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Paul Krassner

Paul Krassner

Posted: June 25, 2010 01:42 PM

Why Firing the General Was an Act of God

What's Your Reaction:

The volcano in Iceland was considered an Act of God.

Smoke from the volcano caused countless flights to be canceled.

The Rolling Stone correspondent was stuck in Paris.

Embedded there, he hung around with talkative drinkers.

They revealed stuff while forgetting it was being told to a reporter.

He wrote in his article what they had said.

The fact checkers verified those statements.

The article was shown to Barack Obama.

Whether he fired McChrystal or didn't, Republicans would criticize.

The president fired the general, ultimately due to an Act of God.

 
 
 
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MDCA
I love America.
01:44 PM on 06/27/2010
When Obama picked McChrystal, he didn't really know him that well. He was shoved down Obama's throat as someone that the Repugs would confirm. Eventually, McChrystal's Republican tendencies led him to disparage Obama and his administration. The same happened when he replaced McChrystal with Petraeus. He picked the Republican's golden boy. Wait for a new level of embarrassment.
08:18 PM on 06/27/2010
I don't think so. David Patraeus is that rare thing, a real patriot, not a Republican anything. He's taken a demotion to accept this job, he of all folk should be able to do it (if it's do-able) and I wouldn't be against him, or Obama. It's fun to do so, and so far, with all due respect to today's political fart-whiff, he ain't done too bad. Saved the economy. Passed health care. Legislated bank reform. Stay 'tooned -- and try patriotism your own self. Amurica first. Not the freakin' extremos.
12:08 AM on 06/28/2010
Saved the economy? Where are you I want to move? CA is still FUBAR.
blogisti
Approved Knowledge Only
10:25 AM on 06/27/2010
I don't think it was an act of god. I think it was the act of a man who was failing and needed an out.
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HUFFPOST PUNDIT
realitytrumpsbull
two 'alves of coconut!
11:17 PM on 06/26/2010
So basically, a news reporter eavesdropped on some drunken loudmouths, and as a result of what he published, one of our Army generals lost his job. Nice one, Rolling Stone!
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aznurse
01:05 AM on 06/27/2010
written by Paul Krassner/Author and satirist.
geez.
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05:01 PM on 06/27/2010
Hi aznurse. Sorta looks like the folks here lack a sense of humor. I thought the article was funny.
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01:51 AM on 06/27/2010
He should have been damn smart enough after all these years to shut up,do you think that egomaniac would take that said about him by his officers,not no,but hell no,he thought he was so high up he was untouchable,he made a mistake many have made in history,they thought they were irreplaceable , very foolish thinking,no one is bigger than the game
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soldiergirl
Friends don't let friends vote republican
02:09 AM on 06/27/2010
You are exactly right, Greg. Had any of his brigade or division commanders disrespected him like that, he would have relieved them.

