Photo By: Philip Wartena ledger-enquirer.com
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NO LUCRATIVE DEFENSE CONTRACTOR JOBS FOR THIS GENERAL
Recently, I was writing a piece on two brothers who were involved in helping a family who had been devastated by Katrina(see HEROES ARE EVERYWHERE IN AMERICA ). Both guys were Vietnam vets and one of them made this statement in 1993 when a reporter interviewed him about the 1968 TET offensive: "I don't think our generation will ever allow the military to get entangled in something like that (Vietnam) again."
DREAM ON! I smile when I think of the above quote; what we said would never happen again back in 1968 is exactly what is happening now in Iraq. Like I keep saying, IRAQNAM!
As anyone who reads my stuff regularly knows, I'm not a big fan of high ranking military personnel. It is not because they are not good, capable men and women, but because they are extremely political; and, my belief, they have been misused by the present administration and especially the Secretary of Defense which galls me to no end. It is not like anybody cares what I think, but still, I will continue to rail against the misuse.
One General Speaks Out
AFP/File/Khalil Mazraawi
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Paul Eaton, a retired Army major general, was in charge of training the Iraqi military from June 2003 to June 2004. Last Sunday, March 19, in an editorial in the New York Times entitled A Top-Down Review for the Pentagon he says "Donald Rumsfeld is not competent to lead our armed forces."
Why is he speaking out now? Well, first of all, we have to believe that he believes what he says: basically that we have mismanaged the war in Iraq with global consequences; and secondly, to a degree, he can no longer keep silent.
Why didn't he speak out before he retired? Why did he retire possibly early? Since I don't know him, I can only speculate. In my opinion, Eaton probably became persona non grata to the powers that be. He is a two star general. Is that not successful? Of course, but for most ambitious military generals, to retire with two stars means that you have "backed the wrong horse"; at a minimum, three stars would be OK; but, figuratively speaking, two stars probably means that you've passed gas in public.
Becoming a General Means Politics
AP Photo/Joel Page
| The best general I've ever known was a one star. And, any general officer past one star is as political as any politician could ever be. They have sponsors
who track and mentor them.
And the generals, themselves, stay on top of their careers. Generals make sure they attend the right schools, have the right commands; they do everything that says they are ready for the next star. And, let's face it, two stars get promoted to three stars.
Joining In The Chorus Of Those Wanting To See Rumsfeld Exit
Since Eaton's editorial in The New York Times was very derogatory towards the Secretary of Defense, Eaton has probably killed off any chance of getting a lucrative job with some military contractor. He calls Rumsfeld incompetent, but not in the way I expected. He says that Rumsfeld has alienated the allies who have historically been important to us; while, at the same time, alienating competent seasoned officers and their subordinates.
GROUP THINK
General Eaton said this is the atmosphere that the Secretary of Defense has fostered. GROUP THINK means experienced military men, women, and civilians will not challenge the notions of senior leadership. GROUP THINK is in lockstep with the opinions of the Secretary of Defense.
Give Me An Example
Eaton cited examples of when General Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, faced off on what appears to be a simple matter; how our soldiers are to react when they see abuse of prisoners by Iraqi authorities. General Pace wanted American soldiers to intervene. Rumfeld said the soldiers should simply report the incidents to their superiors. The General backed down. By doing this, Pace made a colossal error of judgment because he could have set a good example for his soldiers. And, Pace is a Marine. Damn!
EGO DRIVEN
REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood
| General Eaton said that the Secretary of Defense is ego driven. Now that is a revelation! Because Rumsfeld has screwed up, the Army finds itself severely undermanned, cut to 10 active divisions and tasked by the administration to support a foreign policy that requires at least 12 or 14 divisions.
What happens when someone like Rumsfeld is challenged? An example: Gen. Eric Shinseki,(the Army chief of staff at the beginning of Bush administration) challenged Rumsfeld about his ideas of downsizing and Shinseki was replaced a year before his retirement.
The rest of the senior brass got the message. Rumsfeld has consistently ignored competent advisors and the war has been severely mismanaged. It didn't take General Eaton to tell us this, but it is affirmation.
Rumsfeld Is A Bully
Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks/Handout/Reuters
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The President constantly is saying he 's looking to the commanders on the ground. According to Eaton, Paul Bremer, Presidential envoy in Iraq for 14 months, called Rumsfeld the 8,000 mile screwdriver, reaching form the Pentagon. (Rumsfeld sounds crazed with power and control.)
According to the New York Times editorial, Rumsfeld has surrounded himself with nothing but "yes" men.
Surrounding himself with "yes men" is nothing new for Rumsfeld; we've all known this unless we've been in as much denial as many in the Administration. Sad is the word.
Why doesn't the President accept Rumsfeld's offer to resign? Nobody could do worse! Loyalty is one thing; but for the President to be taken down with him is bad politics at best and stupidity at worse.
I'll have to say that I like this General. And, I hope that someone pays attention; but, based on history, I doubt it. Nothing seems to penetrate our path toward stupidity in this war. Heaven help us. kt
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