It seems worth pausing to take note of this:
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates bluntly told an audience of West Point cadets on Friday that it would be unwise for the United States to ever fight another war like Iraq or Afghanistan, and that the chances of carrying out a change of government in that fashion again were slim.
“In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ‘have his head examined,’ as General MacArthur so delicately put it,” Mr. Gates told an assembly of Army cadets here.
By implication, of course, this means that the entire Bush administration, a good number of Democrats, nearly the entire news media, and a healthy percentage of the American people should have their heads examined. But, obviously, that’s almost the entire premise of this blog.
For some reason this reminds me of how troubling it was to see that disgusting puke Cheney sitting in his wheelchair at the inaugural. I had trouble reconciling his presence with the proceeding.
Gates told a small wedge of the truth. I suspect that is very hard to do in rigid and pathological bureaucracies, so I respect that. But it’s still exasperating how little appears.
Hey, let’s give credit to the good number of Democrats who miraculously managed to nominate Barack Obama for President.
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Gates challenges cadets to change Army culture Feb 25, 2011
I do miss insight by Robert Gates for career advancement in the Xe and Dyna Corp mercenaries with much bigger paychecks. CIA cover blown by partner in Denver, Colorado.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
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"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
Boy we’ve got strong partners in the Pakistanis don’t we?
General Marshall told Truman to stay out of Southeast Asia.
George Ball told Johnson to stay out of Vietnam.
Mac Arthur pleaded with Johnson not to get involved in Vietnam.
I’m glad Gates has said this. It needs to be said.
More to the point, it needs to be heard and accepted.
I’ll never understand how MacArthur got in with the Taft wing of the Republican Party of the 40’s & 50’s. Look at his record in Japan. And he knew Asia pretty well. He, like Ike, was a pretty complicated fellow. Not easy to pigeon hole despite the right’s best effort.
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/7434/mccain.png
I remember that strange tweet.
Gates is as good an example of Obama’s tendency to value competence above political compatibility in staffing choices. It’s a good approach, I think. It’s easy enough when you disagree with a subordinate to say, “I hear you, but I’m the boss,” but competence is invaluable.
Gates understands reality, which is very important.
Every few years somewhere onthe planet a politician utters the truth. Lets await him being shouted down by those who know better or enjoy the benefits of huge arms deals
Maybe all our military and political overlords ought to watch “The Princess Bride,” and pay special attention to what Vizini gloatingly tells The Dread Pirate Robert: “You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is: ‘Never get involved in a land war in Asia.'”
Unfortunately, however, it appears the latest trend in thinking by the in-crowd is to ridicule the lessons of history. So we really are doomed to repeat every mistake ever made in the history of man.
I suspect that Gates is getting pretty burned out but I do wish he could stick around until the Afghanistan drawdown is well under way! I am afraid that someone new, no matter who it is, could be swayed by the war merchants to stay just a little longer, just try this one more idea etc. They could also get a little Psy-Ops treatment also. I hope that that General ordering the Psy-ops gets thrown out, and soon! No pity. Illegal is illegal and he needs the full force of the law. In addition, retirement taken from him also. How can you do something so illegal and still get paid a pretty sum for the rest of your life? I know, very off topic. Sorry.
Who is there who could replace Gates with his common sense and tell it like it isness? Anyone?
Gates should pay attention to why MacArthur got cashiered instead of what he said over a decade later. In other words, hindsight is 20/20. And learning in the national security apparatus seems to be zip.
Maybe Gates should talk about the next war we should not get in. The “war on drugs” comes to mind. Defense of anything in Central Asia, the neo-cons Cold War strategic prize, comes to mind. Even anywhere in the Caribbean comes to mind.