Monday, May 7, 2012

Responsibility

So the memo concerning 'Bam's so called "gutsy call" is available for reading.  According to it, “timing, operational decision making and control”  of the attack on the bin Laden compound were all in one Admiral McRaven's hands.  In other words, if the bin Laden hit had failed, McRaven would have taken the fall.  The guy who can't seem to stop saying "me me me" would have turned around, pointed his finger, and said "him him him."  I suppose we should be relieved that he wasn't planning to blame failure of that mission on Bush.

For contrast, on April 24, 1980, Operation Eagle Claw failed, with casualties, in its mission to free the 52 hostages held captive by Iran.  President Jimmy Carter's statement to America: 
It was my decision to attempt the rescue operation. It was my decision to cancel it when problems developed in the placement of our rescue team for a future rescue operation. The responsibility is fully my own.

Carter may have been a failure as president, but at least he had the integrity to accept responsibility for a disastrous mission ordered under his watch.
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3 comments:

  1. Old NFOMay 7, 2012 at 1:49 PM

    This is true, and if Carter had let the 'original' plan go ahead, it would have succeeded a couple of months before... sigh

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  2. AnonymousMay 7, 2012 at 5:58 PM

    Nixon and Carter, Failures of the 1970s; once despised as the two worst Presidents of the 20th century.

    Perhaps so. Then the 21st century began and we've already set two new standards for "low".

    So far I haven't seen too much hint of the level of integrity either Nixon or Carter had. (Nixon resigned. Carter accepted fault. Can anyone imagine Baby George or His Highness abdicating for ethical flaws of themselves or their courtiers? Or even admitting a mistake on their own part?)

    As they say: Forward ... into the morass.

    Q

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  3. ProudHillbillyMay 8, 2012 at 4:39 AM

    @NFO - I don't remember the details, just that it went to hell in a handbasket.

    @quizikle - The general moral slide of a culture...But 'Bam is so totally focused on "me me me" that it's disgusting.

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