Tuesday, July 22, 2008

It's Real Simple

I am increasingly frustrated by this Iraq/Obama debate.

What Obama is saying, used to be conventional fucking wisdom. Unlike President Bush, who hides behinds the skirts of General Petraeus, pretending that he is a victim to the desires of "the commanders on the ground," Obama gets what it is that the Commander in Chief is supposed to do.

C-in-C sets the mission, commanders and troops on the ground carry it out.

At Obama's press conference this morning he repeated this endlessly...but the corporate media has been reporting it as though it is an aberration. As though there is some arrogant 'taking over' by Obama of the war [occupation]. If the media were worth a fuck, they would be reporting that up until the Bush Administration, this was the way that it worked.

President Bush pretends that there is simply nothing that he can do, because he has to "listen to the commanders on the ground" when in fact. the. commanders. on. the. ground. listen. to. the. orders. of. the. president.

Let's be clear: the President sets the mission - the troops carry it out.

Hopefully, never again, will our C-in-C corrupt this order.

2 comments:

Seven of Six said...

No doubt Anjha.

McLame wants to say the exact same thing bu$h is saying, *squawk* "We have to do what the Generals on the ground say!" *squawk*, "But I know how to win wars!" *sqauwk*, "The surge worked!" *sqauwk*, "Obama bad!" *squawk*.

idiosynchronic said...

It's a giant game - you hide behind some 'rational impartial actor' in order to validate your expressly political strategy.

Unfortunately, Bush didn't invent this one. It's been around since at least Vietnam, and it's also been used by Democrats as well.