The Course of Reason...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth

Reserving judgement until all the facts are known is always the most prudent and therefore rational course of action. Retired General McCrystal agrees.

TPM - Retired Gen. Stanley McCrystal on Wednesday said it was too soon to "judge" Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and the Obama administration's decision to negotiate for his release from the Taliban.

"I think we're going to have to wait and talk to Sgt. Bergdahl now and get his side of the story," McCrystal told Yahoo News about the soldier, who has been characterized as a deserter by some of his platoon members. “One of the great things about America is we should not judge until we know the facts. And after we know the facts, then we should make a mature judgment on how we should handle it.”

The retired general defended efforts to return Bergdahl after he left his post in Afghanistan.

“We did a huge number of operations to try to stop the Taliban from being able to move him across the border into Pakistan,” McChrystal said. “And we made a great effort, and put a lot of people at risk in doing that, but that’s what you should do. That’s what soldiers do for each other.”

“We don’t leave Americans behind. That’s unequivocal," he said when asked if he would have authorized the prisoner swap. “There will be a lot of discussion on whether the mechanism for getting Sgt. Bergdahl back was right – and I’ll leave it to people to argue that."

Video of interview at Yahoo News.

Via: Memeorandum

Comments

  1. BB-IdahoWed Jun 04, 09:43:00 PM EDT

    Not to worry; by the time the facts are sorted out, some other 'scandal' will be in its 2 day lifetime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Les CarpenterFri Jun 06, 10:53:00 PM EDT

      Sadly BB Idaho I am starting to believe this is true.

      Delete
  2. FinntannWed Jun 04, 11:06:00 PM EDT

    Unequivocal statements like "We don't leave Americans behind" make you predictable. Predictable gets you, or others, killed. This is perfectly illustrated by the increase in IED attacks and casualties after Bergdahl went missing, our enemy knew we'd be out looking for him. One can also argue independently of whether Bergdahl was a traitor or the next Audie Murphy whether or not the 'swap' was the proper thing to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Les CarpenterFri Jun 06, 10:56:00 PM EDT

      America has been saying this throughout it's history. It is not new news Finntann

      Delete
  3. Will "take no prisoners" HartThu Jun 05, 12:07:00 AM EDT

    General Barry McCaffrey was on MSNBC the other day and he doesn't seem to think that there was all that much ambiguity here. The dude crawled under a fence to get away and short of there being some smokingly hot chicks on the other side of that fence (highly unlikely in that you can't even see a chick's face over there), I'm really having a hard time coming up with the benefit of the doubt on this one.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dave MillerThu Jun 05, 11:36:00 AM EDT

    Will, evidence aside, for the moment, our system presumes innocence until the jury, be it civilian, or military renders a verdict. Many have already tried and convicted this man without his even being able to present his side and mount a defense.

    Is that what we have come to? I saw it, that does, end of story? if you were accused of a crime, is that how you would want to be judged?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shaw KenaweThu Jun 05, 12:55:00 PM EDT

    Dave: "Is that what we have come to?"

    In the Age of Rancid Obama Hatred? Yes. I've never seen anything like the vicious attacks on Bergdahl and his family that the rightwing noise machine and rightwing blogs have engaged in.

    The fact is we don't know the facts. But that hasn't stopped the people who make their living off of rancor and controversy from throwing gasoline on this firestorm of vitriol. And yes, IMO, this is mostly about getting Obama and not the swapping of Bergdahl for Taliban, since a good many Republicans were all for it until they got the memo outlining how this could be used against the administration.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Les CarpenterThu Jun 05, 01:20:00 PM EDT

      ... a good many Republicans were all for it until they got the memo outlining how this could be used against the administration.

      There was a memo circulated stating that Shaw? Damn, how did I miss that one :-)

      Delete
    2. Will "take no prisoners" HartThu Jun 05, 06:34:00 PM EDT

      Dave, I appreciate your comment and the fact that you didn't refer to me as a "rancid Obama hater" (I actually voted for the dude in 2008). And, yes, he, Bergdahl, is absolutely innocent until proven guilty IN A COURT OF LAW, but, so, too, am I, as an American citizen, entitled to my opinion when based upon the evidence as it materializes. If some additional evidence comes in to exonerate the man I will make the necessary adjustments (I, unlike Shaw, am not a partisan and base my opinions strictly on empiricism).............And, Shaw is there ANYTHING that this President could do where you would criticize him? What if he had released EVERY detainee to get this Bergdahl character back? Would that have been sufficient?......And what about that State Department moron who basically accused those platoon-mates of Bergdahl of being liars? You gonna defend that, too?

      Delete
    3. dmarksFri Jun 06, 04:09:00 PM EDT

      Will said: " but, so, too, am I, as an American citizen, entitled to my opinion when based upon the evidence as it materializes. "

      Quite true. Those who rail against the so-called "court of public opinion" want is to overlook that it is not a court at all, but rather citizens expressing Constitutional rights. In fact, such complaints show contempt for freedom of speech and opinion..Only a court of law can convict him.

      RN said: "There was a memo circulated stating that Shaw?"

      Even though you have called her bluff, I'd be very surprised if such a memo ever surfaces... and until then it is very likely she is just making up crazy stuff again.

      Dave Miller said: "Many have already tried and convicted this man without his even being able to present his side and mount a defense."

      Many? Can you name even one?

      Delete
    4. Les CarpenterFri Jun 06, 11:01:00 PM EDT

      dmarks, I think Shaw's remark about the memo was just a figure of speech. That's why the :-) in my comment.

      I suppose I could be wrong though.

      Delete
  6. Jersey McJonesThu Jun 05, 01:26:00 PM EDT

    I'm just waiting for this to backfire on the Right like every other "scandal" lately. When the administration stays quiet and lets rumors fly, that usually means they're just playing judo. When they react immediately, then they're really taken aback - like the VA scandal.

    JMJ

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shaw KenaweThu Jun 05, 02:57:00 PM EDT

    JMJ, yes. As in "Please proceed, governor."

    ReplyDelete
  8. okjimmThu Jun 05, 03:50:00 PM EDT

    Finntann has a short grasp of history.... a short study of the Lost Battalion and the 442 in WWII should be presented. YUp...predicable does get folks killed, in the case of the 442...welll gosh it was only Japanese-Americans. Our current gun laws also make it very predicable.....that more will be killed. If you don't study history, you repeat it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Les CarpenterThu Jun 05, 04:09:00 PM EDT

    yes, yes, okjimm. Sad thing is sometimes even those who study history and understand it repeat the errors of then past.

    We have history to show it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. okjimmThu Jun 05, 09:40:00 PM EDT

    http://www.goforbroke.org/history/history_historical_campaigns_rescue.asp

    I forgot to put in a link about the 442....everyone should know about this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BB-IdahoFri Jun 06, 02:09:00 PM EDT

      Many are aware of the 442nd, in particular the former senator from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye . Navajo Code Talkers, Carlson's Raiders, Flying Tigers....lots of unique
      units, Americans doing their jobs, like seventy years ago on Omaha Beach.

      Delete

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