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Obama 'gutting military' by purging generals

Started by Siege, October 31, 2013, 12:52:22 PM

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Neil

 :lmfao:

'I was offended by his implication that we might squeal.  And now I'm squealing about it.'
I do not hate you, nor do I love you, but you are made out of atoms which I can use for something else.

Admiral Yi

Did he in fact write about such sensitive matters?

grumbler

Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 12, 2014, 12:57:37 PM
Did he in fact write about such sensitive matters?

No, but for the board troll, the truth doesn't matter.
The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.   -G'Kar

Bayraktar!

Razgovory

Quote from: grumbler on January 12, 2014, 02:13:10 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 12, 2014, 12:57:37 PM
Did he in fact write about such sensitive matters?

No, but for the board troll, the truth doesn't matter.

But, you're the board troll...
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

Jacob

Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 12, 2014, 12:57:37 PM
Did he in fact write about such sensitive matters?

Perhaps not, but it's still rich to complain about people implying you may go telling tales in your book telling tales; even if the implication is about a different tale. You're still being indiscreet.

It's like someone complaining that the store keeper accused them of wanting to steal porn mags while they were shoplifting bubble gum. Sure, they're not a pervy thief, just a thief, but a thief nonetheless.

Admiral Yi

The difference is that the secrets Obama was talking about are ones that can harm the country.

It doesn't particularly imperil US security if everyone knows that Gates disagrees with Biden about policy.

Jacob

Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 13, 2014, 12:06:11 PM
The difference is that the secrets Obama was talking about are ones that can harm the country.

It doesn't particularly imperil US security if everyone knows that Gates disagrees with Biden about policy.

Seems to me that in Gates' quote, Obama isn't speaking to national security either. He is - jokingly it seems - making sure that the meeting won't be spun in a counter factual direction down the road in someone's memoirs, presumably for political purposes... and here Gates is, spinning the meeting in a different direction for political purposes in his memoirs, while acting offended at the implication that he might spin the meeting for political purposes in his memoirs.

grumbler

Quote from: Jacob on January 13, 2014, 12:18:50 PM
Seems to me that in Gates' quote, Obama isn't speaking to national security either. He is - jokingly it seems - making sure that the meeting won't be spun in a counter factual direction down the road in someone's memoirs, presumably for political purposes... and here Gates is, spinning the meeting in a different direction for political purposes in his memoirs, while acting offended at the implication that he might spin the meeting for political purposes in his memoirs.

:huh:  When Obama declares something "for the record," I don't see how Gates is "spinning things" by mentioning it in his record.

As for the meeting (on Middle East policy) itself, in what way do you think Gates is spinning it, given that he only mentions that it happened, plus its "for the record" conclusion?
The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.   -G'Kar

Bayraktar!

Jacob

Quote from: grumbler on January 13, 2014, 12:37:08 PM:huh:  When Obama declares something "for the record," I don't see how Gates is "spinning things" by mentioning it in his record.

We disagree, then :)

grumbler

Quote from: Jacob on January 13, 2014, 01:28:56 PM
Quote from: grumbler on January 13, 2014, 12:37:08 PM:huh:  When Obama declares something "for the record," I don't see how Gates is "spinning things" by mentioning it in his record.

We disagree, then :)

Well, I guess it is entirely possible that "for the record" means something to you other than what it means to Americans, but I don't think you can blame the American, Gates, for not knowing your non-American definition of the phrase. For the record, Obama is an American as well, and I am sure that he used the phrase in the American sense.
The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.   -G'Kar

Bayraktar!

crazy canuck

Quote from: grumbler on January 13, 2014, 12:37:08 PM
Quote from: Jacob on January 13, 2014, 12:18:50 PM
Seems to me that in Gates' quote, Obama isn't speaking to national security either. He is - jokingly it seems - making sure that the meeting won't be spun in a counter factual direction down the road in someone's memoirs, presumably for political purposes... and here Gates is, spinning the meeting in a different direction for political purposes in his memoirs, while acting offended at the implication that he might spin the meeting for political purposes in his memoirs.

:huh:  When Obama declares something "for the record," I don't see how Gates is "spinning things" by mentioning it in his record.


The irony lies in the fact that Gates is publishing this while the President he served is still in office giving credence to the President's belief that he needed to be careful and undermining Gates' self report that he felt slighted.

Jacob

Quote from: grumbler on January 13, 2014, 01:50:47 PMWell, I guess it is entirely possible that "for the record" means something to you other than what it means to Americans, but I don't think you can blame the American, Gates, for not knowing your non-American definition of the phrase. For the record, Obama is an American as well, and I am sure that he used the phrase in the American sense.

No, that's not it.

grumbler

Quote from: Jacob on January 13, 2014, 02:08:20 PM
Quote from: grumbler on January 13, 2014, 01:50:47 PMWell, I guess it is entirely possible that "for the record" means something to you other than what it means to Americans, but I don't think you can blame the American, Gates, for not knowing your non-American definition of the phrase. For the record, Obama is an American as well, and I am sure that he used the phrase in the American sense.

No, that's not it.

I disagree.  :)
The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.   -G'Kar

Bayraktar!


grumbler

Quote from: crazy canuck on January 13, 2014, 02:04:37 PM
Quote from: grumbler on January 13, 2014, 12:37:08 PM
:huh:  When Obama declares something "for the record," I don't see how Gates is "spinning things" by mentioning it in his record.


The irony lies in the fact that Gates is publishing this while the President he served is still in office giving credence to the President's belief that he needed to be careful and undermining Gates' self report that he felt slighted.

You may see irony in that, but irony is more than just the opposite of wrinkly.  The only element of the meeting that Gates reports on is the part where the president tries to forestall everyone's memoirs by making statements that people will be sure to include in their memoirs.

The issue of Gates publishing while the president he served is still in office is a separate one.  I think that he was wrong to do so, but I don't see anything in this latest Jacob report that bears on that issue at all.
The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.   -G'Kar

Bayraktar!