General McChrystal was right…and wrong

General McChrystal started a firestorm when he spoke publicly, delivering an address in London that was seen as a rebuke to President Obama.

General McChrystal was right…and wrong.

The substance of his criticisms were legitimate and accurate. All the Nobel Peace Prize Awards will not change the fact that everybody except the hard leftists on the Nobel Committee are tuning President Obama out. Even the liberal toadies at the International Olympic Committee are ignoring him.

Yet Olympic pipsqueaks ignoring him are unimportant. Rogue regimes in Iran and North Korea ignoring him is serious. Joe Biden said during the campaign that Obama would be tested. So far he is flunking.

General McChrystal is not a politician. He is an American patriot who simply wants to keep us safe. He does not need to win an election or please voters. He does not like the way the war in Afghanistan is going. He understands that we desperately need more troops. He cannot even get a meeting with his Commander in Chief. In short, he is a subordinate who feels that his boss is incompetent.

He has every right to feel that way. Anybody has the right to feel anything.

What he does not have the right to do is publicly criticize the boss. Not when he is a soldier and his boss is the President.

The military is not a democracy. The boss gives the orders, and rightly or wrongly, those orders must be followed.

America works as a nation because our military is under civilian control. This cannot ever change if the noble experiment that is America is to remain in its current form.

General McChrystal has to decide how he wants to serve his nation best. If he wants to be a presidential critic, then he must immediately retire. Colonel Ralph Peters and Colonel Buzz Patterson are both authors and fierce critics of President Obama. They kept their mouths shut when they were in uniform. They began speaking out the moment they retired.

If General McChrystal wants to stay, he cannot sacrifice his honor just to keep his job. If he truly believes that he cannot successfully implement what the boss wants, then again he must retire or resign. To lead a military force in a strategy that he does not believe will work would be unfair and deadly for our forces.

General McChrystal needs to privately…and I stress privately…tell President Obama exactly what he needs to win. President Obama must listen to him, but that does not mean agree with him.

If for whatever reason President Obama decides to go against the advice of General McChrystal, then the General should again immediately retire or resign and let the entire nation know that he has no confidence in his leader. If the General is not willing to put his money where his mouth is and walk away, then he should not be speaking out.

General McChrystal knows more about how to win this war than President Obama, who thinks he knows everything about everything. Yes, it can be frustrating working for a gasbag that plays to the cameras while soldiers are fighting for our freedoms.

It doesn’t matter. That gasbag is the boss, and when the boss tells the General to jump, the General had better jump after asking “how high?”

If the General does not like it, he can still be an effective leader outside the military arena. President Obama has no power to censor private citizens from writing critical words about him.

Yet in the military arena, Barack Obama is the HMIC (Head man in charge). This is not open for discussion, nor can it be.

Public criticism of the President by our military must immediately cease.

Private criticism must continue unabated to his face behind closed doors.

This dynamic allows public criticism of the President to continue unabated. This is best for America.

As for President Obama, although General McChrystal was wrong in his style, he was absolutely right in the substance of his remarks.

Substance over style, Mr. President. This has been the biggest concern about you.

Listen to the General. He could have handled it better, but he knows what he is talking about.

Ignore the polls and the protesters. Heed his words.

We are at war.

eric

8 Responses to “General McChrystal was right…and wrong”

  1. Micky 2 says:

    I dont know.
    Although I agree the protocol should be followed I’d have a hard time following it if it meant more soldiers dying because they dont have the backing they need.
    Look. Obama said he said he had a strategy when he was running. Now were hearing that it could be weeks before he makes a decision.
    Its utterly outrageously off the chart ridiculous that now hes all of a sudden so perplexed that our troops have to wait weeks, never mind the amount of time it takes them to get there.
    I dont see why McChrystal got beat up so bad for going public with that speech when days before that the whole country already knew he was calling for more troops. It wasnt like he was countering or arguing against any strategy Obama had mentioned. The only strategy Obama mentioned previous to the generals speech was the one during his campaign that lead everyone to believe he was going to fight this war balls out.
    As has been said by many pundits and true to this day.
    Obama has fear mongered us into rushing into everything he wanted to win so far. Everything was going to result in a “catastrophy” a “disaster” if we didnt move quickly.
    Obviously he does not want to win this war.
    Taliban and Al Queda are now beginning to take over Pakistani bases and hold hostages. maybe he should do a little more fearmongering and tell America hes afraid that the next time a Pakistani base gets occupied by the enemy its going to be the nukes they take hostage and not the soldiers.

  2. Laree says:

    Obama’s War Frontline PBS Oct 13th Video Marines Helmand Province.

    Does this mean PBS is now an arm of the Republican Party?

    http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/10/obamas-war-frontline-pbs-oct-13th.html

  3. Toma says:

    The occupants of the White House don’t care about the war in Afghanistan or Iraq. The occupants don’t care about WMDS in Iran or North Korea. The White House occupants are afraid of the Military and the Tea Baggers and Fox News Channel. His priority is to destroy his domestic opponents. How can he gain absolute power over the American People as long as he has opposition on the home front. Remember, Democrats will use all their resources to destroy those they don’t like, and they don’t like the Military, Tea Baggers (Voters) and Fox News Channel.

    The good general stuck his neck out and risked his career by speaking out against an incompetent CIC. It is our job as voters to protect the good general and press our representatives to impeach this individual. You can call him incompetent, fool, socialist, camera mugger, or President if you like. But don’t call him the Boss. Good Bosses DO NOT act like this man. Good bosses take advice and act in the best interest of those he is responsible for. This man has done NOTHING in the best interest of the United States of America.

