He’s wrong — the military and the government work for us, not the other way around. They must do what we say.

People like me, Jimbo and others who have served or are serving do have a different perspective, but our opinions on these issues are no more or less valuable than those of anyone else. Sometimes our unique experience and expertise informs an opinion, other times it prevents us from seeing the forest for the trees because issues of war, peace and strategy can carry serious consequences for us. Ultimately, our job is to carry out the collective will of the American people and it’s the American people who are the “deciders.”

There is a disturbing trend I’ve seen in the last couple of years and certain groups of people seek to do two things: Put the military and military personnel on a pedestal, and, outsource national strategy to the military. The GoP has recently made support of the latter one the 10 things GoP politicians must support to receive funding. That is wrong, wrong, wrong. In our republic civilians control and decide strategy and the military informs and advises that process. I’m not sure if Jimbo realizes it or not, but insistence that we venerate our military and his insistence that we simply let things slide when military members make a mistake is a road that ultimately endangers our republic. Jimbo can’t seem to handle anyone criticizing the military, particularly special operators. Well, Jimbo, as well trained and intelligent as they are (and I’ve supported a lot of them), they make mistakes. They are human with passions and flaws. They have difficult jobs but they are volunteers and must be held accountable when they make screw up.

Funny how name calling rapidly rises to the top when pseudo-Constitution loving free speechers like yourself find themselves under “seemingly” attack.

I will repeat your question that you posed to me - where exactly did you find out that I somehow jumped to some conclusion about the Ft. Hood shooting? Did I comment on it here in your comments section? Seems to me that you have yourself “rushed to judgement” concerning what I may or may not have believed concerning the shooting without any factual data to back it up.

Notice the careful use of the words “seemingly crying about” in reference to your blog. Why bring it up and make it an issue with comments not exactly positive toward those who obviously disagree with your position? Why call me names when I was very careful not to directly point fingers by the use of the term “seemingly.” I obvious had doubts about where you stood but by writing the article the way you did, it “appeared” that you had made a moral judgement. Maybe I am just “appear” to be an ass in you mind but really am not. Maybe you just seemed to be making a moral judgement but really did not.

But back to the issue of name calling - tell me the difference between a conservative calling someone with whom he or she disagrees a nasty little name and that of a liberal who does the same. And tell me how I made an “ass” of myself by reading an article with a title such as THE ABSOLUTE MORAL AUTHORITY TO ACT LIKE AN ASS which “seemingly” denigrates a military person who “appears” to be a moral authority on said abuse issue?

Did I read your article? Absolutely. Did you make an ass of yourself by calling me a name, pretending to know what I thought 24 hours after the said shooting and them claiming to know that I did not read your article. The answer is a resounding - ABSOLUTELY!

I wish thank patriotic veterans (especially Richard with whom I often disagree) for having defended our country. (I am also very proud of my son currently serving in the USMC.)

I’m honored and like most vets all we want is for this still in the service to be treated well. Better pay, sufficient support for their families and medical care their doesn’t worry about the bottom line for the maimed & injured.

And of course that we leaders making decisions with care and deliberation o that every battle is one that absolutely had to happen.

There is no military solution in Afghanistan.

The only least worst outcome is buying time to get Karzai to lessen the corruption, move the agricultural base away from opium a little bit and set the stage for Special Forces to carry on the main fighting as we prepare to draw down the force.

That means an increase now. It is politically and militarily unavoidable.

I certainly did not entertain the concept that “only veterans should have a say about strategic military decisions.” Veterans, by and large, will no doubt make the better strategic military decisions. History has long established this little law of decision making where experience count more than smarts(Vietnam decision makers come to mind here).

My comments were directed at those who try to speak with authority on the morality or immorality of decisions made by those “in harms way.” Here we see Rick and his apologists seemingly crying about the “rushing to judgement” of the terrorist shooting at Ft. Hood and then apparently turning around and “rushing to judgement” about the possible abuse of an Al Qaeda terrorist by his captures. Those who make life and death decisions make them alone and they alone face the ultimate consequences of these decisions. Saying anything else other than this fact means one is rationalizing.

