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Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce
It occurs to me that "retired generals" would imply old men, steeped in military tradition, trained in the army way and maybe resistant to change. Maybe they don't grasp or trust the new fangled gadgetry of the "army of one".
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Wrong generals. Go back to 2002. Rumsfeld wanted out generals such as Shelton - (Joint Chief who followed Shalikashvili who succeeded Powell). Curious. Shelton was one of the 1990s generals who had conducted extensive research to identify bin Laden's organization and money sources before and when the George Jr administration insisted there was no threat. IOW he obviously identified real threats before they were threats. The neocons (Project for New American Century) adamantly insisted only Saddam Hussein was a threat - in direct contradiction to what generals such as Shelton were saying.
Many generals who turned down offers to work for Rumsfeld by retirement or other actions include Generals Tommy Franks, John Keane, B. Bell, James Campbell, Larry Ellis, Philip Kensinger, John Abazaid, and Eric Shinseki. All generals of major Asian and European commands and other top positions. Normally the job would be a major promotion. But it meant dealing directly and repeatedly with Rumsfeld. Remember what Rumsfeld said back then when he could not find generals who agreed with his way: "my way or the highway." Curious. Now he says all those generals could speak up at any time and he would listen.
We now have a new crop of generals, all recently bloodied in combat and all recently retired, who also saw Rumsfeld and the administration for what they really are. Especially significant is Batiste who was regarded as a sure bet for Joint Chief. He turned down a third star - considered the biggest promotion in a lifetime - because his principles were stronger than his ambitions. Because for one reason that he has made quite clear - Rumsfeld.
Janise Karpinski makes an interesting speculation - and she admits it is only speculation. This first strike nuclear attack on Iran has unnerved the entire US military. Did my post on the matter exceed any previous post in making the point! It better! Notice punctuation I almost never use! I have never made a post in the Cellar as critical importance as that post about George Jr's nuclear first strike proposition! Mark my word! More adamant than any post opposed to a useless invasion of Iraq and any post demanding the rescue of Kuwait - none should be remember as much as my recent post on a 1st strike nuclear attack of Iran!
What Janise Karpinski suggests has much merit. This may not be about Rumsfeld. We won't be fooled again was a promise by virtually all generals to not let the mistakes of Vietnam happen again. And yet that is exactly what is happening now. Except the people making these decisions to subvert the world view nuclear war as a viable and freely used option. If we have nuclear weapons, then we should be free to use them at any time. Notice the appropriate use of !!!!
One final point. Much of my opposition to the original Iraq war was based sources I will say no more about. Do you think I was so accurate about Iraq all these years for no reason. The military is not happy about what Rumsfeld et al is doing to this nation. Why do you not hear this? Because generals do not talk. That should tell you that we now have serious and severe problems with our current civilian leadership. It has gotten that bad which is why Janise Karpinski may be more accurate than any of us should want to believe. Something bad is happening in the US military. This due to civilian leadership who saw nothing wrong in proposals to unilaterally attack Russia, India, or Germany to keep the US in a #1 position. Real bad. And neocon fingerprints are all over it. Such minds would give no second thought to using nuclear weapons.
If this post does not give you pause, then read it again. George Jr has considered a 1st strike nuclear attack - Pearl Harbor style - which he personally characterized as speculation. He does not even deny it. Speculation by an administration with such a long history of lying that any responsible military man should be worried! Would that not cause generals to start talking! Damn straight it would! These are people who never talk! Be worried or be an ostrich! What these generals have said may really be about something far more danagerous - which makes sense considering the morals of George Jr and his administration.