First off, this is a strawman, because it isn't just the comments that McChrystal made, but ALSO the culture of arrogance and disrespect towards the civilians that he works for that he cultivated within his inner circle and allowed to be exposed to a media representative that is a problem.
How is it a strawman.
People in this thread and elsewhere are condemning him for his "comments about Barack Obama". How is me asking "What comments did it quote mcchrystal of saying about Barack Obama" a strawman?
Indeed, the only strawman I see is you arguing as if I've said that the sum of McChrystals actions didn't warrant the action that was taken. I say its a strawman, because its an argument I never made.
Secondly, these are remarks that smack of outright insubordination to his chain of command, of which Joe Biden is a member.
There only one,
one, comment in the entire article directly attributed to McChrystal that could even come CLOSE to being considered insubordination towards someone above him in the chain of command and even that's a HUGE stretch as its a joking comment made in regards to questions from the press corp and how he'd like to answer it.
[qoute]Further, insulting our allies and then having those insults printed? Stupid beyond belief.[/quote]
I find it hillarious you want to lecture about strawmen and then start beating up entire fields of them.
Yes, its stupid beyond belief. Good thing I never stated he didn't do stupid things.
In any work context, saying this sort of thing in front of a media representative is going to get your ass canned.
Oh look, another strawman.
Imagine, for instance, seeing yourself quoted in a newspaper saying this about your company VP. Do you really believe you wouldn’t be fired for publicly expressing contempt for his/her leadership?
What, it coming out that I stated in front of a reporter that...after previously making stupid comments about the VP and thus having reporters ask about him all the time...I state I'd like to respond with "Who's that?" when I get the inevitable questions about him?
Yeah, I imagine there's backlash for doing something stupid. I wouldn't call it insubordination, or even insulting to the VP, its insulting to the Press Corp by trying to be dismissive of their questions of which I'm deriding.
oh, and its still not a comment about the PRESIDENT...you know, the actual thing I've been asking for.
I consider your comments patently disingenuous.
Funny, the feelings mutural. Especially since you're entire post is one giant argument against a strawmen and nothing at all in regards to my actual statement that the accusations of him having quotes insulting the president as untrue.
Let me make it very clear, once more.
There was nothing wrong or uncalled for in regards to the dismissing of McChrystal. There was nothing smart about allowing rolling stone that kind of access. There was nothing smart about his staff saying the things they stated. There was nothing smart about joking in a crude way around in a friendly manner with his subordinantes and aides in front of a reporter. There was nothing smart in regards to joking about not wanting to dismiss questions about the VP or not wanting to take the email from a beuracrat. McChrystal showed some poor judgement, either on his own or in regards to who he delegate authority to make decisions to, and there was enough questionable circumstances throughout to warrant the action taken. My issue, and only issue, is the repeated claim and the implication presented by people in this thread, on this forum, many liberals, and many in the media, that McChrystal's dismissal was in part due to comments he made in the article about the President, of which there is nothing but heresay. My additional issue, on top of that, is many of those same people who are condemning him in part due to heresay comments are ignoring or dismissing heresay comments made about individuals they support.
