General Petraeus is not a political figure, he is a general officer in the United States armed forces.
I'm not making any friends by mocking this transparent pile of donkey shit cynically referred to by Democrats as support for our military men and women, but to be honest the facts are on my side. Nobody that claims to support military men and women would openly mock a general officer for saying something they disagree with by posting this
while at the same time propping up military commanders that say things they do agree with. It is an issue of respect. Liberals have none for military men and women. When you try to broadside David Petraeus while simultaneously sucking Wesley Clark's cock, you obviously don't respect the military - you use them to bolster political arguments and you think they are pawns on a political chessboard to be knocked over and cast aside on your way to the king.
Liberals aren't really being very clever here. Nobody actually believes that by and large liberals support the military, and liberals that are trying to make the argument are being utterly trumped by their own bretheren. Really, what is being portrayed is a startling lack of respect for Americans that have earned their place in this society. If I'm choosing sides, who am I choosing - a man who has a 30 year career and has dedicated his life to protecting the country, or am I going to choose some asshole blogger armchair quarterback that has absolutely no sophistication with military matters and an axe to grind? I'm not picking the loser at DailyKos - sorry.
You see, liberals have never understood something that is vital to why they have always failed at popularizing progressive politics nationally. Because you see literally everything through a politically motivated prism you are blind to the fact that everyone else really don't operate that way - not even the GOP. In the United States of America people get offended when they see you treat Gen. Petraeus the way you did because they know that he's earned every single piece of metal he wears on his uniform, and that by and large they think that liberal cynicism over Gen. Petraeus' motivations is completely unfounded. You cannot cheap shot a military officer and get away with it, and frankly, that is exactly what has happened.
This is why Americans don't trust liberal politicians with military issues. The last Democrat to give two shits about the military was JFK, and I have news (apparently) - Barack Obama is no JFK and never will be. I'll wait to see Jim Webb run for President before I trust a Democrat iwith the military, because there isn't one sorry example amongst his peers that is qualified to speak on behalf of military men and women besides him.
I know that liberals have not learned their lesson yet w/respect to General Petraeus. You'll see I'm right, and that is hardly something I get off on - if anything its depressing.
in the last very hyped Petraeus hearings, (the first visit to the capital to report on the surge I think) he was asked if the war was miking us safer. and to his credit he didn't answer, he could have said "yea, sure, why not" but he said plainly that that's not his area. That's kind of the point, why is a general justifying a political policy. He doesn't want to have any less troops in Iraq, cause it will make things harder for him. But the real question is weather or not it's worth it to continue to spend blood and treasure on this war.
1. As far as I know, Kos served in uniform. Which is more than can be said about those criticizing him...
2. Gen Petraeus has often given the impression that he's pandering to the politicians, instead of saying what he thinks is right.
3. The junior-level officer corps (Captains, Majors) are quite upset about the fact that the Generals failed the men and women in uniform. For example, read LtC Yingling's article here :::link:::
4. Republicans pushed the country into an unpopular war and left the veterans to fend for themselves, while vetoing benefits increases ("we don't have money for these benefits, but we do have money for tax cuts for the rich") . And it's the liberals who don't respect the military? What kind of crack are you on??
Trusting the military in the hands of the GOP these past five years has been the epitome of respect...
Drew, that was amazing. In 5.5 paragraphs you said it all.
We shouldn't paint liberals or conservatives with such a broad brush.
It's unfair for the Bush gang to put general Petraeus in a political situation where he has to defend their policy. That's not his job, and by putting him in the spotlight you open him up to criticism. Then when somebody does criticize him, they hate the troops. Somehow if you send a general instead of a politician, you're all set, if they disagree with what they say, you can call them anti-troops easier.
I share Drew's position on supporting the Military. Those who serve, deserve respect, compassion, and gratitude. And they should always be cared for. Part of respecting and supporting the troops is taking war seriously. The military should be used for self defense. Too often in our history, the military has been used to topple inconvenient governments for economic reasons, not security reasons. World politics is not a game of chess.
The best course of action is to set a high moral standard, based on justice, and avoid making enemies. Then we won't need to spend so much money on the military, and we won't have to send our citizens into deadly and traumatic situations. Not to mention the families at home worrying about them.
Some of my family and my closest friends are in the military. and as a wedding photographer, I've been to a lot of emotional military weddings during this war. I see people, not chess pieces.
I humbly disagree. Many liberals have both served in the armed forces and spoken out against Petraeus. He has taken political stands that no active general ever has (like writing a column defending a war) and has not followed his own counter-insurgency handbook (this is not his fault--he doesn't have the troops, but according to his handbook, he knows that his efforts will fail).
I will not deny that moveon and kos sound stupid sometimes. However, I do not think that it is reasonable to assume that they speak for all liberals. The best liberals (and conservatives) respect all people, including the ones with whom they disagree.
As for me, I spent a summer careing for veterans and developed a great appreciation for them. They don't get to make the decisions, but they pay the price of war. It has been a surprise to hear that, as a liberal, I have no respect for military men and women. What does this say about the many liberals who have served? Do they not respect themselves?
"Supporting the military" is a hard thing to define. I support the people within the military. I think they should get health care, and pensions, and the best equipment. On the other hand, I think the military should be much smaller, and used WAY less (hopefully never).
The best best way to get to this goal is not to mock a general, but to simply tell the truth. Non-violence works better and makes more sense. It takes a lot more courage and commitment, but courage and commitment were once defining characteristics of America. If we were clearly a force for good in the face of evil, we would find these characteristics again.
Instead, we have become more and more like our enemies. This is sad.