Thus:
How about this: "As Ukrainians die for freedom, Alexander S. Vindman bravely takes to Twitter to attack Republicans."
See how easy that is? The low rung of partisanship is when you complain about those ignorant partisans over there who are talking about politics in a time like this. Get the problem? If that's the case, you're also talking about politics in a time like this.
It isn't an uncommon flaw, and certainly not unique to one side of the aisle. As always, however, those on the Left can too often insist it's only those on the Right who are being political in the wrong time and place. This is because their alliance with the press and media culture can give them the easy impression that their political opinions and the scientifically proven God-truth happen to be one and the same.
As an honorably discharge military Personnel Management Specialist, I thought the readers might be interested to know that Vindman appears to have selected retirement rather than wait around to get the eagles of a full Colonel. Either he was presented with a lucrative offer from a defense contractor or he saw little chance of promotion. It does not seem he went the contractor route and most fellow officers are notably leery of political grandstanders.
ReplyDeleteTo advance beyond full colonel would require Congressional approval, so all those officers are indeed political. Whether they should be considered grandstanders is perhaps debatable, but given that none of them have resigned in protest over the changes imposed on the military, they clearly put their career before their country.
DeleteHowever, I am glad to say that, as I was about to bring up "Admrial Rachel Levine", I saw what the headlines a few months ago hid: He is as much an admiral as he is a "Rachel". I had assumed that "admiral" meant US Navy, but no, he's in the "United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps".
IIRC, his promotion was denied, so he was compelled to retire. I believe about 1/2 of the Lt. Colonels do not advance.
DeleteAndrew Bacevich was another Lt. Colonel compelled to retire. He's spent 30 years writing articles contending the military is incapable of accomplishing anything. How much of that is butt-hurt? (See his articles denouncing Gen. Petraeus).
I didn't really know much about him. I'm shocked that someone of any rank could post a comment like that, one so easily smacked down.
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