Freep CNN Poll on Rumsfeld

"Have I served in combat? Yes. Has Rumsfeld? No. Has Bush? No."

You are the king of non-sequiturs. If combat experience was a requirement for being an effective SecDef than we haven't had an effective SecDef since 1973. Including the one you served under during Desert Storm. In fact, the Secretary of War during WWII (Henry Stinson) didn't have combat experience either. And for that matter neither did FDR. By your definition, they weren't qualified to make decisions during WWII. Don't tell that to the Japs and Germans. Glad you weren't running the show then either.

You told me to "keep an open mind and learn something about the war we are fighting." I have simply pointed out that someone who hasn't actually fought in the war we are fighting is not in a good position to tell someone who has to "learn something" about that war.

"What exactly do you do that trumps me out of an informed opinion?"

The only opinion of yours I've trumped is your opinion that Zinni would be a better SecDef than Rumsfeld. Since you refuse to support that opinion, that doesn't leave much to trump. But I'm happy to do it anyway.

I think that Rumsfeld has done a great job.

He was saddled with ridiculously restrictive rules of engagement that refuse to allow the US to win any war.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court just saw fit to throw the moronic 4th Geneva Conventions into the war room, which will hamstring any secretary of defense to come. The correct rules of engagement for this conflict were established by the Allies in WWII, and not those established after the conflict, declaring illegal all of the Allied tactics that were just used to win.

Rumsfeld has been one of the best secretaries of defense, given the unrealistic restrictions he has been operating under, and has represented an important viewpoint in the administration.

"you were the one who introduced "combat experience" into the debate. "

Really!? Lets review...

Post 90 - You: "keep an open mind and learn something about the war we are fighting."
Post 94 - Me: "Have you actually fought in the war we are fighting?"
Post 97 - You: "My last combat tour was Desert Storm. Your point?"
Post 99 - Me: "Your statement "keep an open mind and learn something about the war we are fighting." is pretty bold and presumptuous considering you haven't even fought in the war we are fighting."

And then in post 100 you type the following..." Have I served in a combat capacity in this war? No. Have I served in combat? Yes. Has Rumsfeld? No. Has Bush? No."

So you tell me I should learn about a war you haven't fought in. I tell you that is presumptuous considering I've actually fought in it while you haven't. And, being the king of non-sequiturs, you introduce the fact that Bush and Rumsfeld don't have any combat experience. I'm not sure why you'd do that other than to imply their lack of combat experience is a factor in their leadership. I certainly hadn't mentioned it. Just to help you out, the point was that it is presumptuous for you to tell me to learn something about "the war we are fighting". I've read hundreds of after action reports, lessons learned documents, first hand accounts, and even fictional novels about Desert Storm. But I wouldn't tell someone who actually fought in Desert Storm (you for example) to go learn something about that war.

And I note you still won't defend your statements about Zinni.

I'll give you the decency of a reply only because you seem to have put some "keyboard" effort into this thread and obviously you have a bias that drives you to posting ad nausem to someone who has since lost interest in anything you might have to add to this debate. Read - you're full of shit but don't realize it. I am not about to go tit for tat with someone who has nothing better to do. Bye...

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