    You are wrong eric. The occupant does have the power to curb freedom of speech and his cadre is working at this moment to do just that. He is working hard to control the internet, and has declared war on Fox News. He is at every opportunity trying to discredit the voters (Tea Baggers) as racist. He also has the power to impose martial law. Don’t let it surprise you.

    Toma

  4. Nothing’s really changed in Afghanistan since the transfer of power in the White House, and yet now conservatives want to either escalate or evacuate. Where was the criticism of strategy when Bush was the “decider”? Nowhere. Even the “surge” in Iraq was only begrudgingly accepted, after far too long, but Obama takes a few weeks to make a decision and he’s considered waivering and indecisive.

    This was a good post, except for the assumption that McChrystal is right on the substance. I can not believe our good host could possibly know that. I know I don’t. He may be right, he may be wrong. I don’t think anyone could possibly know for sure. That’s why Obama hasn’t laid out a plan yet. If McChrystal’s plan were so correct, then I’m sure there’d be enough brass to back him up to convince the president. Obviously, there aren’t. It’s a terrible situation. And it is yet smoking pile of flambeed vomit dumped on Obama’s plate by the former “administration.”

    JMJ

  5. Toma, are you serious? Really??? REALLY???

    JMJ

  6. Toma says:

    I oppose the policies and intent of the Occupant and his cadre and their friends in Congress. I’m a Tea Bagger, I am a voter and a member of the “take back our country” group. And we have been called “angry mob, misinformed, misled, unhinged, racist, astroturf, silly”. I disagree therefore I’m the enemy. I believe in the Constitution. The Occupant and Members of Congress have repeatedly broke their oath to defend and protect the Constitution. What are we supposed to do with leaders that break their oath of office? We fire them, remove them, they are unfit to lead.

    Are you serious? Really????? REALLY??????

    Toma

  7. Dav Lev says:

    Fellow readers at this website, just consider what has happened
    the last few days.

    Two blasts and an attack on the national hq of the Iraqi army,
    killed over 100 people. Hostages were taken.

    The Pakistani Taliban and warlords are unifying to defeat
    the Pakistani army.

    While back at the ranch, our do-nothing President is probably conferring
    with Rahm and Axelrod, Reid, Pelosi, etc. as to what to do?

    A friend told me that he voted for Obama caus he liked his policies
    and promises. When I told him that no campaign promise has been kept,
    his answer was, “Well, Obama could not get in Congress what he wanted”.

    Then don’t make those promises buster!

    We as a nation were fooled big time..most especially the gullable, naive
    inexperienced students who voted for him.

    They wanted CHANGE..from the bottom up as Obama promised.

    Well, for starters, this is a democracy last time I looked..everyone
    has a right to his (her) opinion, that includes the AARP crowd, as well
    as college students wet behind their naive ears.

    With 30m people out of work, or underemployed..I should think these
    college students might consider why? Perhaps they should think about the
    800 billion in TARP money..lost.

    Perhaps they should mull over the health plan which many Americans
    believe will save US from our terrible health care system..only the best
    in the world. (Even though some choose not to get insurance, are here
    illegally, or simply don’t trust docs).

    Folks, I don’t know the right strategy in Afghanistan, Iraq or Pakistan.

    I do know one thing…if we don’t fight them there..we WILL be fighting them right here..right on Figuroa and Olympic, OR Wilshire Blvd
    at Beverly Drive.

    10,000 Kassams were fired into Israel’s south, after it left the Gaza Strip and Hamas took over the 22 settlements ( destroying them) and dozens of manufacturing plants ( dismantling them).

    Is this what we want for our cities..we are not that far away.

    There is a line in an article today in the LA Times..wherein the author
    says we are fighting our ally (Pakistan) who are themselves supporting
    the Taliban. Get it Obama.

  8. Micky 2 says:

    “Nothing’s really changed in Afghanistan since the transfer of power in the White House,”

    LMAO.
    Except that were loosing more guys than ever since Obama came into office. True, the rise in casualties began slightly before the inauguration but the fact is that hes ignored it so much that the numbers have increased to what they never were before.

    “but Obama takes a few weeks to make a decision and he’s considered waivering and indecisive.”

    Which we all know is bullsht since he campaigned on having a strategy.
    Yiou say nothing has changed in Afghanistan ?
    Well then why cant he just stick with his original strategy ?
    Second of all, the concern now since Taliban and Al Queda are storming Pakistani bases and taking hostages is that they are looking to get hold of nukes. They’ve made it abundantly clear this is one of their intentions so yeah, I suggest Obama get off his arse and stop looking for political capital for other venues at the expense of our soldiers lies.
    I’ll bet my left gonad this nincompoop is bargaining for healthcare votes, thinking of a way to kiss the rumps of his wacky left base and remain looking acceptable in the eyes of the world before he considers that right now some guy being shot at needs help…N O W !!!!!!!!!

    “If McChrystal’s plan were so correct, then I’m sure there’d be enough brass to back him up to convince the president. ”

    Theres plenty of acking, it has nothing to do with that.
    This moron in chief has been presented with so many workable plans on everything since he took office only to not get a damn thing done yet because hes too worried about everything else except actual results to the issue at hand.

    “And it is yet smoking pile of flambeed vomit dumped on Obama’s plate by the former “administration.”

    Childish.
    “George, I’d like the war nice and pretty wrapped up with a ribbon all ready for me to go and win with no problems when I get to office”
    Do see the idiocy in your statement ?
    First, Obama said this is the war that must be won and is well aware that it wont be won in his term either.
    Say what you want, those efforts by Bush kept your “blame Bush for everything” rump from being blown up.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.