What I Wish Petraeus Had Said

Posted on September 12, 2007 by Bruce Keener

This is not a political blog, but every once in a while I see and hear things that I feel compelled to talk about, whether or not anyone considers my ramblings to be relevant or worthwhile.

I watched a few hours of what General Petraeus had to say to Congress. Here is something he did not say that I wish he had:

I came here to describe to you the situation in Iraq to the best of my ability. I have done so. In return I have listened to your remarks with great interest, as I am convinced some of you sincerely want to do your best. But, I have also listened to a lot of your self-serving remarks, and I leave with the impression that many of you had your minds made up before hand and no amount of facts will change your minds. The American people deserve better than you.

What really pisses me off is that many of my good and honorable troops give their lives for the likes of you.

I have lived most of my life in service to my country, and I ask that you also do this country a great service and submit your resignations. Let the American people hold a general election to try to find someone who really wants to do the right thing for our country instead of just trying to get re-elected all of the time.

But, unlike me, the General has too much class to say something like this.

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  • capo

    I know how you feel. I often admire military people who give so much, only to be abused and used by elected officials. Still, they usually hold their tongues. Would that I had that level of discipline and self-control.
    Though I couldn’t name any, I’m sure (hopeful?) that there are at least some in congress who don’t fit the mold you describe. My only disagreement with this sentiment is that the self-serving congressmen/women are continually re-elected by playing to the greed and sloth among the voting populace. Despite the decline of the republic, we still have the power to “throw the bums out” if we wanted to. We really have only ourselves to blame. What was the old cartoon line “we have met the enemy and he is us”?

  • http://www.keenerliving.com/ Bruce

    I share your view that there are good people on both sides of the aisle. And I partly share the view that we have responsibility for the mess. Where I depart is that I think we elect people who start out sincere and then get sucked into the system. I also think too many people vote on strict party lines, on both sides, rather than being independent in their choices. But, those are opinions and I have no real data to back them up. They are hunches. I just know I am disgusted with both parties. And like almost everyone in America I am frustrated by the war in Iraq. We probably should never have gone in there. But, now we are there and it has become a battle front with terrorists, meaning they win the battle if we pull out prematurely. It pisses me off that we have that situation, but we have it and must deal with it. Instead it has been made into a political issue.