Do you remember when the units from Fort Steward were complaining to the media about being sent to Iraq instead of going home from their deployment for training in the middle east (I forget if they were training in Turkey, Egypt or somewhere like that). Anyway, those soldiers got in trouble for voicing their opinions. All military members know that they cannot do what the general and his staff did. I too think that he let his ego get in the way of his good sense.
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Eric Susee
Legalize Marijuana NOW!!!!!
09:20 PM on 06/26/2010
Short and oh, so sweet.
06:13 PM on 06/26/2010
lesson learned. Don't question our dear leader
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progressivestance84
The Right is Wrong.
09:01 PM on 06/26/2010
Your right don't, especially if you are a Republican; after all they have not business being anywhere near elected office.
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01:54 AM on 06/27/2010
That,s a bullshi;;t statement ,Let us go back in history,FDR,recalled MacArthur for the same stuff, Stan the man, damn sure is not in the same league
12:16 AM on 06/28/2010
Not the same stuff. MacArthur was trying to influence policy not simply make light of the President and his staff. I do think BHO made the right decision but MacArthur's transgressions were far worse.
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mark331blue
Left leaning independent
01:05 AM on 06/28/2010
FDR never recalled MacArthur. Truman did. And it had nothing to do with the "same stuff." It had to do with policy. MacArthur had reached the point where he thought he had more influence on policy than his boss. He was wrong. Dead wrong.
03:23 PM on 06/26/2010
The way some peoples minds run simply amazes me. God had nothing to do with the firing of McChrystal. That was Obamas call and he did it because he was "angry". It didn't make him look like he was in command or control of the situation; it made him look like his usual, normative self; a knee-jerk, emotional-driven, man who makes decisions on how he "feels". McChrystal was wrong and military people can see that clearly but Obama putting Petraeus in his place, one his party-people once called "betrayus" and then scrubbed their webpage, was because He had no choice! Now Petraeus can change the rules of engagement and let the troops get the job done instead of being sitting ducks! I wouldn't be surprised if McChrystal set this up; he knew what the outcome would be before he even went to the White House; "summoned" by the man who would thing He is God.
03:45 PM on 06/26/2010
Can I have some of what you are on? I like to rant now and then. Guess you missed the generals Bush sacrificed.
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04:34 PM on 06/26/2010
He was summoned by his boss, and he was dismissed due to his blatant misconduct. You'll just have to adjust.
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Puller58
Man of Mystery
02:43 PM on 06/26/2010
Cute. I'm sure the General felt it came from the opposite direction.
12:40 PM on 06/26/2010
At least, this President does not think that God put him in office. I hope.
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02:02 AM on 06/27/2010
Bush thought God put him in office, talk about a fruitcake
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Blue North Wind
07:33 AM on 06/27/2010
yeah, i'm from Bush's state...imagine how i feel....I cant stand the guy. he screwed up, covered up, and blew up any shot he had with any policy....Court martial would have been good for McChrystal, and then strongly coerced/ strongly advised retirement would probably have been suitable..with as large as his intoxicated mouth was, and as little respect as his men already had for him, I'm sure it wouldn't have been long before he opted to leave before getting 'accidentally' sniped.
11:32 AM on 06/26/2010
President Obama had no choice but to accept Gen. McChrystals resignation and yet the conservatives continue to hammer away at him with no solutions of their own, especially Fox and Friends this morning when they said Rolling Stone couldn't be trusted because they compromised their ethics by printing off the record comments. Even if they did [which I'm not so sure of] why do they choose to believe McChystal over them? For the same reason they have never given Obama credit for having done anything right, they prey on the weak minded.
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Puller58
Man of Mystery
02:45 PM on 06/26/2010
The Right is all about politics, all the time.
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02:04 AM on 06/27/2010
Fox needs to news read, journalist they are not and never will be. Rolling Stone tells more truth than FOX in a lifetime
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Blue North Wind
07:36 AM on 06/27/2010
Fanned: ...Fox is Bias anyway. Research would be a good idea instead of just informing the public what they already saw, read, and heard from everywhere else, than forming their own opinion...
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kjallyn
11:17 AM on 06/26/2010
Let's all just take a moment and imagine the reaction, from both sides of the aisle, to these sorts of comments had they been made about Mr. Bush in the second year of his first term.
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Matt Nappo
02:13 PM on 06/26/2010
they called Patraeus "Betray Us" then. Now he's a war hero.
01:01 PM on 06/27/2010
So who is calling Petraeus a hero? He is simply the most senior, battle experienced strategist in the general staff. He is intimately familiar with the Iraq & Afganistan conflicts, local politics and can see the BIG picture, unlike McChrystal who apparently was running on his own ego and power trip and less-than-favorable command performance.
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aznurse
01:06 AM on 06/27/2010
Guantanamo has many rooms
10:54 AM on 06/26/2010
I listened to NPR guests discussing that the Afghans were hedging their bets because they didn't trust that the US could be trusted to follow through. Can that have anything to do with Obama's "cut & run" deadline that he put on the war there? In spite of the consensus that uncertainty was the main problem with getting cooperation, not one of them tied it into the fact that this administration under Obama's "leadership" has caused nothing but uncertainty in every area they have touched. Jonathan Alter (senior editor at Newsweek and major Obama apologist) referred to Obama's Healthcare plan as 52 card pickup... then added "but we needed to DO SOMETHING"... And the list of political meddling causing uncertainty goes on.
Some mocked the DOMINO THEORY in Vietnam, but don't realize that this is another Domino in the line. The international trust that we lost to finish what we started has re-defined our world position. Like animals with an aging "alpha male", once weakness is visible the contenders start circling and probing for the opportunity to strike.
By the way the US never lost a major battle in Vietnam. When we left the North Vietnamese were on the verge of surrender according to the diary of their military commander. Hundreds of thousands of Western sympathizers lost their lives as a result of that withdrawal...and it was the Progressives that gave the Vietcong support needed to persevere. It was the Left that defeated our soldiers in Vietnam.
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Julia Bailey
11:19 AM on 06/26/2010
Its really sad that you believe that.
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margoharris
I used to be Snow White but I drifted.
12:09 PM on 06/26/2010
What a bunch of crap.
10:23 AM on 06/26/2010
A progressive that believes in God! How refreshing! Or maybe he just believes in using the phrase, "act of god" (no capps) to grab attention
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margoharris
I used to be Snow White but I drifted.
12:08 PM on 06/26/2010
You don't know what you are talking about. Go back to redstate you ignorant tr00l.
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Elizabeth75
Will vote for Obama.
01:08 PM on 06/26/2010
Not sure why I'm bothering to point this out. But there are many progressives who believe in God. There are even Christian progressives. The majority of progressives that I know, are strong believers in keeping Religion separate from Government. But that doesn't mean that they don't believe in God.
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Mover
Father, Husband, Ret 1SG
07:29 AM on 06/26/2010
President Obama finally does something presidential. Who Knew?

