Dismiss - Or Be Dismissed

by John Cory, Reader Supported News

Wednesday, 23 June 2010 09:13

Gen. Stanley McChrystal meets with President Obama in 2009. (photo: Pete Souza/White House)

Reader Supported News | Perspective

resident Obama must dismiss Gen. McChrystal or be dismissed.

There is no middle ground. This cannot be viewed in "political" terms or that "above the fray" mentality.

The Rolling Stone article makes it clear that General McChrystal has little respect for the President of the United States, the Vice President or the Constitution, and that is what is at stake here. Politics, be damned.

The forces that have worked and continue to work to portray President Obama as illegitimate or not a "real" American will continue to do so if he fires the General. And if Mr. Obama does not dismiss the General then he will be portrayed as a "pushover," and the ideological right will marshal their forces to attack a weak President and hail the General as perceptive and on-point about the "uncomfortable and intimidated" President.

The Constitution is clear. The President of the United States is the Commander-In-Chief, not General McChrystal. This is not the puppet movie "Team America," despite the frat-boy staff that supports their "boss." Civilians control the military, not the other way around.

Mr. Obama needs to accept the resignation of General McChrystal or fire him. And his staff.

And no, I do not agree with Keith Olbermann's special comments.

This is a critical moment for the President and the American people.

I am holding my breath.

Comments

+12 # Guest 2010-06-23 09:58

He should not have had the privilage of resigning. In giving him that privilage instead of firing him, he has allowed him to continue on in the military and will therefore receive his pensions and all of his benefits. Frankly, he doesn't deserve it. Had this been Bush, nobody would have even considered bashing him and anyone who had the nerve would have been fired before the story was printed, actually, the story would not have gotten printed. We didn't have freedom of the press at that time did we?

+16 # Guest 2010-06-23 10:00

I agree 100%. (And also disagree with Olbermann)

Too much commentary mixes up the war policy - which is terrible -with the statements of Gen. McChrystal, which are deplorable.

1. Fire McChrytstal.

2. Leave Afghanistan.

+7 # Guest 2010-06-23 10:31

Equal justice in America isn't for everyone. It's only for corporate crooks, dysfunctional corporations, high government officials, for the police, judges, prosecutors and juries, but not for the common man (or women).

Anyplace else this general and his advisers would have been shot for treason!

But then, this is America, isn't it? Where even a child stealing a piece of gum from a store is surrounded by 6 police cars, twelve police detectives and then prosecuted for theft!

+2 # Guest 2010-06-23 13:59

Agreed.

+11 # Guest 2010-06-23 10:37

I agree, fire him and do not give him the option of resigning. This president needs to start commanding the respect he deserves.

+6 # Guest 2010-06-23 10:49

I actually admire the way McChrystal spoke his mind in some ways. But he was warned and kept doing it, so this was fair. Much more important is his strategy, which I strongly disagree with. Obama himself said they never disagreed about the strategy. Unfortunately, it seems the strategy will continue until they finally have to concede it won't work. Fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan will never defeat the terrorists who attacked us, who are in Pakistan and other places now. Bush and Cheney blew our chance of catching them in Afghanistan, and we should have left soon afterward.

+13 # Guest 2010-06-23 11:39

As a previous devoted USMC officer and nine year CIA employee in covert operations in SE Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, I have seen first hand, how well meaning military officers - understandably - begin to operate with 'blinders' - forgetting or not understanding strategic goals, and become fanatically focused on the immediate tactics of killing the perceived enemy - even though that enemy may represent the overwhelming percentage of the civilian population.
In summary, sure - it may be the military commander knows HOW to fight the fight he's in, BUT, should we even BE in that fight?? That's why we need the civilians - the congress, and the President in charge.

+1 # Guest 2010-06-23 12:47

I would never defend McChrystal, who was a prime mover in the shameful Tillman coverup. Just as well that he is out. But his "Rolling Stone" comments are an imperfect reflection of wrong US policy in Afghanistan. Participants in this policy will react in different ways depending on their vantage points, character, and attitudes toward the war, as it slides deeper into contradiction and error. Obama, like many others before him, has surrounded himself with "yes" men who tell him and his crew what they want to hear. With his position as Commander In Chief, it was relatively easy to silence this example of restlessness. Will it continue to be so simple?

