by Bill
Holmes
Once
again we seem to have our priorities all wrong as our news media
emphasizes the sensational rather than the important. I'm speaking
of the uproar and indignation over the General David Petraeus
“affair”. If you watch, read or listen to the news, this is the
most important event in the world. As usual we not only get the
alleged facts but the endless analysis from the talking head pundits.
We have political, military, national security, CIA, relationship,
sex and psychological experts plus the usual media blowhards
weighing in on the situation. Forget that fiscal cliff nonsense, the
ongoing recovery from Sandy, that little disagreement in Syria, the
sluggish economy or a myriad of other real issues. We need to
concentrate on two adults who had an affair. Probably not a great
idea, but stuff happens. I'm sure it's the first time that has ever
happened, particularly in Washington D.C. by a powerful person. Not
satisfied with just dragging Petraeus and Paula Broadwell through the
news cycle, we now have to also impugn the reputations of General
John Allen and Jill Kelley based on possibly flirtatious emails. No
proof of impropriety, just some pundits saying some of the emails
could be interpreted as flirtatious. Sure glad I was never judged on
that kind of evidence. I suspect the fact that it's TV sweeps month
adds to the hyperbole.
Here
is my take which is always the purpose of this blog. I don't care where
Petraeus takes his pants off or for what reason. That's between him,
his family and bosses. I can understand why the FBI investigated
this when Jill Kelley brought the threatening emails to their
attention. Petraeus was the CIA Director, one of the most sensitive
positions in our government. The investigation was justified to
determine if any secret or sensitive US information was being
compromised. That's it. His private personal relationships are not
anyones concern. One big mistake appears that the FBI or someone in
the chain of command between them and the President failed to inform
him of the investigation. I'm not naive enough to think this was an
accident. The POTUS may have been secretly informed or wasn't so he
could deny any knowledge during election season.
Obama
could have refused to accept Petaeus's resignation and told him to go
back to work at the CIA and do what he needed to fix or end his
marriage. He also could have accepted the resignation if he wanted
Petraeus out and still kept the reason out of the press. Many
political appointees leave an administration in the second term.
There is no reason any of this had to be made public. But no, those
involved decided to throw Petraeus under the bus and virtually erase
his outstanding military record. From now on the first paragraph
written about General David Petraeus in any news story will refer to
an adulterous affair that led to his CIA resignation. His good work
as commander in Iraq, Afghanistan and US Central Command will be
relegated to later in the article or report if at all.
My
question is, do we have so many capable leaders in government that we
can afford to throw them out because of a personal indiscretion? Why
would anyone want to serve in government when every little detail of
there life is under a microscope. Not only are they under constant
scrutiny but they are held to impossible standards. One little slip
of the tongue, brain or the zipper and we're ready to throw the bums
out. It apparently makes no difference that they may have spent
decades doing a wonderful job. Sure there are jerks that need to be
run out of town but let's use a little common sense.
We
haven't always conducted business this way. Just in my lifetime
there have been rumors or more about Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy,
Johnson and Clinton sexual activities. Countless members of Congress
have had indiscretions. Over our 230+ years as a country there have
been all kinds of scoundrels as leaders. There have been drunks,
thieves, adulterers, mentally ill and a killer or two. Yes, Aaron
Burr (VP at the time) killed Alexander Hamilton (first Sec. of
Treas.) in a duel. Andrew Jackson killed a guy in a duel too. That
didn't stop him from being elected president a few years later. Most
of those guys skated because they were valued leaders. A few idiots
tried to impeach Clinton, but he survived to have a very successful
presidency and post term career. I suspect anything Congress could
have done to punish Bill Clinton paled in comparison to the years of
hell he's endured from Hillary.
I
often hear that the US people are forgiving and that seems to be true
if you are a celebrity or athlete that does drugs or abuses or cheats
on their spouse. It might serve our country better if we extended
that forgiveness to our leaders. I don't think we have enough good
leaders in the public sector and with the current attitudes I don't
hold much hope that we'll have an over abundance of them in the
future.
From
all accounts, David Pretaeus was an excellent general with 37 years
of service in the Army. He had success in Iraq where several other
commanders didn't. He championed and then led the US forces surge
that seems to have turned the situation around. Sounds like the kind
of person I might want on my team.
The
title of this blog was Let He Who Is Without Sin... I hope we can be
more tolerant and understanding of our fellow human beings. Those in
the glass houses of congress and the press need a mirror, fewer stones and much
less false indignation. I certainly can't throw stones and I doubt
many of us can.
No
stones here, just sadness that our country seems to have forgotten
what is important. Thank you David for your service.
wjh
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