I was appalled at the time in ‘93 when the generals like little children stamped their feet in protest — virtually a coup — over Clinton’s executive order to permit Gays in the military. I am equally disappointed — since they waited until their comfortable pensions were secure—in the retired generals demanding the resignation of Rumsfeld, who on his own cognizance should have resigned three years ago for taking — as Iraq was not his initiative — the brunt of criticism for the Bush and Cheney’s steamroll to a politically-oriented preëmptive war. The secretary of defense is the last line of counsel in advising the commander in chief; he failed to do that and, in a sense, went along with the neocons.

Apolitical civilian control of the military is crucial to democracy; yet at the same time there should be an open collegium among the Joint Chiefs and field commanders in order to serve the secretary wisely, so he or she can with integrity advise the president and Congress on threats to national defense and at what cost in human lives.

Copyright © 2006 Richard R. Kennedy All rights reserved. Revised: April 29, 2006.

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