I don't think its the change thing. That Crusader Artillery thingy was not divided pro/con strictly along young/old leadership in the military. It had a hell of a lot more to do with people in leadership roles having personal and financial interests in seeing the thing manufactured.
I don't think Rumsfield needs to go, remember guys the mission is accomplished and the insurgency is in its last throes!!!!1111
Yet another
interesting post from the NRO. Did you know that Rumsfeld is hugely popular within the armed forces? Well, now you do.
The hard truth — and I know people don't want to hear it — is that Rumsfeld is hugely popular among the military, as is obvious in any of his Town Halls and speeches to them. It will be interesting to see how the military reacts to the Army Times editorial. I wouldn't be surprised by a fairly serious blowback.
Did anyone ever read the quotes from the German Squash player that played Rummy in an exhibition match? He basically said the old man was way too aggressive, tried to push the line on fouls every chance he gets. Basically, Rumsfield is too competitive. In a lot of ways he has the good qualities that Nixon possessed.
Well the man is butting heads with the old school military establishment and therefore is bound to be hugely unpopular with them. This is why civilian control of the military is so important; it promotes radical reformation. It doesn't matter how many generals speak out against him and how much the press loves it. He is modernizing the military without using the limp wristed Shinseki methodology (you know, the guy who pushed for and got the black beret and wanted to get rid of ALL tracked vehicles, especially tanks). We’re not the Soviets: occupation isn’t our thing, winning battles is.
Rummy’s biggest mistake is not having a scapegoat; as soon as Iraq started bogging down he should have (very publicly) put someone he doesn’t like in charge of the Iraq operation. Best case, it works out, worst case, scapegoat!
ajaxfetish 19:53 07/11/06
Ah, my little Machiavelli. You have learned well.
Ajax
Originally Posted by yesdachi:
Rummy’s biggest mistake is not having a scapegoat; as soon as Iraq started bogging down he should have (very publicly) put someone he doesn’t like in charge of the Iraq operation. Best case, it works out, worst case, scapegoat!
Not entirely true -- read
State of Denial, which documents every little backbiting move made by every player in the Iraqi reconstruction game. Rummy went from blocking State on every front to blaming them on every front in the blink of an eye. He's read his Machiavelli.
It didn't play for the public, but it worked for his primary audience, the President and Vice President. He dodged all blame for the failure of reconstruction within the Admin.
Originally Posted by Lemur:
Not entirely true -- read State of Denial, which documents every little backbiting move made by every player in the Iraqi reconstruction game. Rummy went from blocking State on every front to blaming them on every front in the blink of an eye. He's read his Machiavelli.
It didn't play for the public, but it worked for his primary audience, the President and Vice President. He dodged all blame for the failure of reconstruction within the Admin.
That’s the important part now.
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