By I was checking out the Marmot’s Hole comments section on a posting on the General McChrystal issue and of someone is already throwing out a claim that General McChrystal is a racist even though there isn’t one thing in that article that can be construed as racist.
Can anyone point out the racist statement in this article?
Anyway I decided to do a bit of Internet searching and of course the Net is filled with claims of General McChrystal being a racist. I wonder how many of these people making these claims ever served in the military because the military is the most color blind organization in America in my opinion. This is just another example of the people making these claims being the biggest racists themselves by injecting race into something that has nothing to do with race.
If you listen to this interview with the Rolling Stone writer Michael Hastings, General McChrystal and his staff were used to having media embeds that wrote favorable things in order to ensure future access. Michael Hastings says in this interview that many of the quotes he got were from staff members while drinking. So you have a staff full of special ops types blowing off steam so it is not surprising they were bad mouthing people. If you have ever been around special ops types you would know they operate by their own rules and don’t suffer lightly those who they disagree with. What continues to amaze me is the access they gave this reporter and the only thing I can think of is that the staff thought this guy was like all the other compliant media embeds they had dealt with before.
It is times like this that it is best to turn to Jon Stewart to tell it like it is:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| McChrystal’s Balls – Honorable Discharge | ||||
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By the way something I find of interest in all of this is how good Hillary Clinton is viewed in this article compared to President Obama, his officials, and even John McCain that no one in the media is talking about.
11:37 am on June 24th, 2010 1
It seems a little blown out of proportion as always. It always seems that only whites can be racist.
12:11 pm on June 24th, 2010 2
There's an idea. Screw the AAFES contract with Burger King. Send a Hooters downrange.
2:00 pm on June 24th, 2010 3
Much to do about nothing. I haven't seen anybody worth noting attempting to make this a racial issue. Especially since it seemed like Joe Biden is the one that took up most of the General's disdain. The General was out of line for whatever reason and him being sacked seemed appropriate.
3:55 pm on June 24th, 2010 4
"If you have ever been around special ops types you would know they operate by their own rules and don’t suffer lightly those who they disagree with"
I don't see how this supports your point at all. I read this as: "If you have ever been around people who don't give a fsck what their superiors and fellow citizens think, then you're a non-military pㅜssy who doesn't know anything."
I honestly do appreciate the insight that you and many of your readers have as a result of being in the military — really, I do value it. However, I find it to be disturbing that your posts all too often use the "well if you had ever been in the MILITARY then you'd know derp a derp a derp)" Everyone has different experiences and perspectives, obviously. The vast majority of people reading this Rolling Stone article and anything else that is military-related haven't had the experience, but that doesn't make us ignorant morons.
5:07 pm on June 24th, 2010 5
“By the way something I find of interest in all of this is how good Hillary Clinton is viewed in this article compared to President Obama, his officials, and even John McCain that no one in the media is talking about.”
Are you really surprised? There’s obviously disagreement within the administration about the efficacy of the war effort. But, even if the President is skeptical now, it’s irrelevant now. President Obama’s decision was even better than expected, and it might even allow for a net gain. let McChrystal rant in retirement on the talk shows. He’s not as good as MacArthur was, and his insubordination was far less artful.
5:32 pm on June 24th, 2010 6
#11
Without being dismissive, I think he was communicating something about an atypical part of the military most civilians aren't really familiar with.
Take it from the words of an administrator of a Special Forces forum:
5:34 pm on June 24th, 2010 7
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by GIKorea, Joseph J. Steinberg. Joseph J. Steinberg said: @GIKorea Why are we even asking such a ridiculous, irrelevant question? http://bit.ly/9chMSO [...]
5:56 pm on June 24th, 2010 8
@ #11 & #12:
What on gawd's green earth are you talking about??!
6:21 pm on June 24th, 2010 9
“If you listen to this interview with the Rolling Stone writer Michael Hastings, General McChrystal and his staff were used to having media embeds that wrote favorable things in order to ensure future access. Michael Hastings says in this interview that many of the quotes he got were from staff members while drinking. So you have a staff full of special ops types blowing off steam so it is not surprising they were bad mouthing people.”
Look, try to sugarcoat it all you want, they knew the reporter was from Rolling Stones, not the Washington Times.
7:43 pm on June 24th, 2010 10
Along with Korea Finder, there should be a Caption This Photo contest.
Here is my submission for the one above.
Obama: Say, I don’t often swing that way… but for an old guy, you have some very firm and attractive pecks. I really like the way they feel through your uniform.
McChrystal: If you touch me again, sir, I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-funk you.
8:40 pm on June 24th, 2010 11
Teadrinker I am not sugar coating nothing. I am relaying a possible explanation unless of course you are buying into the belief that McChrystal staged his own ouster by using the Rolling Stone reporter? That is preposterous.
10:02 pm on June 24th, 2010 12
#10,
What's truly sad is that my reference to Archie Bunker went right over your head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyD3BUiMjHY
Fast forward to 05:00.
10:12 pm on June 24th, 2010 13
#7,
That would imply that he thought it through. Nah, this reminds me of a grumpy old man set in his ways being pugnacious with the “hippie”.
“Who and what is this and why is it here?”
10:12 pm on June 24th, 2010 14
No, I mean what does the "difference" between military and civilian culture have to do with budgets? Are you seriously going to defend an officer who spends money like a teenage girl at the mall by applying some irrelevant argument about this officer's media posing to an enlisted army vet like me? We can never disgrace enough officers as far as I'm concerned, especially ones who are trying to get soldiers killed and bankrupt the nation at the same time.
10:25 pm on June 24th, 2010 15
@ #9:
It’s possible Gen. McCrystal just aired what he had in private, and thought nothing of the repercussions. I’m sure he said worse to Obama. How much damage has Ambassador Holbrooke caused with his mouth? But, a publication is no place to take dirty laundry. it’s possible the President stabbed him in the back, too. But, he’s the President! Get over it, guys!
11:42 pm on June 24th, 2010 16
dude got fired.