Posts Tagged ‘Robert Gates’
US Marine Corps: Semper Fi, But Why?
In the past, the exploits and the history of the Marine Corps always saved it in the halls of Congress from any serious cuts in funding or even criticism. But the task of rebuilding the federal government after four years of Donald Trump will be an expensive and arduous task. An initial step could involve the United States stopping the misuse of its military power by limiting its global involvement and the operational tempo of its military forces.
Read MoreRobert Gates’ “Exercise In Power”: A Disingenuous Exercise in Public Relations
Gates’ “Exercise in Power: American Failures, Successes, and a New Path Forward in the Post-Cold War World” requires a two-part review.
This second part discusses the inadequacies of the book and provide a strong case for demilitarization—with recommendations about what needs to be done.
Gates carries too much Cold War baggage to deal with the solutions to militarization. He fails to understand the current problems with Russia because he distorts the 1990 understanding between Secretary of State James Baker and his Soviet counterpart. Gates’ discussion of the Middle East, particularly the Iraq War, is fundamentally flawed. He points to the non-military instruments of power as being “unequal to the circumstances,” but it was the use of military force that created the regional instability that dominates the Middle East. Gates still believes in the exceptionalism of America, which puts all of us at risk.
Robert M. Gates’ “Exercise Of Power”: More Confessions From a Windsock
As with any book by Gates, there needs to be the standard warning of “caveat emptor.” This is particularly true for “Exercise in Power” in view of Rachel Maddow’s obsequious interview of Gates last month in which she described the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency as a “public intellectual.”
Gates’ “Exercise in Power: American Failures, Successes, and a New Path Forward in the Post-Cold War World” requires a two-part review. The first part will be a review of Gates’ record in the government, particularly his politicization of intelligence on the Soviet Union.
Afghanistan: What is to be Done?
The mainstream media is asking the wrong questions regarding the possibility of Russian bounties for American soldiers. Over and over, they ponder what did the president know and when did he know it? These were important questions that Senator Howard Baker asked of President Nixon during Watergate, but they are meaningless questions for Donald Trump, given his ignorance and indifference. But there are relevant issues regarding the current problem of Afghanistan, which the mainstream media should address, and there is the question of what is to be done. The problem with media coverage is once again the lack of context.
Read MoreRecent News and Latest Book
Two Wars, Five Losing Nations
The United States, complicit in Israel’s genocidal actions and sending conflicting signals regarding Ukraine and Gaza, is also losing in terms of influence and standing. The international community understands the hypocrisy of the Biden administration that condemns the terrorism of Russia but allows the terrorism of Israel. The United States has been Israel’s political shield on the global stage for the past 75 years. A New York Times editorial on Monday continued to support Biden’s most recent veto of a Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.
CIA’s Torture and Abuse: America’s Shame!
Lawrence Wright, the special counsel who investigated the Iran-contra scandal, concluded that the “failure to punish governmental lawbreakers feeds the perception that public officials are not wholly accountable for their actions. It also may lead the public to believe that no real wrongdoing took place.” This certainly applies to all those involved in CIA’s torture program.
