General sir, I’d be honored to buy you a drink.

It’s painfully obvious to me that our military leaders are held to a much higher standard than the elected officials who oversee them. Time and again I see our leaders in government hop around with a  foot lodged in their  pie hole saying and doing things that are for the most part grossly unprofessional and downright stupid. I could sit down all night and recite a laundry list of folks that are idiots and for the grace of their ignorant constituents seem to hold on to their office no matter what they say and do. Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Harry Reid, Joe Biden, Michael Steele and that jackass who attacked that student for asking a simple question pop up in my head for starters.  It just never ceases to amaze me the arrogance of some officials who think they are above reproach because they hold an office.

More and more I have seen elected and appointed officials treat members of the armed forces with disdain, as if they are neanderthals to be kept on a short leash. The most recent atrocity of course being General Stanley McChrystal. Here’s a guy who’s given a lifetime of service to his country and is the best at what he does, BAR NONE. He is given this huge task of winning the war in Afghanistan, gets little respect or support from his Commander-in-Chief or civilian counterparts in country, and is expected to generate positive results regardless whether or not they choose to listen to him. I have not read the Rolling Stone article(I will NOT give that rag my hard-earned $)  but what I have heard from commentary is that it was definitely a breach in protocol regardless whether his staff was quoting the general or not. When approached he could have denied it, but being a man of integrity, duty and honor he did not knowing full well it would mean the end of his career. In my opinion he was not willing to deny what he felt was true, and would take what the fates would deal him(in this case Obama). When ordered he went  into the Oval Office resignation in hand ready to go out on his terms, standing behind his words but also apologising for them. Those qualities as a leader that made him the best for this job are the ones that led him to resigning his command.

Now how many MAINSTREAM politicians out there live by the same code and take their duties to this country as seriously as General McChrystal? A few only come to mind, and most are dead. unfortunately you never really hear about the good ones, the bad ones are much more entertaining to the mob. I’m not defending the General, he made a mistake, a big one, and accepting his resignation was the right thing to do. BUT….he made no excuses, did not hide, and did not lie like many of his civilian superiors have done and continue to do. For that he has my respect and admiration not only as someone who has served his nation with honor but also as a man willing to stand behind his words no matter what personal losses he may face.

Tom Paine mentioned in a conversation over lunch that this possibly may have been a well thought out plan to let the truth be known so as to force the administration to do what must be done to achieve success or maybe he had enough and wanted out. These are very plausible possibilities to be sure. I would like to think that this is simply what it was. Stuck in an airport for a week a journalist was in the right place at the right time to witness the frustration of a general and his staff at the cocktail lounge blowing off steam because they were not getting the support they needed from this administration to end this conflict and save american lives.

So in short General sir, It would be my pleasure and an honor to buy you a drink.