Sidney Blumenthal: "...the US officer corps has turned on the government"

[Teddy_Salad]

One high-level military strategist told me that Rumsfeld is "detested", and that "if there's a sentiment in the army it is: Support Our Troops, Impeach Rumsfeld".

More...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1215613,00.html

[NMDemDist2]

1. my hubby (ex-MP) said this would happen

he's been saying all along the troops won't stand still to let the "suits" hang out those guys/girls in Iraq for following orders

[lanparty]

7. I find it telling ...

I find it telling that the first guy being court-martialed is the one who took the pictures.

In other words, the biggest offense in this affair is that someone documented it.

[necso]

2. Ok,

So I am back to Clark for VP.

I have backed Clark for Pres, but thought Sec State was the better job for him.

Now, I am thinking that reassuring the troops looms large. Clark is a stand-up guy and would never put up with this "throw them to the wolves" bullshit... Because that is all about finding scapegoats, not assigning responsibility.

This might well start a flame-war, but when I am in charge, NO ONE but me ever suffers for acts committed while faithfully following my orders. Never, ever. This is what duty to your subordinates (along with leading them to worthwhile victory) is all about.

[Eloriel]

3. It's also leadership

Or at least that's MY idea of a good leader. Good on ya.

[sofa king]

6. Troops might go for Clark, but...

Most of the Pentagon-types have a pretty strong antipathy for him. The ring-knockers are not big on brainiacs and Clark was skipped over a lot of people for most of his promotions, especially that fourth star. Clark particularly pissed off a lot of brass because "intellectual" officers are usually coralled early and placed into (highly important, but not career-rewarding) planning jobs, where they wind up their careers as bird colonels--or less. I'm told that Clark caught the attention of one of the Secretaries of Defense--was it Frank Carlucci? maybe even Dick Cheney?--and was fast-tracked, much to the dismay of jerks like Hugh Shelton. It didn't help that Clark was entirely willing to go over the heads of his superiors if he wasn't getting what he wanted--that's probably Shelton's biggest gripe, I would think.

At least, that's what the Pentagon-types tell me down at the bar. I was a volunteer for Clark and I think he'd make an excellent candidate for VP.

Rumsfeld pisses off the people for somewhat different reasons. The three most important things he's done to tick off the Pentagon--according to someone I know there--were 1) hauling several top generals out of retirement, which screwed the promotions up for an entire generation of top brass; 2) regularly overriding and parsing Pentagon requests for troops and supplies--it was Rummy who has to take the fall for all that ceramic armor he was too cheap to ask for; 3) vigorously pushing for extremely broad military reform, which upsets practically everyone, not necessarily because the ideas are bad but because he wants to do it RIGHT NOW, in the middle of at least two damned wars.

If he rolls his subordinates under the bus on this prison thing, well, I think that's it for him. I think he might be just enough of a weasel to try it, too.

[lanparty]

8. I thought ...

I thought it was really shitty of him to waltz in and "re-invent the military. When in fact, all he did was review decisions made during the Clinton administration by various people and take credit for all of them.

Seriously though ... I like Yogi Bera, but I don't think he should be Secretary of Defense ;-)

[TacticalPeek]

4. kick n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. What I just sent my congress woman

with article of course

Dear Congresswoman,

Many historians over the years have asked why there has never been a Coup in the United States. One answer, given by mamy is that the military has contact with the civilians it serves.

Well read this from Sidney Blumenthal, which apeared in the Guardian. Oh and by the way, what Blumenthal details is exactly the recipee for an old fashioned Military Coup in Latin America. Yes this is the reason to start righiting the ship of state, by impeaching Rumsfeld.

And we may actually see a Coup if... Bush is reelected. I can tell you, there is disgust in the military, and it is deep. We may even see it before that, if Congress does not do its job. The effects of a coup for American Democracy will be long and deep, and it will be a self inflicted wound, even deeper than the wound we have inflicted to ourselves over Abu Ghraib.

[lanparty]

9. If Bush steals another election ...

I fear what may happen in this country. How does one remove a president who so obviously illegitamite and who has effectively launched his on coup on democracry. Does sedition become the only recourse????