Most important reason why we have 'politicians' and political operatives in these positions... not former Flag / General officers.
-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
Gates gone -- Panetta at DOD, Patraeus to CIA
- Thread starter Flying Toaster
- Start date
Most important reason why we have 'politicians' and political operatives in these positions... not former Flag / General officers.
True enough. I don't want a retired flag officer, necessarily, but military experience of some sort is of great use. I think it gives insight into the culture and values of the military as an organization. For example, Gates had a short stint in the USAF and Rumsfeld did some time in the Navy. Ideally, I'd want a senior politician or business leader with some military experience.
Like say, someone who got out as an O-5, and was offered SecDef while president of Ford?
I was thinking the same thing... talented businessman/administrator/analyst, cut a lot of fat from DoD (and yes, some meat too), but the wrong man for the job of wartime SECDEF.
And who was that? It definitely doesn't describe Mr. Panetta. However, I was recently surprised to learn that he did serve in the Army for two years as a lawyer.
Slate has an interesting analysis of the moves.
I forgot about him...it's been awhile, after all. I should have remembered, after seeing "The Fog of War."
Damn - You are a lot older than I thought you were.
I discovered that beer is the fountain of youth.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
I'm immortal AND bulletproof!
Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright, 'guns & bibles' remark, Dreams of My Father . . . I just don't know why I find it difficult to trust this person. Must be some inherent failing in me, is all I can guess.
I dont know what Fog meant by that comment, so I won't speculate, but there may have been some inadvertent truth to his statement...
Petraeus may not want to run for political office, but that doesn't mean he couldn't be a political threat.
I dont know what the Generals politics are but with the 2012 election coming up the President may have wanted to take him out of the equation... Imagine worst case for the President the General, after having retired from the Army just ahead of the election, becomes very critical of the Obama administration and is outspoken. VERY Damaging.
Medium / bad case scenario the General endorses the Republican nominee. Public opinion of the General has been pretty high, that could sway A LOT of voters, and you can bet CNN, FOX, MSNBC would be all over that endorsement.
As CIA director he is off the board so to speak...
Jeez. man, that's exactly what I meant. I need to lighten up on this political stuff, I guess. Maybe when you guys are in your 60's you'll worry more about the future of your country than you do now. I didn't care much for LBJ, even when I was an ensign in RVN and he & McNamara were picking targets & bombloads for airstrikes, but I wasn't as worked up about it as I seem to be now. Must be an age-related malady.