Monday, October 05, 2009

The Bus Idles - McChrystal

From the Telegraph:
According to sources close to the administration, Gen McChrystal shocked and angered presidential advisers with the bluntness of a speech given in London last week.

The next day he was summoned to an awkward 25-minute face-to-face meeting on board Air Force One on the tarmac in Copenhagen, where the president had arrived to tout Chicago's unsuccessful Olympic bid...
Word is the president is furious over McChrystal's speech. A taste:
[McChrystal] told the Institute of International and Strategic Studies that the formula, which is favoured by Vice-President Joe Biden, would lead to "Chaos-istan".

When asked whether he would support it, he said: "The short answer is: No."

He went on to say: "Waiting does not prolong a favorable outcome. This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely, and nor will public support."
That may be, General, but it isn't your problem. Your problem is to follow orders from your civilian commanders. Public support and long term strategy are concerns of the president. Your job is to carry out orders until you retire or get canned.

I may agree with McChrystal's assessment, but you can't have a military commander mouthing off in another country about how much smarter he is than the president. It smacks of insubordination and brings up memories of MacArthur vs. Truman. Didn't end so well for MacArthur.

One more speech like this and expect the bus to arrive for McChrystal.

1 comment:

James Nicholas said...

Of course. It is his choice - remain in power and watch as a dithering ninny ponders how to play the politics at home, shamelessly reversing his criticism of President Bush and leaving the troops hanging out to dry while he gropes his way toward the more nuanced (read uncommitted) view, or make the case for his men, regardless of the implications for his own career fortunes. "Shit or get off the pot" is pretty straight, and this president needs someone around him who will get The One to think of someone other than himself. MacArthur ain’t in it.

General McChrystal is no fool. He knows how the politics will play out. The fact is, the implications to himself are not as important to him as the implications to the people he is in command of. In sharp contrast to the president, he appears to be a stand up guy. President Obama could learn a lot from him.