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The Few, The Proud, Armies of One

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Message David Cox

 

 

 

 

Again and again they stand before the complicit media and say no, that is incorrect.

The President makes claims and they repeat no, that is incorrect. Nancy and Harry talk a good game but all while they bob and weave denouncing the Presidents plans but funding them all the same. The media anointed presidential candidates of both parties do their best to distance themselves from the President. But when push comes to shove they all agree with the President that pushing and shoving is the only answer.

But there is only one group of people affiliated with the United States government that have stood tall and answered sir, no sir. Sacrificing careers and positions of prestige they have again and again repeated sir, no sir. This is strangest group of anti war resisters in US history, during the Vietnam conflict thousands of young men burned their draft cards as a show of defiance. This revolt is different however in that it has been from the officer’s ranks of the armed services that have burnt their own punched tickets by saying sir, no sir.

Last week the former top US commander in Baghdad Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez described the war in Iraq as "a nightmare with no end in sight". This latest honest and bluntest assessment is just another in a long line coming from the upper echelons of the military’s elite officer corps.

Sanchez speaking before a meeting of military correspondents and editors in Arlington Virginia described the administration as, "incompetent, inept, and derelict in the performance of their duty". Thems mighty strong words to be coming from a a career officer with direct access to the inner circle. A man whose goal in his military career was to reach those very heights. A man with enough character to say sir, no sir

The retired general discussing the Presidents surge strategy explained "Continued manipulations and adjustments to our military strategy will not achieve victory," he said. "The best we can do with this flawed approach is stave off defeat." The military officer corps was once considered the bastion of Republicanism yet this administration has witnessed a revolving door exodus of officers fleeing the pentagon.

Yet Sanchez wasn’t finished please read this quote carefully and then stop and think about what the general actually is saying, "There has been a glaring, unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national leaders," the retired general complained. "In my profession, these type of leaders would immediately be relieved or court-martialled." Is general Sanchez calling for the removal of national leaders? It sure does sound like it, when was the last time you heard a military officer speak about the removal of national leaders? Only by qualifying this remark with "In my profession" does he keep his toes just this side of sedition.

But there is a larger question, who was this remark aimed at? The media didn’t find it important enough for general public consumption. General Sanchez no doubt understood that the corporate media would ignore such remarks but it was addressed to military correspondents. And the corespondent’s audience would be the military themselves.

It cannot be underestimated what the general is saying and who he is saying it to. It would be easy enough to dismiss if he were alone. But the line of retired, fired and cashiered generals grows longer by the day. As Sanchez continues firing with both barrels, "There is nothing going on today in Washington that would give us hope," he insisted. US politicians in both the administration and congress have too often chosen loyalty to their political party above loyalty to the constitution because of what he called "their lust for power".

From Colonel Karen Kitowski’s disclosures of the Vice Presidents actions during the run up to the Iraq war to the recent Air Forces public disclosure of the improper movement of nuclear weapons. It would appear that a tug of war is going on between the administration and the pentagon and the patriots are in the pentagon.

General Peter Pace Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff lasted only two years while doing his best to convince the administration of their folly. Pace had said Guantánamo ought to be closed and the US should adhere to the Geneva conventions. Pace had also said it was time to realize that a new strategy was necessary in Iraq. The only modification the administration was willing to consider was the removal of General Pace. The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.

The administration chose to replace Pace with Admiral Michael Mullen a highly respected navy man who was in fact a two fer. Being that’s its considered inappropriate for the top two positions of the Joint Chiefs to be held by any one branch of the service. Out goes Pace’s aide Vice Admiral Giambastiani. But the administration was tiring of dealing with these professionals and their advice based on years of professional experience.

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I was born and raised in Chicago in a liberal Democratic home my Grandfather was a labor union organizer my Father a Democratic district committeeman my Mother was an election judge. My earliest memories were of passing out Kennedy yard signs from (more...)
 
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