Is Obama doing a Ratner?

[R1Geezer]

So he's fired Gen McChrystal for daring to have an opinion. Is Obama surrounding himself with yes men? Look what happenned when Gerald Ratner tried that! "Wonderful speech sir they'll love it", doh!

[Hopkirk]

It's one thing to have an opinion.

It's something else to publicly criticise your masters.

Thank God Obama is in there not George Dubya.

[jno]

Truman sacked General Macarthur for similarly getting above himself. The president is the commander-in-chief. Try giving an interview to a newspaper in which you list your own boss's failings and see how long you stay in your job.

[jake-the-peg]

Wow this is a dumb question

You do know what he said don't you?

I know what would happen if I made references like that to my direct superiors in print

[R1Geezer]

But as a leader do you not need constructive criticism? Otherwise you are like Saddam Hussain! Why is it a dum question jake? many a leader has surrounded himself wit yes men and lap dogs and had a spectacular fall. Yes I know what he said, he said that Obama gave the impression of being intimidated. So now he has to pove he isn't by having a tantrum, I think the septics have made a major mistake electing Obama, pity their best recent president GWB had to go because of the 22nd, still I doubt he'll get a second term.

[jno]

McChrystal was free to make all the constructive criticism he wanted - in private. That's an adviser's privilege (though he wasn't really an adviser, more like an employee.) Telling Rolling Stone about it isn't private. A major error of judgment - and do you employ people who make major errors of judgment?

[123everton]

In the midst of a tough war you don't criticise your leader, Gort never came out and accused Chamberlain of all kinds of failings, Wavell never criticised Churchill for denuding him of men and materiel on the point of victory never did General Mark Clark (of all people) attack Churchill for the third battle of Monte Cassino.
If Machyrstal has a problem with the war's direction (then I think he has a point) he should do it in private, he perhaps should have ready a proposal for a change in tactics, perhaps by garrisoning the area affected and having rapid reaction airborne units to cut off the retreat of guerilla groups.
Instead of marching up to a compound, have a fir fight, win, leave, and then do it all again six weeks later.
Taliban will fight an attritional battle happily for years, they only dploy in tens and fifteens, we deploy in twenties and thirties with hugely expensive equipment, theyhave Kalashnikovs, a thermos and a yashmak.
Do the math.

[wolf63]

I thought Rolling Stone was a music magazine - I guess not!

[jno]

Rollling Stone has had political stuff in it virtually since it started - Hunter S Thompson was one of the early writers. They covered it because of the big anti-Vietnam war movement in the 60s and 70s, which interested pretty much the same people as followed music in those days.

[anotheoldgit]

Seems strange that only a few days ago Cameron sacked his top brass also.

[olddutch]

"So he's fired Gen McChrystal for daring to have an opinion"

Geezer, if you criticise your Boss on how he runs the Company to the whole wide World wouldnt you be very lucky to keep your job ?

[jake-the-peg]

No come on Geezer - constructive criticism is given in private

Publishing an interview referring to your bosses deputy as "Who's he" and the national security advisor as "a clown" is not constructive criticism in any way shape or form

That's why I said it was a dumb question

He was clearly undermining his direct superiors anmd Obama had no choice but to assert his authority - if he hadn't done so you'd have been on here saying "Why doesn't Obama grow a pair?"

That wouldn't have been a dumb question in the circumstances

[BertiWooster]

I can only concur with the foregoing - if you disagree with your commander in chief - then voice those concerns in private - if you still have fundamental differences , then resign .

There was some talk that Obama would not sack him because he was indispensable .
The world's graveyards are littered with indispensable people .