Revolt of the Generals – III

The push back against the revolting generals continues in the media.  As we discussed in an earlier post, Rummy has taken command of the battle space, and is mopping up. The cavalry is tasked with keeping the generals and their allies off balance and unable to regroup.  Evidence of this is seen here, in an article by Jed Babbin entitled: "Keep the Big Dog Running". A key excerpt:

When President Bush brought Rumsfeld back to the Pentagon, the president told him to shake up the Pentagon, to transform it from the Cold War structure and culture that it was stuck in to a new force with strategies that could respond to the post-Cold War world.

Quote of the Day

Here at Agricola, our stated mission is to search for information for the curious among us.  One of our interests is focused on the battle between the left and the right in our government and in our nation.  We are genuinely curious as to how people with such disparate views can assume such certitude when casting bolts at their opponents. Is there no room for doubt in the arguments from either side?  Perhaps one explanation can be found in this marvelous quote from Bertrand Russell, provided by the folks at Yuni Quotes of the Day:

Much that passes as idealism is disguised hatred or disguised love of power

I think he nails it.

The CIA and the Leaker

Finally, the CIA has caught and terminated an employee for leaking classified information. We wonder if the undeclared war between the minions of the CIA and George Bush, the elected representative of the people, has reached a new phase.  The leakers of the CIA have, since 2002, been leaking information in an attempt to have the President either run out of office or rendered completely powerless.  Finally, a blow has been struck.  Will it be enough to stop the leaking to the Washington Post and the New York Times?  Probably not.

A Note to Readers

If you think the site looks different, well, you are correct.  We have adjusted the font size of our posts and headers in an effort to make it as easy as possible for our readers to read what we write.  Careful observers may also have noticed slight changes in layout, colors, and organization. As we plumb the depths of TypePad, expect more changes as we search for the best combination of effects. Your input is always welcome.

You’re OK

From Joe’s Dartblog comes this little jewel of analysis of the inter-play between George Bush and Hu Jintao that occurred when a protester shouted down the Chinese president.  Follow the link for the full post, but allow me to furnish this excerpt:

Did Hu want to go back to the anteroom? Probably. And implicitly, President Bush denied him the option to fly. No out in America. Instead, our president said to their president, “You’re O.K.” Bush put himself in charge, helped his counterpart to understand that disagreement is a function of American culture. Refused to kowtow by letting Hu think that Bush was on his side. Refused to back him up; refused to knock him down. It was, truly, one of history’s finest exemplars of asymmetrical warfare. It was one of those moments when liberty suddenly needed defending. President Bush’s instincts rose to the same level as his diplomatic training. When the cowboy said to the communist tyrant, “You’re O.K.,” he towered above.

Joe’s point is worth repeating: When trouble comes, President Bush has the mettle to deal with the situation in exactly the right way.  Forget mangled phrases and confusing syntax, our President has what it takes.

Soldiers are Vets, Too!

We could not resist the opportunity for word play after seeing this picture at Strategy Page.  Highly trained troopers from the 10th Mountain Division are hard at work winning the peace in Afghanistan. by de-worming the sheep of the Afghans.  Though tempted, we will not post pictures from the homicide bombing in Tel Aviv triggered by the 16 year old Palestinian to give some contrapuntal notes to this story.  Suffice it to say that we believe strongly that this kind of work, though under-reported by our friends in the MSM, must count for more than the destruction of innocents, infrastructure, and institutions in the minds of the people on the receiving end of both treatments.

Revolt of the Generals – II

The fight continues, but as is the true nature of combat, the ground has shifted. An attack was launched on the Office of Secretary of Defense that caught him by surprise, despite some intelligence that an attack was imminent.  Initially, he was forced into a defensive posture while trying to determine the nature and extent of the attack.  Having spurred his intelligence troops to action, Rummy, initiated the famous Boyd Process (OODA Loop) like any good transformed military leader should, and regained the initiative.  The attack was blunted, Rummy counter-attacked in the correct direction with the right mix of forces, and repelled the attack.  His offensive continues, and the enemy is in full retreat.  As any good insurgency does, the enemy has now left the field of battle, and has called on the politicians to come to their aid.  We suspect that Rummy will press the attack for a short period, but will allow the politicians to provide cover to the attackers, who will melt into the forest and nurse their wounds, waiting for another opportunity.

H/T Academic Elephant at RedState

Mark Steyn

To follow up on our previous post, which we probably should not have written until after reading all of the news, the ever clever and unfailingly prescient Mark Steyn nails the current situation vis-a-vis the Iranians.

Read, ponder, and enjoy.

More on Iran’s Plan for War

Via Hugh Hewitt comes this link to an article in today’s Sunday Telegraph by Amir Taheri that lays out Iran’s long term plan to defeat the West and establish, finally, the Caliphate. 

The key paragraph in the story:

According to this analysis, spelled out in commentaries by Ahmadinejad’s strategic guru, Hassan Abassi, known as the "Dr Kissinger of Islam", President George W Bush is an aberration, an exception to a rule under which all American presidents since Truman, when faced with serious setbacks abroad, have "run away". Iran’s current strategy, therefore, is to wait Bush out. And that, by "divine coincidence", corresponds to the time Iran needs to develop its nuclear arsenal, thus matching the only advantage that the infidel enjoys.

To confirm the validity of this analysis by the Iranians, we can lean on the esteemed Andrew Sullivan, who confirms their views in this commentary appearing in The Sunday Times.

Today’s network talk shows are full of negativism emanating from the Democrats in the Senate and the House.

We are on the verge of success in the MIddle East, but the final determination still requires effort, commitment, and patience from our citizens and leadership.  The "nattering nabobs of negativism" in this country are trying to pull us down, and if they succeed, it will be our own fault.

Revolt of the Generals

Why now?  To what end?  The curious among us want to know whether the revolt of the generals is a new phase in the struggle for the future of our country or just one more tired act in a play history has seen before.  To help us decide, we turn to several of our favorite bloggers.

First, this post from American Thinker.

Second, this post from Big Lizards.

Finally, since I cannot seem to create a link, this excerpt from Neptunuslex:

All those generals? Beats hell out of me. I hold no particular brief for the Secretary. On the other hand, it would have meant a great deal more if they’d have said something about their misgivings back when it mattered. Back when they might have sacrificed their careers, but saved a few (thousand) lives, if that’s the way they really felt about it. Perfect right to speak up of course. All due respect, etc.

Still: Unseemly. More here.

You know, the Navy once had a “revolt of the admirals.” After World War II, the Air Force thought this whole “naval aviation” thing was so over. In the future, you see, every war would be fought with strategic bombers and nuclear weapons. Senior Navy flags disagreed, vehemently. The idea of smashing every martial bug with the nuclear hammer seemed, how do I say this? Excessive? Immoral?

At the time, some said that they had rebelled against the sacred notion of civilian control, and who knows: Maybe they did. But they laid their active duty stars on the line alongside their beliefs, and many were forced to retire afterwards. Professionally, they “died” for what they believed in.

Maybe it’s the southerner in me, “The Cause” and all that. But I respect them more, and these other generals just that little bit less. Your mileage may vary. It isn’t that the 1949 flag officers, forged as they were out of the cauldron of world war, and purified by the fire of existential consequence, were any more moral than their mid-century adversaries. And it isn’t that our recent general officer critics were chosen from the ranks of the great unwashed under the aegis of a very different administration, just a few years back.

At least, I don’t think it’s those things.

I think I come down on the side of these three wise Bloggers.  What say you?