Defense Secretary Gates has been a 'major reason' why US Afghan mission is failing because he has justified Pakistan ’s terrorist connections, alluding to a “deficit of trust” between Washington , DC and Islamabad . Mr Gates also said that there was “some justification” for Pakistan 's concerns about past American policies.

Gen David Patraeus, rushed in with an apologia for his Pakistani friends, by claiming that while Faisal was inspired by militants in Pakistan , he did not necessarily have contacts with the militants which is proven to be wrong.

Both Adm Mike Mullen and Gen Patraeus fancy themselves to be “soldier statesmen” a la Gen Dwight Eisenhower. Adm Mullen has visited Pakistan 15 times and Gen Patraeus no less frequently. Both evidently have high opinions of their abilities to persuade Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to crack down on the Haqqani network in North Waziristan and the Taliban’s Mullah Omar-led Quetta Shura.

All American officers in southern Afghanistan know that they can not prevail in the ongoing military operations, unless Taliban strongholds across the Durand Line in North Waziristan and Baluchistan are neutralized. Adm Mullen and Gen Patraeus evidently do not want to acknowledge that hard options have to be considered if their soldiers are not to die at the hands of radicals, armed and trained across the Durand Line. This is where rubber meets the road for the famed General.

One can only hope that with the departure of this 'failing trio' of Gates, Petraeus and Mullen, US policy of mollycoddling Pakistan at the expense of Afghanistan will end even though State Department is still left Pakistan-apologists like Hillary Clinton and Senator John Kerry.

Mr Gates was widely welcomed by both parties because he was not Rumsfeld. Sort of like how Obama was elected because he was not GW Bush. When there is a skunk at the picnic, any means to drive it off seems like a great idea. The so called defense industry has its tentacles deep into Washington DC as well as in every state in the nation and for it, endless wars are good for business. I applaud Gates for cutting a few over priced and unneeded "defense" programs and wish Panetta good luck in cutting a few more and to keep those drones flying.

Mr Gates was widely welcomed by both parties because he was not Rumsfeld. Sort of like how Obama was elected because he was not GW Bush. When there is a skunk at the picnic, any means to drive it off seems like a great idea. The so called defense industry has its tentacles deep into Washington DC as well as in every state in the nation and for it, endless wars are good for business. I applaud Gates for cutting a few over priced and unneeded "defense" programs and wish Panetta good luck in cutting a few more and to keep those drones flying.

That is one great essay.

Almost all of Dr. Adams' points can be traced back to the Cult of Military Exceptionalism that was hatched and nurtured by George Bush and the Neocons after 9/11. Which then become normative across the body politic.

Martial sensibilities have been elevated to an Olympian ideal by the Neocons, and the American military leadership has been only too happy to bask in the accolades of Exceptionalism.

Under the rubric of Military Exceptionalism, anyone who wears a uniform is a "warrior" and a "hero". Regardless of whether or not they actually went into battle or did anything heroic. Wearing a uniform makes one braver, smarter, wiser, more disciplined and more patriotic. America is the new Sparta with its elite and privileged Warrior Class. Having worn a silver star on one's shoulder's implies Presidential timber.

And why not? Exceptionalism rationalizes the huge bloated DoD budgets that fund Mission Creep, Cheap Talk, Big Guns and Bennies from Heaven. Because to challenge any of the underlying ownership claims of the military is to challenge the gods themselves.

Obama has been caught up in the Power of the Cult. Because he's too feckless to resist. Too much is never enough when it comes to "Supporting the troops!"

All Panetta will do at the Pentagon is move some food around the plate but do nothing to contain the Exceptionalism Beast. Putting the metastasized War Machine genie back in the bottle is probably impossible until the larger economic implosion happens.

Note that Wall Street, the Beltway and the Military-Security Leviathan will be the last to go. And by then, those players will have their money off-shore and the Gulf Streams ready for take off.

A question like this is symptomatic of a problem Gates noted in a speech at Duke last year: the demographic shifts in the composition of the military that have made our armed forces very unrepresentative of our population as a whole. Maybe we should reinstitute the draft karmaloop codes? Perhaps the next time a liberal gets elected we’ll be looking at a rerun of “Seven Days in May”?

Perhaps the next time a liberal gets elected we’ll be looking at a rerun of “Seven Days in May”?

Thanks

http://www.4corescomunicacao.com.br

Unfortunately, I couldn't agree more. I remember having a conversation prior to the 2010 election with my in-laws, something I wouldn't suggest doing. My father in law was explaining everything from why the economy crashed(Clinton's fault) to why things were about to get worse(Obama.) In the midst of this the topic of war, defense, and money came up. He was quick to defend the importance of all of these things, and that is when I realized that Dems and Reps are all in it together. The rest is just smoke and mirrors to make our population believe things are going to change, or stay the same. Either way half will be unhappy, and half will be ecstatic. We each take a turn. All of these people are interchangeable parts, including Panetta, and the only way you would ever lose your position is if you actually stood for SOMETHING. While I have respect for my father-in-law, a military brat and chiropractor seattle who traveled the world with his family as a child, it surprised me that he didn't comprehend the War Machine that you mention. He truly still believes in the need for force, the military industrial complex, and just happens to support the Neo-Cons who have made trillions on other peoples blood sweat and tears.

When Gates came up, I was so jubilant that we might start to see some sense in all this and compared to Rumsfield, he was refreshing. But Gates has been stuck and so far I see nothing of what I had hoped for. ju

Ten huge challenges Bob Gates leaves behind. Mr Gates was widely welcomed by both parties because he was not Rumsfeld. Sort of like how Obama was elected because he was not GW Bush. When there is a skunk at the picnic, any means to drive it off seems like a great idea. The so called defense industry has its tentacles deep into Washington DC as well as in every state in the nation and for it, endless wars are good for business. I applaud Gate learn to play guitar Mr Gates was widely welcomed by both parties because he was not Rumsfeld. Sort of like how Obama was elected because he was not GW Bush. When there is a skunk at the picnic, any means to drive it off seems like a great idea. The so called defense industry has its tentacles deep into Washington DC as well as in every state in the nation and for it, endless wars are good for business. I applaud Gate.

Gates took over a difficult situation, where he had to try and clean up the mess created by Rumsfeld and company. He had some success and achieved some of his goals but was unable to accomplish everything that needs to be done.

Panetta faces an even more difficult situation as he will not have the support of many of the Hawks who supported wars and larger defense budgets in the past. Many now realize all budgets must be reduced, even Defense Budgets.

Regardless of who is elected President or who is Secretary of Defense, the next few years are going to be hard years for this country as we are forced to make the hard choices regarded to pay for the wasteful spending by both political parties of the last three decades.

E.C.Seward>