+8 # Guest 2010-06-23 13:14

Obama is consistently thought of , by many on the right, as weak. His endless forays into bipartisanship, his lack, as evidenced in last week's Gulf speech, to forcefully lay out the principles of Liberalism and how and why its better for the country and his continued reliance on less the stellar advisers i.e. Geithner, Summers,Emanuel and now McChrystal. The buck stops here Mr.President. I love Olbermann but he's mistaken this time. Fire this S.O.B. and remind all of your detractors that you do indeed have what it takes to command. This could signal the moment, like the Gulf disaster should have, that pragmatism, perseverance and patience must occasionally be shelved and replaced with resolve, resoluteness and resilience.

+6 # Guest 2010-06-23 13:27

I'd have preferred McChistal being fired rather than accepting his resignation. Regretfully there we have generals and admirals who fail to recognize the importance of civilian leadership in a Democracy and the part that national and international politics plays during peace and hostilities.

+4 # Guest 2010-06-23 13:46

He had to go. I worked for the Army. All they understand is force. This is no longer your Father's Army. Don't make me explain.

+1 # Guest 2010-06-24 05:57

Quoting

This is no longer your Father's Army. Don't make me explain.

My father is Navy Reserve (retired), but I've seen enough about today's armed forces that you don't need to explain.

+1 # rom120 2010-06-23 13:59

This issue brings back memories which most of you do not know because you did not even live when it happened.
The best, most successful, most brilliant general during WW2 on the American side also critisized his government and President. And he did not want to retire on a military pension because this would have prevented him from speaking out, he was going to "QUIT"!! and seek political office to right wrongs.
It was General George Patton and he was assassinated by the CIA before he could lift the lid off what general McCrystal is doing now.
Think about it. And if you do not believe me, just read "Targeting Patton".

-10 # Guest 2010-06-23 14:51

OH, SO NOW WE ARE LOSING FREEDOM OF SPEECH???????? THE GENERAL SPOKE THE TRUTH IN MY ESTIMATION AND THAT OF MANY I'VE TALKED TO ... OBARFA IS DOING A LOUSY JOB AS PRESIDENT...BESIDES BEING ARROGANT. PLUS IT SEEMS LIKE THIS SITE IS MORE LIBERAL THAN NOT!!!!!!!!!!!! !

+1 # Guest 2010-06-23 15:35

In general, I like and have cheered Mr Cory's work. Not too sure about this one. I hope Mr Cory is happy now. The media should help us develop well-informed opinions, but please let's not have them running the country! I don't care much for supper with sucks either, and in this particular case, I suspect that some fault does lie with the civilians that run the military. Too easy to blame it on the guys who have the tough jobs, as is well dramatized in Black Hawk down.

+3 # Guest 2010-06-23 16:04

This isn't about freedom of speech. We all have that, including those who submit blogs on the Internet.

This is about insubordination and ignoring the Universal Code Of Military Justice. Those who have served in the military understand what they swear to while they serve this great nation.

The decision that our President made today is the right one according to our Constitution.

I am grateful that both leading Republicans and Democrats understand this and support our elected President's decision.

+3 # Guest 2010-06-23 19:38

Joan Firestone: The military does not have "freedom of speech" in the same sense civilians do. McChrystal, though high up on the chain of command, is still IN the chain of command. Among his bosses are the Army Chief of Staff, the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Secretary of Defense (Gates), and the Commander in Chief.....The President. If McChrystal repeatedly and publicly speaks disrespectfully about his bosses and their policies, he's being insubordinate and must face the consequences. The military should remain politically non-partisan, by the way, though they've move openly more and more to the right in the past 40 years. If McChrystal wants to publicly contradict and mock his President, he should retire immediately and join the other hacks on Fox. He canNOT do it while on active duty, though he has now done so on 2 separate occasions.

+1 # Guest 2010-06-24 05:37

Shucks, guys. let's put all the cards on the table, shall we? McChrystal was just pissed off because he was being made a 5 star general, equal to that ot the Commander in Chief! He just wanted equal power to do what he wanted and he just didn't get it.

But not to worry, I'm sure he already is on the payroll with FOX news propaganda services. That is where all these guys lands after being disgraced, fired, kicked out, etc.,. As long as speak out against president Obama, they will have a job.

Gosh, how they must hated our black president!

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