Rumsfeld gets his due...
Parabeagle
3,085 Posts
Nice to see Rumsfeld raked over the coals for a change, rather than watching him do the raking of some poor schmuck journalist.
Loved seeing our noble soldiers putting him on the spot about the lack of armored vehicles, very disappointed at the dismissive, condescending tone of Rumsfeld's answers.
The upside is that this should be a reminder to all of us that our citizen-soldiers are not just a bunch of strong backs and weak minds blindly following orders - they can think, too, and question authority when appropriate.
Finished my rant. Going back to my cell.
Loved seeing our noble soldiers putting him on the spot about the lack of armored vehicles, very disappointed at the dismissive, condescending tone of Rumsfeld's answers.
The upside is that this should be a reminder to all of us that our citizen-soldiers are not just a bunch of strong backs and weak minds blindly following orders - they can think, too, and question authority when appropriate.
Finished my rant. Going back to my cell.
Comments
I'm sure the clip will play well in Faluja.
If I were advising him how to answer I would do exactly what my speech coach in college taught us to do when faced with a similar situation. Be honest and admit you don't have all the facts to be able to answer the question, but would be happy to check into it and get back to you.
First, Rumsfeld was unprepared. Either he doesn't care or he isn't be told what is happening.
Second, sending soldiers into a war zone not properly protected is a wrong-headed policy. During WWII, the government needed supplies to support the troops and they got manufacturers to stop producing for the public. You couldn't get a car, you couldn't get tires etc. etc. Therefore, why isn't the manufacturer of the humvee being told to stop producing for the wealthy who buy it and start producing for the military that needs it.
I'm still trying to understand the logic of saying he should have been better prepared and should have anticipated that question but should have answered that he would look into it. If he were to anticipate the question but say he didn't have the answer but would get back to them on it, he would be a liar. I listened to a Humvee and armament expert on the radio today who described the various types of vehicles that are combat equipped today and those that are not AND WON'T BE. He reminded us that most of the humvees have vinyl doors (much like a cheap CJ-7 with a rag top) and these are the ones some cowboy soldiers are trying to retrofit with sheets of steel. Somebody has watched one too many Eastwood movies.
It's never a good idea to upstage or embarass your boss in public. Talk about picking one's battles!
(edit, edit) Nancy Pelosi was having orgasms on television last night over Rumsfeld's embarassment, demanding his resignation as incompetent. She's still crying the 'Blues' over the 'Red' states.