President Obama must fire General Stanley McChrystal and get out of Afghanistan... for starters.
There is much more at stake here than meets the eye. History is full of generals with deep contempt for democracy.
General McChrystal has a very particular significance. Last year, as Obama weighed the Afghan situation, McChrystal circumvented him entirely. In an act of profound public contempt, the general went directly to the world media with a high-profile campaign that was entirely inappropriate to a civilian democracy.
He should have been fired right then and there.
But McChrystal used the brass on his chest to sell the nation a bill of goods--that the war in Afghanistan could be "won." It would be "difficult," of course, requiring "sacrifice."
But exactly what "victory" meant, and how that would make the United States safer, more just and prosperous, was never clear.
What was clear was who would die and who would pay.
But with the corporate media lapping up his every word, McChrystal upstaged the numerous political, strategic, financial and military experts who disagreed with him.
The plunge into the Graveyard of Great Powers was by no means a consensus decision among either the experts or the public.
McChrystal became to Afghanistan what William Westmoreland was to Vietnam--the go-to guy on the plunge to war. The results have been catastrophic.
Like Westmoreland, McChrystal has been proven dead wrong on just about everything. The war's only foreseeable "accomplishment" is to drain our treasury and weaken our nation. We hear snippets of "progress" here and insider reports of "victories" there, and lately a recycled old story about vast mineral wealth. But it's deja vu all over again, a ghastly Southwest Asian re-run of the debacle in Southeast Asia.
Stanley McChrystal has failed as a general, and as a citizen.
It would be easy to say his comments as they appear in Rolling Stone are an aberration, that he was caught off-guard expressing his contempt for the President, the Vice-President and the rest of us.
But in this day and age, that may be naive. We have a volunteer army and a President inclined to avoid definitive decisions. Our rights as civilians were not easily won. To preserve them, as Jefferson said, we must be "eternally vigilant."
The Roman republic disintegrated when generals began disobeying elected leaders and taking personal control of their armies.
In the midst of our own Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln fired his contemptuous, incompetent General George McClellan and eventually replaced him with Ulysses S. Grant, who won a war worth winning. McClellan ran against Lincoln for the presidency in 1864. He lost. Thankfully, he had no personal army to overturn the decision.
During the Korean War, General Douglass MacArthur contemptuously disobeyed President Harry Truman. Truman resolutely fired him. As he told TIME Magazine at the time:
"I fired him [MacArthur] because he wouldn't respect the authority of the President... I didn't fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that's not against the law for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail."
It took another General, Dwight Eisenhower, to bring finally the troops home. But come they did.
Barack Obama cannot let Stanley McChrystal return to Afghanistan. He needs to fire him immediately, and replace him with someone who will end that war.
The stakes we can see are huge. The ones we can't may be even greater.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.