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Jewish World Review
May 10, 2006
/ 12 Iyar, 5766
General crud
By
Dave Weinbaum
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I've been told that I have a problem with authority…mostly by people with authority. Such is my life as a businessman for 35 years in partnership with a Fortune 500 company. Because I refused to be a potted plant, some in power went to great lengths to destroy me.
I'm still around, stronger than ever, but with a few scars to show. Many of the once powerful are gone, commenting from the sidelines, totally out of the game.
In my mind, I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do: tell them what I thought about a plan and what it would need to make it work. After all, we were on the same team. Often times if I didn't agree to the letter of the powerful protagonist of it, I was maligned as having a "bad attitude."
What's left out is once a decision was made, I was "balls to the wall" to make it work, whether I agreed with it or not.
After all, we're all on the same team. We had the same enemy, and it wasn't us.
One would think that would apply to government, also.
Not so with the demand for the head of Rummy by some "Johnny-come-lately" generals.
GM is building a car with the steering wheel in the
middle and two politicians on either side as airbags
Many generals had input into the amount of troops and tactics in Iraq. Other generals disagreed. After, the direction was set by the President though Donald Rumsfeld. Now we're watching the worst of human nature, the back seat whining of 6 or 7 otherwise first-rate soldiers gone wild.
Is public power so fascinating that one spends 30 seconds to seek its' high and end up destroying 30 year distinguished careers?
Much of the Rummy bashing came before the Iraqis got rid of PM Jaafari and finally formed a coalition government that will generate a united Iraqi front against the insurgents.
The ONLY way we lose in the long run is to have our leaders become political junkies in the short run.
Most important, the team (American men and women) are still being fired at and IED'D in the field. One need not speculate at the relief Zunni and pals bequeathed Osama and Zarqawi at a time we should be focusing on sticking a hose down their throats.
Here's our real enemies' reaction and anticipation to what has to be the huge defeat of an Iraqi coalition government; Osama called for a Jihad in Sudan, almost ignoring Iraq, and 2 days later Zarqawi tried to plead with the suiciders to keep their bomb belts fastened.
Meet the Dress
Let's focus on the most famous of the crew, former Clinton CENTCOM commander, General Anthony Zinni, and his treatment by a loving, starry eyed Timmy Russert:
Questions Tim missed were:
1. General Zunni, did you testify before Congress in 2000 that, "Iraq remains the most significant near-term threat to U.S. interests in the Arabian Gulf region," adding, "Iraq probably is continuing clandestine nuclear research, [and] retains stocks of chemical and biological munitions ... Even if Baghdad reversed its course and surrendered all WMD capabilities, it retains scientific, technical, and industrial infrastructure to replace agents and munitions within weeks or months."?
2. YES? Were you telling the truth then, General Zunni…or now?
3. General Zunni, were you directly responsible for the attack on the USS Cole?
4. How do you explain the thousand or so generals/admirals retired and active duty that disagree with your demand for Rummy's head?
5. As a former general, don't you think your statements at this critical time in the war may encourage insurgents and put our men and women in uniform in further peril?
6. Any plans to run for political office, general?
The lack of the above queries substantiates rumors that Russert and Zinni have gone furniture shopping…together. Russert, usually a prepared and challenging interviewer, couldn't have been more of a cheerleader if he'd put a on a pleated skirt and fluttered pom poms in America's face! I hear the new name for his program is "Meet the Dress".
With press like Russert and Gregory, Bush will need more than Tony Snow to help him get his story out. Know any good republican cheerleaders? Heck, they're out trying to save their own posteriors to hold their own seats in the '06 elections.
Wonder if Helen Thomas is available for Secretary of Defense. Now there's a lady that exemplifies balls to the wall. Ask any president in the last 50 years.
She'll shut up the generals, retired or active. TENSHUN!!
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JWR contributor Dave Weinbaum, originally from Chicago, is a businessman, writer and part-time stand-up comic. He resides in a Midwest red state. Comment by clicking here.
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