Comments
It amazes me that a professor was so easily swayed by a BBC/Guardian propaganda piece that frankly was poorly done, and easily refuted if he did just a little bit of research. It is almost as bad that his students just accepted his rhetoric without thinking about it critically like a bunch of sheep. Higher education in the U.S. doesn't aim that high apparently, and seems to encourages group think over thinking.
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/09/23/watters-world-confronts-cuny-profe…
Factor Producer Confronts Professor Behind Attacks on David Petraeus
"At first, the Latin American History adjunct professor didn’t want to speak to Watters. When he did open up, he lobbied his own attack against Petraeus. “Students and faculty […] are not okay with a death squad organizer and somebody who organized drone attacks.”
Watters asked the professor if he had facts to back up his accusation that Petraeus is a war criminal who personally tortured people. Citing The Guardian newspaper, John said Petraeus brought to Iraq Colonel James Steele – a man associated with a battalion that carried out a massacre in El Salvador."
The professor apparently believes this crap due to the bias and poorly researched documentary the British left together. It is fairly easy for anyone with a critical ear, eye, and mind to shoot holes in this documentary, but apparently this is not so easy for the professor and the students he mobilized. That is concerning, so what does exactly does a degree indicate these days?
The video referenced is at the link below, note it is 50 some minutes long and I would argue not worth watching unless you want to see a demonstration in how this propaganda successfully manipulated those not in the know, and apparently not willing to challenge its narrative.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/mar/06/james-steele-america…
"A 15-month investigation by the Guardian and BBC Arabic reveals how retired US colonel James Steele, a veteran of American proxy wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, played a key role in training and overseeing US-funded special police commandos who ran a network of torture centres in Iraq. Another special forces veteran, Colonel James Coffman, worked with Steele and reported directly to General David Petraeus, who had been sent into Iraq to organise the Iraqi security services."
The entire video was fixated on COL (Ret) Steele who is a very sharp officer, but unlike the claims in the documentary he didn't win the counterinsurgency in El Salvador, he made contributions as the senior military rep assigned to the EMB. The way the documentary explained it he had more power than the Ambassador and CIA chief. You'll hear many other ridiculous claims if you decide to listen to it.
I was somewhat astonished to see the General calmly cross the busy NYC street, timing it so he just beat the bus leaving it to screen his movement.;) Then he didn't even appear to look back at traffic coming the other way on the opposite side of the street. It kind of reminded me of this old story:
A group of hikers rounded a bend and came face to with a Grizzly bear that stood on its hind legs and roared, running toward them. The hikers weren't sure what to do but one of them took off running to which one said, you can't outrun a Grizzly. The runner replied, "I don't have to, I just need to outrun you."
In this case the General knew the sound of brakes screeching would be for someone else behind him trying to keep up.;)
To those students who called him a scumbag and war criminal. I wonder if they know the story about him getting shot accidentally as a battalion commander by one of his troops at a rifle range. Petraeus "punished" the Soldier who nearly took his life by helping him and giving him a Ranger school slot.
This excerpt from the first "On Point" history of OIF also says a lot about Gen Petraeus and other Leaders/Soldiers:
<blockquote>On 30 March, the 101st Airborne Division was assaulting through An Najaf. Mortar fire began impacting near a crowded road intersection known as Checkpoint Charlie. There was a group of senior officers and other personnel at the checkpoint, including the V Corps Commander,Lieutenant General Wallace, the 101st Airborne Division Commander, Major General Petraeus, the ADC-O, Brigadier General Freakley, and a special forces liaison team. The senior officers huddled around the hood of a HMMWV, using it as a desk while they discussed the ongoing battle.
The initial mortar rounds landed 300 meters away. Rounds started walking in at 100-meter intervals. The three general officers continued their hood-top meeting, seemingly oblivious to the creeping mortar fire. A round suddenly landed unannounced less than 30 meters away, causing everyone to jump a little. One sergeant recalled that generals backed up about 10 feet and continued with their business.
Without warning, a sudden burst of small-arms and automatic weapons fire broke out near the checkpoint. Lieutenant General Wallace and the other general officers moved immediately to the sound of the guns, with their MP squad security detachment running to keep up. Another mortar round landed not 20 yards away from them as they ran. Fortunately, none of the group was injured. The firefight ended quickly, and a Kiowa Warrior (armed reconnaissance helicopter) finally spotted the mortar tube and initiated a call for fire that destroyed it.</blockquote>
This is just pathetic. The irony is that they would be utterly shocked if young Republicans did the same to a liberal professor or guest speaker...and not just upset that their side had been attacked, but also upset that someone could so totally ignore the norms of courtesy and civilized behavior on which a university (not to speak of a society) depends for its functioning.
Sad and pathetic. I hope some other students on that campus will take the initiative to say that this is wrong.
Slap,
You're killing me, brother. Based on Putin's Op Ed regarding the US approach to Syria, he is far more qualified to be President than General Petreaus. Thank God the Constitution prevents him from coming over and running.
Don't overly focus on the single tactical event of this harrassment of Gen P. Think about the larger sentiment growing around the country that it is somewhat representative of instead.
Bob
This isn't a political protest... this is some type of half assed left wing commie/hippie/social justice inspired intimidation. A form of subversive political warfare, but the younger generation with all their advanced college degrees have no idea this is what is happening and that they are being used as pawns in a far more deadly game. They need to take a bath and get a job!!!
Petraeus for President!!!
When we (The US writ large) inappropriately make the US Military the lead agent of US foreign policy, then it stands to reason that the US Military will take equally inappropriate blame for when that foreign policy fails. Sad, but understandable.
This is what happens when a nation approaches peace as if it were war. No one has banged the "We are a nation at war" drum louder than the Department of Defense, so we need to own our own culpability to the current situation.
What people are calling "war weary" in recent discussions over Syria are more accurately a nation that is weary of approaching every affront or challenge to the incredibly broad range of "vital interests" we have staked out as sovereign issues we must defend, and then using military power as our go to move for each. It is an inappropriate and unsustainable approach to US foreign policy.
These students are acting like jackasses, but perhaps if the General set himself up as the target of such jackassery with his own inflated self-promotion and lack of judgment in his personal life.
Good point, it does bring back memories from the late 60s and early 70s. I thought we moved beyond this, but then again our universities were heavily infiltrated by communist provocateurs. I wondered who mobilized this specific group of human trash? It amazes me how vulnerable these college kids are to being manipulated by simple narratives. Reminds me of protesters outside a military base protesting our involvement in El Salvador in the 80s, fortunately the reporter realized these kids were very much on the slow side and started asking them questions about the conflict, to include where is El Salvador. Most admitted they didn't know, while one young girl confidently said it was located in Africa.
If our military and veterans weren't so illiberal and were more disruptive, more of us could be like these fine specimens of humanity.(sarcasm dripping)
Unfortunately, many in General Petraeus baby boomer generation (to include John Kerry) were just like this to our Vietnam war vets. I bet most of those who treated our Vietnam vets so poorly now wish they could take back their conduct.