We all have the right to express our opinions. But, IMHO, some opinions are actually facts in opinion clothing. It it up to the listener to determine what is opinion and what is fact. Moral authority does exist out there someplace, but where?

Here we see Rick and his apologists seemingly crying about the “rushing to judgement” of the terrorist shooting at Ft. Hood and then apparently turning around and “rushing to judgement” about the possible abuse of an Al Qaeda terrorist by his captures.

Perhaps you want to point out where I make any comment at all about the “abuse” of the prisoner? If you had bothered to read what I wrote before making an ass of yourself, you might note the only mention I made of the incident was in reference to Allah’s post on the subject - I passed no judgment, moral or otherwise on what happened.

And yes, 24 hours after the attack at Fort Hood, nitwits like you WERE rushing to judgment with no facts, nothing except your bigotry and ignorance. I was right - as was any sane, rational person - to wait for the facts. You were wrong.

ed.

But I would like to add that I find the argument that only veterans should have a say about strategic military decisions just as fallacious as the argument that only those who actually pay income tax should have a say about how tax dollars are spent.

Our enemies are not in the deserts of Iraq of the mountains of Afghanistan -

No, they are in the mountains of Afghanistan, but it may be two or three years before politically Obama can orient the United States into living with them.

Containment isn’t possible until he gives the Republicans their “surge”. They blew Afghanistan and will fight to the death no to have to admit it.

There is the tin sliver of a possibility that things might get better, but by giving the military exactly what they say they want right now he will be in a position to make other arrangements down the road.

I am concerned with the following:

“And behind them, a veritable army that keeps our military supplied with equipment and the tools necessary to do their job. Our hero warriors are not alone on a hill, standing a silent sentinel to protect us. He is not naked, armed with a spear to fight off the wolves and brigands who would attack us. In addition to possessing the courage and dedication to duty, he is the best armed, best equipped, most technologically advanced, most deadly tool of war civilization has ever seen. And he didn’t get that way all by himself.”

This is rationalizing pure and simple. Rationalizing so that a none military, none “in harms way” type thinks he has equal rights to criticize or judge decisions made “in harms way.”

So Rick believes that decisions on the spur of the moment under duress and “in harms way” are made with the help of those around the person making the decision. Not even close. Those in support of and next to will not have to pay the piper if a piper is to be paid. All these decisions are made by an individual, alone with no help from anyone else. The training is done hopefully so that the nanosecond decision will be the right one. The hell with politics and rationalizing whimps who think they have the “ability” to judge one who makes such a decision. Been there, done that. Walk a mile in my shoes before you express your Constitutional “right” to criticize me. You have the right but you have no moral authority to do it unless you have experienced the same situation. A right expressed is not always right.

You have your opinions and you have the “right” to express them but that does not mean they are right. Jimbo is more right than your right given to you by our Constitution. Criticize at your own discretion but do not be surprised when those of us who have served and had to make the difficult decisions dismiss you as rationalizing your inability to understand our positions. No Brag Just Fact.

You don’t know what I “believe” about this incident because I have not commented on it - something you would discover if you bothered to read what I wrote. I neither praised nor criticized anyone involved in the incident. Might I suggest a remedial reading course? That may help with your reading comprehension.

It is a fantastical notion that an argument or criticism is granted additional weight or power based on anything other than the logic and reason of its tenets. These things stand alone and are not dependent on extraneous nonsense like whether one has served or not. To argue otherwise is to engage in sophistry.

ed.

We killed over 1,300,000 Iraqis over bogus WMDs without any remorse or outrage. Our nation is going bankrupt but we can always borrow more to support the corporate war machine.

Our enemies are not in the deserts of Iraq of the mountains of Afghanistan - they are in Washington D.C. and Wall Street.