Andrew Sullivan has a good McCain quote on Sanchez.
I wonder if Gen. Petraeus were to retire and say the same things, what would Move On say?
Bottom line, our military has become too politicized. And I'll throw the blame at the commander in chief...but a bit of it does go to anyone in the military command not forthright to the civilian government.
2 comments:
The generals in the military have always been political and require hearings/confirmation process. What is amazing is that the American public doesnt realize that. It's a very political environment, even more so than the civilian appointees/civilian career workers because of the military hierarchy and the following of orders. You may not see it on the battlefield but you definitely see it in the non-combat commands. Political struggles are nothing new.. just ask Gen Grant or Gen MacArthur....
The trouble is, as Bryan noted the other day, the Uniform Code of Military Justice makes it a court-martial offense for any military officer to use "...contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present." They are required by law to be very careful about what they say as long as they're on active duty. Which is why asking the military "experts" how political policies are working out on the ground is an exercise in futility.
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