There is no reason for him to resign....
Posted on 06/03/2004 10:40:27 AM PDT by NorCoGOP
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Because of the tortures and murders at the Abu Ghraib prison, Donald Rumsfeld must resign. He must leave his position as U.S. Secretary of Defense for the good of his boss, his war, his department and his country. And if he does not, Bush must fire him, which would be a rare demonstration for this administration of the rule that officials are responsible for their wrong actions. Mr. President: there comes a time when blind loyalty, however pigheaded, comes to a fault. That time is now.
Sticking by your dad's friends is high virtue, but when this individual (A) deserves the boot, and (B) damages the administration and nation's credibility while in office, walking papers are required. Like crazy Old Yeller, who was loyal and faithful but eventually dangerous, Donald Rumsfeld needs to be put down by his master.
But what for? Rumsfeld didn't order the war crimes at Abu Ghraib; he didn't condone them like Rush Limbaugh; rather, he publicly denounced them. And let us assume that it was sheer oversight on his part that Abu Ghraib -- a place of absolute evil and symbol for the Hussein regime in Iraq -- was not only not demolished but used to house Iraqi prisoners. Let us forget his dodging of the Geneva Convention, his shocking disregard for handling the unpleasant realities of the job. Perhaps Rumsfeld is a victim of the entire affair -- also tortured, but by the media. No matter. Rumsfeld must resign for two very simple reasons: It will show the world the right side of American character, and it is in line with our society's concept of personal responsibility. For the sake of not only preserving our values but also actively practicing them in front of the world, when we badly need proof that we're not self-righteous hypocrites: the secretary has to leave.
Iraqis and other Middle Easterners have grown up under brutal governments where the rulers did whatever evil they pleased and were not held responsible; they got away with more daily injustice than Donald Trump's toupee consultant. And now here come the Americans, saying things are different.
But boy, it sure doesn't look that way, does it? So much for winning over Iraqi hearts and minds. Rumsfeld, by staying right where he is, sends a message that our preaching of individual responsibility is a sham, that Bush's cronies are as above the law as Saddam was.
America celebrates the individual like no other nation. But the price of personal freedom is responsibility. We live in a country where editors of both The New York Times and USA Today resigned, not for any personal crime, but because lies had been told under their watch. That's all. I read those same papers and I see stories of CEOs and captains of industry who surrender administration, not because they had overlooked murder, rapes, and beatings, but because their underlings stole vast sums of money. If we apply this high standard to the rest of our country, why wouldn't we put it to the man right below the president? Rumsfeld is not directly responsible, but he helped to create the culture in which Abu Ghraib flourished. And he has told us there is worse to come. Given that he has known of it since he woke up at the wheel in January, I take him at his word. He knows this, yet shamelessly, he remains.
Rumsfeld has already damned himself, and now he's damning the rest of us and every American soldier who has to walk a street in Baghdad or Tikrit at night. Mr. Rumsfeld, it's time for you to go.
Donald Rumsfeld's task of transforming the military while conducting a global war will go down in history as a tremendous achievement.
Hmm, musta just happened..NOT.
Those crazy college kids
We live in a country where editors of both The New York Times and USA Today resigned, not for any personal crime, but because lies had been told under their watch. That's all.
I don't know about the USA Today editor, but Howell Raines resigned ovr the Jason Blair debacle because it was shown that he was complicit, if not the chief instigator, in promoting an incompetent to the position that Blair attained.
As a side note, if CEO's and others in high administrative positions (in both private industry and government) resigned every time a low-level worker bee did something wrong then there would be no CEO'S or administators.
Apparently, this clown slept through Rumsfeld's recent trip to Iraq, the President's firm statement in support of Rumsfeld and the standing "O"s for Rumsfeld on Memorial Day. Rumsfeld is not going anywhere and I thank God for that.
Good point. But it might provide me the chance to one day become a CEO! :-)
Wish they'd stop their bellyaching. Rummy doesn't need to resign. At least the inmates at Abu Ghraib are still alive. Some even got released. The same can't be said of Nick Berg. Would some of these bellyachers be willing to trade places with Nick Berg please stand up.
Now take your meds, like a good boy and the bus will be by in 10 minutes.
Rumsfeld should not resign, unless there is direct evidence that he encouraged the incompetence at Abu Gharib as a cover for lawless behavior by the MI interragators.
I am not a fan of Mr. Rumsfeld and have never particularly liked him. I think he has some dislike for the army as an institution as on occasion he has publicly humiliated senior army leaders without provacaton, even while it is the ARMY who is doing the lion's share of the fighting and dying in Iraq. However, only greater chaos would be caused by his forced resignation which would only increase the risk of soldier's lives. Thus, I think we are stuck with him in the best interests of the nation...but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
"Sticking by your dad's friends is high virtue..."
Weren't George H. W. and Rumsfeld rivals?
What murders ? What tortures ?
I think Barney neeeds to go. Does anyone really believe that was just a Barney-cam for Whitehouse fun and games? PFffffffft. He was up to no good. If you want to find the real leaker, all it takes is a can of S'nausages and a chew toy.
Wonder if this guy was saying the same thing about Bill Clinton after Clinton disgraced the presidency of the United States and the Oval Office with his disgusting, perverted behavior--totally lacking in character and totally NOT in line with our society's concept of personal responsibility. Hmmmmm?
NOT holding Clinton up to the same standards of character and responsibility as most others are, only showed the world just how far "out of line" America has drifted from its previously great standard of character and concept of personal responsibility.
He must leave his position as U.S. Secretary of DefenseI think the State Department could use a Rumsfeld-style shakeup now. This proposal may have some merit.
This alone shows you can't take anything this author says seriously.
"But he has to go anyway, darn it! Al Franken and Randi Rhodes both said so!"
[::rolls eyes::]
Seems to be the case the two were
NOT friendly, for some reason of
longstanding. Yet the son picked
him for SecDef. Good show!
I was about to comment, but then I saw the article starting with "LUBBOCK, Texas" and immediately everything became clear ;-)
to impress your liberal journalism professor.
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