Was Rumsfield set up?

[yeahwho]

As most of you know by now, the questions of armor shortage and other nagging problems were coached to Spc. Thomas "Jerry" Wilson by an embedded reporter (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=718&e=5&u=/ap/20041210/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/rumsfeld_question_reporter).

This brings up a whole different dynamic to the whole affair of these "Town Meeting" affairs military brass have with troops. They tend to manipulate these discussions in their favor ala the Bush campaign stops.


Welcome to the strange new world of moral relativism.

Sending more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers (and counting, sadly) to their deaths for unsubstantiated reasons = patriotism.

Working with one of those soldiers about to go into harm's way to express his First Amendment rights about whether the country is adequately protecting them = a dirty trick by liburl media. (And it's implied that this is infinitely worse than, say, sending a bunch of troops into harm's way without adequate protection.)

The story spun an appalling lack of readiness in supporting the troops into whether it was proper to ask an enlightening question in the span of one media cycle.

Am I the only one depressed by this kind of thing seemingly happening over and over?

[ASsman]

Could you make your point clearer... Maybe I'm just too tired but I don't know where you are going with this exactly.

[SobaViolence]

it`s not Bush`s fault the troops are assnaked in Iraq
it`s the liberal media`s fault for making such lies up. (or something like that)

if you support the troops, you can`t possibly support dubya. because he doesn`t support anyone but his rich buddies. that lying cunt.

[yeahwho]

Could you make your point clearer... Maybe I'm just too tired but I don't know where you are going with this exactly.

Sure, Why is it the kids being shot at in Iraq have to be coached to ask a question of such importance? They all are obviously wondering why more troops and armor are not readily available, when I first heard this question being asked of Rummy, I thought it was just a kid....turns out he was coached by a reporter embedded with his squadron.

When the US media found out, they acted as if it were a set up. As though Rumsfield was blindsighted.....not all media outlets mind you, just the usual mainstream outlets who never ask these questions in the first place.

Why is it guys like Jon Stewart are doing what the mainstream media should be doing? Like this war or not, we're buying it...we deserve better.

The question is, Am I the only one depressed by this kind of thing seemingly happening over and over?

[yeahwho]

This is not a Liberal or Conservative issue, it also is a multilayered quandry for the people who are sending these troops to harms way,

The reporter was formerly Ronald Reagan's communications director. (According to Fox News.) (http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/12/10/91815.shtml)

Whatever help the soldier got came from a Republican who cares about our soldiers...

[yeahwho]

The insulation this administration has put up around itself is hard to penetrated, but once penetrated the media should at least take a look inside.... heres hoping we the people get some answers.

[ASsman]

Im also share this feeling. As would others IMO, if they knew these things. Instead they all just fall for the Liberal vs. Truthful media, blinded to the facts. But you won't see me losing sleep over our VOLUNTEER Army. Unless you believe ignorance is an excuse.. then yes these soldiers do not deserve any of this.

[yeahwho]

Unless you believe ignorance is an excuse.. then yes these soldiers do not deserve any of this.


Its interesting to note that after the question about lack of armor was asked, there was a huge uproar from the troops. This is not some liberal media trick, this is a real reaction from real soldiers who feel that the administration isn't exactly doing every thing they can to help them. This is one that the army and the administration can Ill afford to ignore and scapegoating this reporter is just a diversionary tactic to lower the possible malestorm that can result from the fact that the administration is not in fact supporting our troops.

The irony of this is too great, but when you live in the land of fantasy eventually someone notices that things do not exactly make sense.

[paulk]

malestorm

Bukkake?

[yeahwho]

Bukkake?

yikes, one letter can sure change the way a post goes, or comes.

[FunkyHiFi]

Like this war or not, we're buying it...we deserve better.
I never thought about it that way. And, you're very correct.

[FunkyHiFi]

And: like anything built on lies and hyprocrisy, eventually the truth starts squeezing out of the cracks.

[D_Raay]

When the US media found out, they acted as if it were a set up.
As if it weren't a viable question.... These fellows behind the scenes are smart, you have to give them that.

[Whois]

soldiers should never think for themselves

It's true, the military wants you to think for yourself...until it come time to obey order, then they want drones.

Make up your damm mind guys...drones or thinkers, which will it be.

[yeahwho]

Of course now the Right Wingers on the radio and blogs are pounding the streets today with how this reporter who supposedly coached this soldier is patting his own back and taking all the glory for the question (nevermind he was once Ronald Reagan's communications director :rolleyes: )

Then the gist of the callers and bloggers is, "can anybody point to situations where US troops have had all the essentials they needed?"

This is the lens from which they project their spin....that the larger story is how the question was presented and in which war isn't perfect.

Something larger, like the back office scuttlebutt and resume padding at the Chattanooga Times Free Press? That's a larger issue than whether our troops are adequately protected? Or Rumsfeld's bizarre rambling answers about how ya just never know if you're gonna get blown up, so why worry?

This media criticism angle is a tempest in a teapot, in my opinion, and a mere distraction that is not "larger" in any sense, unless you happen to be more interested in the inside-baseball goings-on of newsrooms than the actual issues they are covering.

Mission Accomplished my ass.