Good read from Robert Gates...insightful and honest

[Angry Irishman]

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304617404579306851526222552

 

[Thump553]

Good well balanced article. The 24 hour "news" channels are obsessing about Gates' disagreements with Biden (they represented two opposite poles of the spectrum of Administration thought, especially regarding Afganistan) or that Obama never really bought into a plan to make Afganistan a perpetual war. This article points out the real problems caused by Congressional posturing and kangaroo court type Congressional televised so-called hearings, which waste so much time and obsess so many.

 

[Brainonska511]

"I also bristled at what's become of congressional hearings, where rude, insulting, belittling, bullying and all too often highly personal attacks on witnesses by members of Congress violated nearly every norm of civil behavior. Members postured and acted as judge, jury and executioner. It was as though most members were in a permanent state of outrage or suffered from some sort of mental duress that warranted confinement or at least treatment for anger management."

Seems like a good characterization of congressional hearings. Filled with perpetually outraged windbags that just want to get their 5 minute useless soundbite in.

 

[McLovin]

Very good article.

I will definitely be picking up his book.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

This is a good article indeed. It's interesting that Fox News is already describing how the book "slams" President Obama. I wonder whether the book, read as a whole, takes that tone, or whether this is just Newscorp being Newscorp. Certainly that article suggests he had a worse time under President Obama than under Bush, but I don't read it as categorically criticizing Obama (not surprising, since presumably if he found his job so unworkable under Obama he would have resigned). His harshest comments seem to be about Congress.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Part of it was rather damning of the Bush Administration. By getting mired in Iraq our military ended up being unable to accomplish either goal:

President Bush always detested the notion, but our later challenges in Afghanistan—especially the return of the Taliban in force by the time I reported for duty—were, I believe, significantly compounded by the invasion of Iraq. Resources and senior-level attention were diverted from Afghanistan.

 

[Vic]

Excellent article. I found his assessment of Congress very insightful.
Thanks OP