Of course, in his usual manner, his used the situation to alter his 'turn-tail and abandon plan' to one that is based on "conditions on the ground". We know this because he said it was not a change on the plan.
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Social Construct
Go left, young man.
09:59 AM on 06/26/2010
Do you wear your Glen Beck mask and type into the mirror when commenting? Just asking, nothing personal, of course ....
11:08 AM on 06/26/2010
...and nothing of substance either.
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Matt Nappo
02:19 PM on 06/26/2010
Nothing honest either. At least have the decency and honesty to admit when you're being personally insulting. Why you hard core lefties assume every one and anyone who disagrees with you on any point is taking Beck talking points is mind boggling. The plain truth is, Obama is an academic, He should stick to what he's good at, because executive isn't it. Making that observation is no way exclusive to right wing extremists.
10:50 AM on 06/26/2010
"Turn tail and abandon plan"? As opposed to the "stay there and have our soldiers killed and our coffers emptied until the end of time plan"? I guess it depends on your perspective.

Tell me, what exactly was the plan of the bunch that got us into this in the first place?
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margoharris
I used to be Snow White but I drifted.
12:10 PM on 06/26/2010
Crickets.................as usual.
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soldiergirl
Friends don't let friends vote republican
02:36 AM on 06/27/2010
Since it is an all volunteer military, maybe Matt should volunteer to go over and stay and fight indefinitely under the "until the end of time plan".
02:54 AM on 06/26/2010
God works in ways we can't see a priori.
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11:29 PM on 06/25/2010
All kidding aside. this story means nothing, as in the "meet the new boss, same as the old boss",department.

As long as we stay in two (yes two!) useless Bush wars, draining lives and money, while our nation fails to extend unemployment benefits for the desperate, then our nation's soul is about to be destroyed on a false altar of austerity.