Rumsfeld vs.
A lot has been written and said about those retired members of the armed services who are speaking out against Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld
Retired generals speak out to oppose Rumsfeld | csmonitor.com, and a lot is going on
More Retired Generals Call for Rumsfeld's Resignation - New York Times. I want to focus on just one aspect of this; that these individuals should not be speaking publicly at all,
Why Are They Speaking Up Now? because it undermines civilian control of the military. This is correct in principle. But I am that civilian. I need to have the information to judge the Presidents behavior and competency, and that of those persons he chose to serve in various positions. I need to hear the judgments of the professionals concerned, not have them suppressed because it could be construed as insubordinate to one who is ultimately merely an intermediary. The chain of command runs past General Pace, Mr. Rumsfeld
Rumsfeld Defends His Record Against Critics - New York Times, and past Mr. Bush. In the United States of America, the people are sovereign. I would have no one forget this. I notice the U S Navy, with whom I served, has not added voice to this debate yet. I can only presume this war has treated them well or at least has not created the same cause for anxiety. They may have already turned their thoughts to the next war. Given the historic sensitivity regarding civilian and military interaction, some institutional deference is due At Pentagon, a delicate civilian-military balance | csmonitor.com. The military has a strong monopoly on the tools of coercion. As do the militaries of history's many nations. The historical record bears savage witness to the tendency to turn this potential into direct actuality; therefore, the military of the American republic must be careful in its roles, in its honorable standing, and in its usage! The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) directs active and retired officers ought not speak contemptuously of the President and his officeholders
Civilians Reign Over U.S. Military by Tradition and Design - New York Times. This is a good rule, but it does not silence these individuals or disallow criticism. What I need from these men and women is one good statement of their doubts, objections, worries, and frustrations. Published and promulgated. In an opinion editorial, in an magazine essay, a journal article, in a book, in an interview; however accomplished, it ought to be done
Young Officers Join the Debate Over Rumsfeld - New York Times. But then respect for the process of democratic rule would council circumspection. No military officer should take on the role of a gadfly. Unless he or she chooses to take on the responsibility of running for office, or becoming an open and acknowledged advisor to someone running for political office. This is also their irrcontrovertible right.
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