“As you know, you have to go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want,” Rumsfeld said.
He added, “You can have all the armor in the world on a tank, and it can [still] be blown up.”
Troops Grill Rumsfeld over Iraq / Troops put thorny questions to Rumsfeld
So. Now we know the attitude the current Administration has about the soliders fighting for their Iraq policies. I’d describe it as “don’t give a shit”.
Meanwhile, half-way around the world…
Bush meets with Pendleton Marines
It takes guts to tell the American public what we can do to “actively support the troops” while its clear that the Administration itself isn’t, 2 years later, providing the equipment and support thats needed.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld, it is *you* who need to learn to support the military.
Oh, and one more article, “Rumsfeld questions no surprise to soldier’s ex-wife”.
Its nice to see reporters try to make a story out of something and discredit what are legitimate complaints (after all 2000+ soldiers did applaud, if they disagreed that strongly, they’re not going to.)
“He is always like that,” she said. “I don’t think he understands the concept of biting one’s tongue. It wouldn’t matter if it was (President George W.) Bush himself standing there. He would have dissed him the same.” — Regina Wilson
That is the leading comment, obviously trying to make an issue out of the supposed “out of line” comment from a solider about to go into Iraq for a year. After all, we don’t want to hear dissenting comments from our military. From people who do more to support their country than *any* other person, they risk their lives, don’t you think they’ve earned the right to criticize, if need be, the situation.
Oh, and compare that comment above with these from several paragraphs down in the article.
“It’s all about duty, and he felt compelled to be over there,” Wilson said, adding that both she and her ex-husband voted for Bush in November and support him “100 percent.”
But she said she was not impressed with Rumsfeld’s answer.
“He seemed like he was stuttering and stumbling — like he was caught off guard,” she said. “Rumsfeld’s answer seemed like he was sidestepping around the question.”
She added, “If there is something lacking perhaps that is why our death toll is climbing.”
So, instead of trying to cast the soldier who shocked us by daring to speak as somebody who should’ve just shut up, perhaps its time to investigate the questions given, instead of running to find an ex-wife.
