The Runaway General

General McChrystal was just fired because of this Rolling Stone piece.

I can't express how ridiculous and embarrassing this whole situation has become. The Rolling Stone piece paints a picture of an impotent and unprepared President getting bullied around by a frat-pack of know-it-all military dudes lead by McChrystal. McChrystal comes across as an asshole. The type that boasts of never eating, never sleeping, being anti-authority, all this kind of macho crap. I never trust people like this. Especially to lead. They can't possibly make good decisions (as evidenced by signing off on this piece). And maybe this is why we can't beat a two-bit primitive and unpopular army like the Taliban.

And then, to have the audacity to publicly trash his boss and the vice president or worse, have his subordinates do it in his stead? No one always agrees with their boss, but I'm sorry, we're talking about the President, his the Commander in Chief, and to try and publicly humiliate the guy - is he dumb? Did he want to get fired? What choice did he give Obama? And all this in a Rolling Stone magazine piece? Really unbelievable.

As for Obama, this stinks for him. First, his hand-picked man in Afghanistan basically throws him under the bus and gets himself fired. It brings the spotlight over to Afghanistan and Obama's "surge" and how it isn't working the way the surge worked in Iraq. And ironically, Obama calls upon Patraeus to step in, taking a play directly from Bush's playbook -- a play Obama ridiculed when he was running for President. What is going on?

We are in serious danger of "losing" in Afghanistan. But here's the greater irony - it doesn't matter. Afghanistan is not important to the United States, so long as Al Queda is not using it as a safe haven and able to launch attacks. Everyone knows Al Queda central is in Pakistan. So what happens if we draw down in Afghanistan? Nothing. If we retreat completely and disengage from the region, yes, there will be long term consequences. But what if we draw drawn to mostly special forces and work closely with the Indian military to keep the Taliban off-balance and to continue to hit Al Queda with drones? We play for the cheap tie and for us, in that part of the world, should be enough. Because what is the other option? No one, including McChrystal and Obama, thinks we can "win." They don't use the language for it or behave like it.

What a bunch of clowns. I don't know why people don't care about this more. It's all just out of sight, out of mind.

On the other hand, good US victory in the World Cup today.