AM |