THE HONOR CODE by Mike Graham
When I was in Officer Training School back in the sixties, the very first thing we cadets were taught was the Honor Code. It was simplicity itself, and it was drummed into our heads daily:
"I will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate among us those who do."
Stanley McChrystal is a West Point graduate whose own father was a General Officer and whose brother was an Army chaplain (Assemblies of God variety), Yet McChrystal seems somehow not to have learned the Honor Code. What were they teaching up there on the Hudson in the early seventies?
McChrystal is a war-lover who did an end-run around his Commander-in-Chief with the adoring press to get what he wanted in Afghanistan. For that he should have been court-martialed for insubordination. Instead, it seems to have worked. According to McClatchy News today, Obama is about to give him 34,000 more warm bodies.
Here is a little reminder of McChrystal's behavior in the Pat Tillman matter: Please tell me how it squares with the Honor Code::
Then there's this little issue:
PIty the soldiers and Marines in this new surge.
Finally, take a look at last week's Bill Moyers Journal, which he described as the most important show he ever did. It's about the decision-making by LBJ that escalated that war in Vietnam. Those who do not learn from history...:
LYDIA CORNELL: AFI Best Actress Nominee, People's Choice Award winner; Actor, Writer, Director, Producer; woman and children advocate; teen mentor, comedienne, talk show host, inspirational pubic speaker best known for her starring role on ABC's "Too Close for Comfort" as TV legend Ted Knight's daughter 'Sara'; HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and over 250 shows, episodes and movies worldwide. Turns tragedy into comedy, life-saving issues for women and equal pay for equal work...
Yesterday, the RNC introduced a resolution calling for a "Purity Test" for Republican candidates for office (or is it orifice?)
ReplyDeleteNumber TWO on the list?
"Purity Pledge #2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare"
So be aware when those comin in flying the banner of the "liberal moderate" yet urging never ending "concerns" with President Obama's "style government run healthcare", and instead actively tries to sell a "Market Based Reform".
Its number TWO on the RNC list.
Even if those with "concerns" indicate that they "haven't heard much about that".
:|
Only a fool is fooled by a fool.
The republicans want to defeat the idea of universal health care by introducing legislation based solely on Market Based Reform.
ReplyDeleteAnd so they have their minions, their "concern trolls" actively out in liberal and progressive blogs across the country, actively trying to weaken the idea of government based reform by trying to convince "open minded" liberals and progressives, independents, etc, that "Market Based Reform" is the only answer.
By this ye shall know them.
"I will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate among us those who do."
ReplyDeleteBush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, Cambone, Feith, made sure those who actively followed this standard of the officer corps, ended up out of the military
See Gen Shinseki, fired for telling congress the truth about the under manning of the Illegal invasion of Iraq.
Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton demoted then forced out for telling the truth.
Lieutenant General Gregory S. Newbold had to retire because he could change the immoral way Rumsfeld was screwing up the illegal invasion which created the fiasco in Iraq.
Maj General John Batiste, commander of the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005, sums it up best.
In 2006, Batiste before the U.S. Senate testified to the lack of leadership by Donald H. Rumsfeld, the failure of the US Government to develop a regional and global strategy to deal with worldwide Islamic extremism, and a failure to mobilize the country after 9-11 to accomplish the important work ahead. He has never been anti-war, but rather committed to doing things right. He explained that Rumsfeld surrounded himself with like-minded, compliant subordinates who violated basic principles of war and sound military planning in the mission to change the regime in Iraq. The nation rushed to war without exhausting all diplomatic, political and economic options.
It is quite an indictment of the entire Bush Administration national security team,
Bush, Cheney, Powell, Rumsfeld, Rice, Hadley, Perle, Wolfowitz, Cambomne, Franks, Meyers, Feith who all are guilty ..........
They rushed to war, with what ever it took, lies deceit piss poor planning and the deaths of both Iraqi civilians and American troops and the six year old fiasco there is testament to the lack of following the officers creed.
Many senior officers had to see how Shinseki, Eaton were treated and placed their careers over the creed, some like Petraeus have used the Bush ET Al demands of keeping the party line over the things they learned at West Point, to get ahead, to the detriment of the troops they supposedly placed above their careers.
Happy Thanksgiving Clif, Lydia, Mike, everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe family of Pat Tillman deserved better than the lies told to them by the military about his death.
ReplyDeletePat was a football hero who became a real hero for his service and sacrifice.
Those who serve, need leaders who keep the Honor Code.
The many who died, gave their lives for duty, honor and country.
They kept the code.
Those involved in Pat Tillman's death, did not.
I grew up in New York not far from West Point.
My family took me there often.
That was during the 1960's and '70's.
The Honor Code is still THE code of military life.
It is a shame that a few live by another code.
George Vreeland Hill
Happy Thanksgiving Clif, Lydia, Wprf and Everyone!!
ReplyDeleteYep, i'm hearing those talking points out of the repugs as well and seeing lots of commercials and talking points trying to scare senior citizens into opposing health care reform just like they tried to scare people into supporting the war bassaed on lies they "called" the war on terror.
ReplyDeleterepugs are masters at twisting the english language and creating idiotic slogans and catch phrases to sell their idiotic and corrupt agenda to the ignorant and simpleminded.
Happy Turkey Day, Lyd! I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving Everyone
ReplyDeleteHappy Turducken day Clif!
ReplyDeleteAnyway you look at it this guy spells PUSSY....its simple,nothing more....anyone who defends him is a PUSSY.
ReplyDeleteI hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteGeorge Vreeland Hill
Lydia, I posted something shocking on my blog that you need to see.
ReplyDeleteIt's titled "suicide among our troops", and it is tragically shocking.
ReplyDeleteMike and Worf ate a hell of a lot of turkey this year.
ReplyDeleteThose fat bastards.
They are full of turkey s--t!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe col slade said...
ReplyDeleteAnyway you look at it this guy spells PUSSY....its simple,nothing more....anyone who defends him is a PUSSY. Who is he refering to?
maybe he's talking about anonymous because he won't show his identity...he is definitely a spineless, neanderthal republican, i guess.
ReplyDeleteMaybe both of them.
l
ReplyDelete