The post above makes an astute comparison with McRaven. I thought he might go home to his alma mater Texas University and make it less liberal. Clean up some of the hard left at that school. Nope.

As accomplished military leaders who had to endure warfare under b. Hussein you would think they liked a CIC who wanted to win or GTFO and stop wasting soldiers lives in 13th century countries after Bin Laden was sleeping in the ocean.

But these guys obviously know better than Trump or us.

F a military leader who does not support Trump and us.

HK Ag

I don't know but I've read before, several times, that to become a Colonel and then become a General Officer is more of politics being played to attain such rank. To climb the lower ranks is much more a skill of leadership and talent, etc. When a person becomes a General or Admiral it's all about jockeying to climb the last few rungs and get more stars and thus it's a political skills to do so.

When I look at it from that viewpoint it makes more sense.

quote:

Originally posted by FiveFiveSixFan:
I was quite disappointed to read many of his recent viewpoints. Previously, he was someone I think I would have very much enjoyed spending an afternoon with discussing various subjects. Sadly, he now joins Adm. McRaven who also seems to have executed a smart left face since his retirement.

McRaven, like McChrystal were well known social-political weak-willies when they wore the uniform. Not very connected to the general public and its sentiments, their understanding of individual liberties is shaped by their ego as they accumulated stars. Military leaders get accused of being authoritarian, tyrants, even autocrats, while they have a massive amount of authority and rarely hear the word NO. The ego and pandering that gets laid before general officers ends up warping them, the worst is the Combatant Commanders. They literally have fiefdoms, with greater power than ambassadors, who themselves are equal to a 4-star.

When they transition to civilian life or, attempt to comment on current events for the general press, it comes across as ill-informed, and poorly-considered. Mattis, for all his knowledge of history and the principals of warfare, he appears to be unable to cut the strings that twist and bind within the Beltway.

I read his book back in March. By the end of it, including the end notes and letters, I realized he was not the man I thought he was. He seemed to take pride in ruining careers for trivial or nearly trivial reasons, of stating specifically that we couldn't leave middle eastern shit-holes because parents, including a general officer he knew well, had lost a son there. I also noted that he got through zippy's presidency and after without comment but he jumps up and down on Trump's chest as soon as he thinks he has the slightest cover.

I'm sure he's doing well at the tea-fights with the pampered left but when they dump him for their next, newest Quizling he'll get no sympathy from me. Based on his professed sympathies for our enemies and his turning on his allies and his men I think there is such a thing as an ex-Marine.

Didn't he also butt heads with Trump about letting transgenders in the military? (He wanted to, Trump didn't.)

quote:

I'm sure he's doing well at the tea-fights with the pampered left but when they dump him for their next, newest Quizling he'll get no sympathy from me.

Nobody likes a traitor, even the enemy for whom they are working.

You spelled warrior monk wrong

It’s asshole.

“It would also expand the cooperative space in which all countries supporting a rules-based order can work together to advance shared interests. Cooperation across different ideological systems is difficult but necessary, and there should be opportunities to cooperate with China in areas of overlapping interests, such as pandemic response, climate change and nuclear security.”

China (which is in fact all businesses since they are merely extensions of the Chinese Communist Party), has always looked at trade as being economic warfare. "Rules based order"? Anyone that thinks China gives a damn about following rules hasn't been paying attention, or has sold out to the CCP because they sure aren't acting as Americans.