The F Bomb
My post "Free
Speech and Patriotism" provoked many responses that took me to task
for using the F word and being rude and childish in responding to a Marine Corps
general who asked me whether I considered myself a journalist or an American.
Thoughtful suggestions have poured in about how I could have
reasonably answered the question -- see, civility isn't dead -- how I could
have been more "professional," better represented "the 4th
estate," took the high road, shown some respect for the uniform and his
sacrifice.
This week as well I've gotten a strange comment defending an
obscure Pentagon official's patriotism -- as if that's an issue -- while many
have questioned my giving Donald Rumsfeld an "F" for his job
performance.
These Washington operators, from the Secretary of Defense to
the Director of the Pentagon's Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA) to the
lowly Marine Corps one-star have perfected the technique. In public, they say the right thing and take
the high road, assure all who are willing to listen that they are reasonable
and professional and that they are only doing what is right for America. As long as they stick to the formula, there
is little fear that any of them will ever be individually held accountable for
mistakes and misjudgments.
The only hanging offense for official Washington is losing
one's cool.
Losing one's cool is my cool, don't you get it? The only reason I'm invited to speak to official audiences in the first place is that I say what I think and believe what I say. If I were reasonable and professional by Washington standards, I would just be another tufthunter whose utterances are completely predictable and thus completely dismissible.
Lex writes that I should have said to the Marine Corps
General:
"General, you work for the commander in chief, and the commander in chief works for me, so in the unlikely event I ever need your opinion on what does or does not qualify one to be an American, I'll certainly pass that request down your chain of command."
"Dropping the f-bomb is simply inflammatory... adding idiot is not a path of flattery to move minds among the reasonable... Neither person involved exemplified the best of their professions in that exchange, to say the best about it. Surely there's a way (easy in hindsight) to turn your initial anger/frustration into something said that actually might shift the general's frame."
"Calling someone a
"f***ing idiot" isn't brave, or witty, or a noble defense of free
speech. It's no less childish in Mr. Arkin's response than it would have been
for the general to use it in a question. What that situation calls for is a
thoughtful, powerful statement on why criticizing America ... isn't unpatriotic
(if you feel that way). I wonder if Mr. Arkin even considered doing so before
plowing ahead with proudly displaying his feathers."
"Congratulations on elevating the debate to such a high level. Of course, most of those responding here will actually believe that was a great move because, like you, they are intellectually superior to guys like him who follow the 'conformity machine.'"
And I particularly like this comment from Mike E: "Occasionally,
there is great utility in saying, "Fuck you" to the powerful --
especially when they have perfected the technique of saying it to you in not so
many/few words."
Before I go, I also want to comment on the long posting in
response to my latest installment on Pentagon
domestic spying defending David Burtt, Director of the Pentagon's
Counterintelligence Field Activity.
AngryVietVet68 wrote:
"I know Dave Burtt personally and I know that he would not do anything maliciously or intentionally to spy on innocent Americans or deprive them of their civil or Constitutional rights... I suspect pressure from Wolfowitz and other senior DoD officials put pressure on the military counterintelligence and antiterrorism offices ... The one thing that I know for certain is that Dave Burtt is an honorable person who has the best interest of the American people and the US military at heart.... I am sure that when he says his office is doing its best to correct the errors of judgment and purge the data base of improper information that he will do it. ... Dave Burtt is an American patriot. ... He is kind and honorable person trying to do a very difficult job."
David Burtt is a high level government official responsible
Department of Defense operating in violation of policy and the law. But in the ways of Washington, he is just doing
his best -- patriot, honorable, good -- and it's someone else's fault if
mistakes were made.
It's enough to make you f**king furious.
By William M. Arkin |
April 3, 2006; 7:00 AM ET
Domestic Role of the Military
, Information Warfare
, Intelligence
, War on Terrorism
Previous: What the 9/11 Plotter Tells Us |
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Posted by: nallcando | April 5, 2006 6:28 PM
We are told that another attack is coming. Audio tapes recently released say the plans are being prepared, and you will see them soon.
