Maybe you’ve heard about the 5 Generals who have publicly called for Rumsfeld to resign. And if you haven’t, here’s 7 quotes from Generals and the helpful backstory on why exactly they didn’t speak earlier. Oh, if you count Colin Powell, an 8th General who says mistakes were made. Generals don’t say bad things about superiors in public; they don’t contradict the boss. It just isn’t done. And since General Shinseki was, um, replaced, they are very cautious about saying things in private too. In fact, BuzzFlash goes so far as to call this a mutiny.
How far are they willing to go? And are current commanders thinking the same things their retired counterparts are saying? Are these public comments intended to be heard by the citizens, or are they a message to the current commanders?
On the economic front I bring you comments from the Secretary of the Treasury (who to me rather looks like a cartoon buzzard, but there you are). If you try to find the word “fiscal” you will jump to this mind-boggling quote:
Well, if you do the math, growing the public sector–that is, making government bigger–and achieving fiscal discipline, can only lead to one thing: higher taxes. And higher taxes always mean a larger role for government and a smaller role for the private sector. Is that the way we want to go? I don’t think so.
Yes, that’s right, the official government stance is that fiscal discipline is bad. Therefore increased deficit spending must be good. I wonder if he ran CSX this way… no, if he said this at a shareholder meeting or on CNBC the board of directors would have voted him out on the spot. True Conservatives, wake up! This administration does not stand for your values any more than they stand for those of the Progressives.