It's time to smell the coffee

When Obama named Leon Panetta to replace Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense, I remember thinking that at least we won’t have a red at the CIA any longer. And I reasoned that at DoD, which has more to do with politics than it ever did about defending America, we might be able to limit the damage of a man who is one of the least impressive people in the current government. But Obama didn’t put Panetta at DoD because of his vast intelligence, or his impressive military service, or even his understanding of complex issues involving research, development, and procurement. No, he put Panetta at DoD to help Obama destroy our nation’s department of defense.

This strategy does appear to be working. According to Greg Jaffe at the Washington Post, “For most of the past year, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has stressed that the vast military complex over which he presides is at a ‘strategic turning point.’ A decade of grinding guerilla war is drawing to close. Defense budgets are shrinking. The implication is that major changes are coming to the military … So far, however, Panetta has … steered clear of any bold moves aimed at remaking the military for this new era.”  (Z:  maybe waiting for Obama to win and then remake the military to Obama's design?...)

This may be true of Panetta, but it is not altogether true about the military services. The Navy-Marine Corps has always planned for the eventuality of future conflict, often examining scenarios decades into the future. This may be what we expect from our military services, but it isn’t always what we get. Both the Army and Air Force appear stymied about their roles in future conflict. They appear stuck in the cold war. We should anticipate this sort of lethargy whenever senior officers are more accustomed to air conditioning than they are to sand fleas, and whenever the Secretary of Defense lacks the boldness, vision, and fortitude to demand excellence from his service chiefs.

We need fewer powder puffs like Leon Panetta, fewer political generals like little Marty Dempsey, and more “in your face tigers” such as John Singlaub, James Mattis, Stan McChrystal, and Admiral McRaven. We need fewer four-star generals and admirals, and more flag rank warriors. We need a Defense Secretary who will go to bed at night worrying whether he did enough for the security of his country that day, not whether he made homosexuals feel good about themselves.

The DoD serves as but one example of what the Obama administration is doing to all of America’s erstwhile institutions. This is what happens when the American people elect a man to the presidency when that man has no idea what in the hell he’s doing. It makes sense, therefore, that he will appoint others who are equally confused, such as Panetta, Clinton, Holder, Napolitano, Salazar, Solis, Sebelius, LaHood, and Chu. In 2008, journalist Dean Reynolds claimed that Obama’s campaign aircraft smelled like poo; now the entire country is beginning to smell that way.

Wake up America.   (and I'm afraid it'll take a lot more than good, strong coffee to wake US up)

Question from Z: Will we ever have enough money to again build our military back up to where it should be?  Will we ever be safe without that?

—Mustang Sends