I know what is going to happen because I read about it in the most reliable source of all. That right I read in the Bible that Sodom and Gommorah were condemned and burned to ashes and that the Lord made them an example of what is going to happen - that is in 2 Peter 2 in the New International version. After considering that example it is easy to understand that cities are going to burn. In the same way that the Lord told Lot to leave the city, it is a good idea today as well. Cities are the target for a thermal nuclear attack. The end the Bible fortells of is coming soon; and it is anuclear attack that takes place in the middle of the night when the city's population is near the lowest levels. It happens when the crops are close to harvest, but then the radiation dust contaminates the food suppy until the harvest comes the next year you will need to have put away 390 days supply of food. You can see why I make these statements with complete confidence because it is exactly what the Bible is saying, I only read what it says and began to see perfectly clear what is going to happen. I even found the timing about when these things take place. Like when summer is near, it is at the door, fortelling the month; the new moon is mentioned fortelling the week; and the formula for the year is the 390 days of coming punishment being a day for each year of sin. The years of sin have been accumulating and now it is time. To verify this info you may visit my totally not for profit website www.biblically.com
Posted by: Everett | April 5, 2006 1:25 AM
The Secretary of Defense works for President Bush, and he has always done all that his boss wanted him to do, nothing more, nothing less. So the one who should get an F is President Bush. But he couldn't care less if he got 100 Fs. He, and his father, and his clients the oil companies, and his father's clients the Saudi monarchy, will cry all the way to the banks. You see we are in Iraq because the Iraqi oil was increasingly flooding the world and depressing the prices. So this flow of oil had to be disrupted, and what better way of doing it than by destroying Saddam and throwing the country into the turmoil in which it is now? President Bush, like his father, knew very that 130000 soldiers were sufficient to win the war but not the peace. But President Bush was not interested in winning the peace, he was interested in making money and helping his friends make money. So he had Rumsfeld fire Gen Shinsegi, the last general that tried to get him to do the right thing. They knew that thousands of Americans would lose their lives, and thousands more would lose their limbs. But blood money is still money, isn't it? And this was obviously a low cost compared to their profits. And the cost would be born by other Americans' children anyway. As for the death and destruction visited on Iraq and the Iraqis, who cares? They are foreigners anyway. Right?
Posted by: Eye DeDieu | April 3, 2006 9:42 PM
Why on earth would anyone want to be identified as an "American"? Your country is hardly a positive force in the world these days. Probably best to keep a low profile. So many crimes have been committed in the name of being "American" that the whole concept is now sullied beyond redemption.
Posted by: Wilhelm | April 3, 2006 6:07 PM
I added this to the other post but I'll add it here as well:
"'General, do you consider yourself a military officer or an American?'
The US is a democracy, the military is not (nor should it be).
Posted by: Seth Edenbaum | April 3, 2006 4:10 PM
When there have been so many lies, it becomes increasingly difficult to know what is the truth.
The Bush administration has done tremendous damage to the US and imo its difficult to tell whether we will return to what we once were.
The military industrial complex has a firm grip in our government and controls the news media. Most Americans are concerned about their personal lives and know very little about the issues involved. They think in terms of simplistic slogans.
If we have some true patriots who will stand up for American principles the government might again represent the interests of the American people. But its iffy.
Most people are only concerned about themselves and what benefits them.
The US should not be the only super power and make decisions for other nations. The people are too selfish and lack the knowledge or morality to be a leader for the world.
Perhaps there are natural forces and something within human nature that will push nations towards human rights, with or without the help of the US.
Perhaps there are inalienable rights that have been endowed by our Creator.
Posted by: Christine | April 3, 2006 2:06 PM
Well Mr. Arkin I would not worry about it if I were You.
At least so far when I have checked out in depth what you have had to say it has proven to be fact.
Where as what the goverments statements have all been twisted lies form what I have seen so far.
Sp4MP Army Veteran
Jackson, Michigan
Posted by: Sp4MP | April 3, 2006 11:55 AM
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And this is HOMELAND SECURTY AT THE WHITEHOUSE. Members of Congress wear identifying lapel pins and routinely are waved into buildings without undergoing security checks. WOW! a lapel pin while we the ordinary citizen must carry Bio-IDs with us at all time. Why not give us Lapel pins for everyone knows they would be so hard to copy! Rep. McKinney apparrently wasn't as well known as James Gluckered (not sure the spelling of his name) the planted newsman for President Bush, he managed to get in and out of the Federal buildings with a fake ID and in some cases he never left the building. How does that happen!