And if flares had started the smallest of fires somehow the Taliban would surely enhance to use to make it seem that the US is attacking civvies again. Because of the times we did so and tried to cover it up. Its very hard to trust...

That is why drones are SO SO SO much better for this role. They are so quiet and so long ranged that they can make ABSOLUTELY sure they are attacking a bad guy and have the whole thing on tape clear as day which wards off pressure and scares the hell out of the enemy.

What does that have anything to do with the comments a military general made?

Oh and careful about the "jackass" note. Almost everyone agreed with him and actually made him more popular for a time. The jackass deserved it and admitted he deserved the comment from the president.

Actually I agreed with him on that, Kanye West is a bit an arse. Also Kanye's not Obama's higher-up. ;)

I agree the rapper was a jackass to that girl but I didn't need the president to slam him in the media for it. That was Obama just trying to gain some popularity amongst most people who felt the same way about the rapper. I'm not sure about you but I have a big problem with the president using his seat to throw around personal insults at common US citizens. Obama is in the job of public service. I find it far worse for people in positions of trust using their authority to go around attacking common citizens. He's certainly not a king and is certainly not a reincarnation of Christ. He's just a public servant that was elected by a bunch of misinformed sheeple.

http://sundance.bside.com/2010/films...o_sundance2010

http://festival.sundance.org/2010/bl...hers_restrepo/

Der Spiegel had a German essay about it today, describing it as a very good but depressing movie showing the human suffering in the soldiers and contrasting that with the meaninglessness of their fight. If Spiegel International has it in English in the coming days, I'll ring the bell.

Yea about those drones... last I heard they werent to fond of those either.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ne-protest-va/

Woops .... heh link for LOL's :haha:


Here is the right link

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0603/dis...drone-strikes/

Have a read of the 1st Amendment and note Obama is a civilian.

The Obama christ thing again? So 2008

Claims on mineral wealth a PR trick?

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...701854,00.html

According to various rumors he has handed in his resignation. Good that ought to be minimal for destroying morale among his command by mocking a superior.

If he had just waited till he resigned he would be as free to do as he wants he could sit on fox news and whine all day.

Of course Fox will try to have him on day after day and of course job offerings but like Palin this will peter out as well.

And you assume that morale is derived from respect for the chain of command? In such a perfect world, I'd derive more morale from the approachable princesses riding unicorns.:DL

I'm joking, of course. Respect for the chain of command is essential, and it plays a very important part in morale, but it is very rare to see an officer who can manage respect, performance, and troop morale. Show of hands from the military guys here. How many of you had what you would consider "good" officers more than half of the time?
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I don't know whether Gen. McChrystal is a good leader, but I can say for certain that his removal for political reasons will be bad for morale. If there's one thing that troops hate more than being led by an idiot, it's being led by an idiot who is led by an idiot. If what I've heard first-hand thus far is any basis, Obama is pretty unpopular amongst the troops anyway. Assuming that is true, most servicemembers would take offense at the General's removal.

Perhaps I can make the point more clear. The worst thing to happen in a combat situation is to be attacked from an unexpected direction. Even the most elite troops will rarely weather such a thing, hence the importance of flanking. If McChrystal is removed, the troops will feel both outflanked and unable to do anything about it. Worse, they will think (whatever the case may be) that it is for unrelated political reasons, and troops hate dying for unrelated political reasons.

The fact that this situation occurred is bad enough already. Let's hope that it does not become worse.

Well that would be one pretty short reign. I remember reading McChrystal's introduction from Newsweek or Time just recently.

It was this one.

Oh well.

When I was in the military, it was my observations that the workers in the military care little about Generals. One is about as good/bad as another. Managerially and from a leadership standpoint, Generals are fungible... they come and they go and the workers keep on working the mission. :salute:

While I think you're right, I don't doubt that McChrystal was completely aware of that as well.

As has been stated, I think he's just fed up. I've worked for plenty of completely incompetent bosses in my life, and once I was resigned to my ultimate fate, I never once felt the need to restrain myself.

Obama's administration has been nothing but incompetent, and their decisions would ultimately reflect poorly on the general. So he essentially flipped them off on the way out the door to a nice pension and some lofty senior private position.

He's still serving the people of this nation in a public office. He's a servant of the people, by the people, for the people just like a police officer is. He was on duty and talking bad about another citizen. If I did that (I'm a cop btw) what do you think would happen to me? Suspended for 30 days minimum, terminated maximum. Either way, I'd be at home more! :hmmm: Hmmm, I could use a little break to play SH5 some more! That settles it then... The next person I pull over, I'm calling them a "jackass"! :rotfl2:

Seriously. Generals are closer akin to politicians anyway for the most part. Just a whole lot of brass and hot air. They come, they go, like a breeze, and so far up the food chain, as to become meaningless in your day to day life.

I think the most meaning a general brought to my existance, was if they came up with a really stupid idea. I think "McPeak" should be entered into the USAF lexicon of unutterable profanity. The ideas that clown had for uniforms is a freaking joke.

edit:
BTW, i think this is the article in question, i'm not sure:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236