Joint Chief Of Staff Chairman Warns Soldiers To Stay Out Of Politics

NY Times:

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has written an unusual open letter to all those in uniform, warning them to stay out of politics as the nation approaches a presidential election in which the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be a central, and certainly divisive, issue.

"The U.S. military must remain apolitical at all times and in all ways," wrote the chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, the nation's highest-ranking officer. "It is and must always be a neutral instrument of the state, no matter which party holds sway."

Read the whole story: NY Times

Comments

[SirReal1]

GOM,

I'm not sure that previous comments (on the other blog) missed the point, I think they simply chose to focus on the Admiral's comments rather than to respond yet again to another example of the "Liberal Media Spin" of the Times.

(If you couldn't hear the "facetiousness" of my tone above, I promise, IT IS THERE!)

Given the Times, Post, WP, Fox, etc.etc.et­c., willful use of ACTIVE DUTY Military Officers Comments SUPPORTING this (mis)Admin­istration, and this "war", the Times reporting, AND the Admiral's comments are BOTH, disingenuous at best!

It is also worth mention that current regulation (as far as I know), only precludes active duty service members from engaging in "Political activism" while IN UNIFORM, or making statements as official representatives of the Military!

Civilian comments ARE NOT proscribed by regulation!

The Admiral is trying to promote what has long been "conventional wisdom" in the services, but, as often is the case, "conventional wisdom" has NO BASIS in fact!

IF the press actually had a "liberal bias", THAT would have been the story the Times would have published!

[thepoliticalcat]

Two words: Marilyn Musgrave.

That hack repeatedly posed with soldiers in uniform at her campaign events. Where was Mullen then?

[getoffmedz]

SirReal1 - standing by the original Comment. In this particular NYT article, fact is replaced with bullshit and the Admiral is out of line.

Otherwise, WTF?

[getoffmedz]

The majority of the previous responses to this topic missed the point, completely.

What is important is the New York Times allowed blatant lies and propaganda to be published well off-topic from Admiral Mullens and his silly anti-American mandate to the troops.

The NYT asserts that the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are tantamount to WWII and the Revolutionary War. Iraq and Afghanistan are on-going occupations and police actions, not war and have NOTHING in common with WWII and the American Revolution.

Read the NYT article.

[Trueheart]

This is amusing. Yours appears to be the one and only comment posted. I know it's not because I was looking at this thread earlier.

[Trueheart]

Two stories on this. One with lots o' comments. And this one. How confusion-making!!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/25/military-chief-warns-troo_n_103513.html