Speaking out.

Many of you reading this know that I've been down with a broken hip since January and haven't been much in the mood to sit at a computer. That explains two things: the length of time since I've posted and the length of this post.

Speaking out.

There has been something of a furor, recently, about five retired flag officers (generals or admirals) of the U.S. Military speaking out about the planning of the Iraq War and the arrogance and swagger evinced by SecDef Donald Rumsfeld. (For whatever it is worth, Rummy served in the U.S. Navy (one of the few officials in the White House group that ever bothered to put on a uniform for real. Still, it is my opinion that, as a military officer, I wouldn't have wanted to serve under him and don't believe he could find his ass with both hands and a map.) reaching the rank of Captain.

Former Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, the right-wing advocate of Iran-Contra under the Reagan administration, who apparently sees nothing wrong with his speaking out, is particularly incensed and seems to feel that these officers speaking out is somehow treasonous and, at the very least, a cabal of senior military officials determined to bring down the administration and destroying all that is right and good.

Let us leave aside, for now, the fact that U.S. Military officers, especially senior ones, tend to be conservative by nature and every one of them I ever met was a dyed in the wool Republican.

If these officers speaking out were currently on active duty, I might be somewhat concerned, as some seem to be now, about the concept of civilian control of the military. Active duty military personnel may bitch to one another about how things are being done.... but they seldom go public with those concerns. On the other hand, these officers have served this country for 20 - 30 years, putting their own lives on the line for much of that time, unlike our current President or most of his staff.

Frankly, I am hard pressed to think of anyone who has more right to speak up about the policies which led us into an unjustified war in an unprepared, arrogant manner, than these men. They certainly know more about what happened than most of us on the outside lookiing in, including LTC North. And they have certainly earned their right to speak out. That's more than can be said for most of those who are incensed by their doing so. I'd though that North would understand that..... and I suspect that if these same men had come out supporting Bush, North would have had nothing but praise.

As usual, in politics, it is a matter of whose ox is being gored.

If any veterans are reading this, I urge you, no matter what stand you take on the war, to use your rights.

SPEAK OUT! Now while you still can.