Please read the op-ed column by Gary Wills in today's New York Times about the distinction of "commander in chief of the US armed forces" and "commander in chief of the US," including each and every civilian. The current CIC probably doesn't understand the distinction. Or if asked, he would say what he said about Saddam's having weapons of mass destruction as contrasted with being suspected of having the capacity to make WMDs: "What's the difference?"
Have you ever been in the army? Having that man--or anyone, for that matter--as your military commander as though you were conscripted into some kind of militia is a terrifying thought. In the military, dissent is mutiny. You can be hanged for that -- or shot, under battlefield conditions. In this simplistic, my-way-or-none mentality that has come to prevail, it's either you're as safe as if you're clearing brush in Crawford or you're breaking down doors in Baghdad. With us grunts, it's the latter. We're in combat. All of us. Therefore we can have G-2 (military intelligence) secrecy instead of full disclosure. We can have unwarranted searches and seizures. When we are commanded, we have the option to salute and move out or go to the brig. Or the firing squad. For the duration.
It's going to be a long war.
2 comments:
I think "The Decider" will be a great title for a future movie.
I hope it will be a comedy. Have you seen Stephen Colbert's roast of him at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner? Watch it at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-869183917758574879
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