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McChrystal ’scandal’ is phony

McChrystal ’scandal’ is phony

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zeeblebot

silicon valley

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this guy makes a lot of good points. the ellipsis list is of paragraph headings.

some of it i was already thinking after reading most of the Rolling Stones article (like, McChrystal didn't make most of the quotes in the article).

http://blogs.reuters.com/gregg-easterbrook/2010/06/23/mcchrystal-scandal-is-phony/

McChrystal ’scandal’ is phony
Jun 23, 2010 13:51 EDT
Greg Easterbrook

Washington, D.C., is the world capital of phony. Even by Washington’s low standards, the Stanley McChrystal “scandal” now in progress gives phoniness a bad name.

Yes, General McChrystal showed poor judgment in making impolitic remarks on-the-record. But most of what the general said was simply being honest about the shabby aspects of government administration. McChrystal said a rival had leaked a memo to make McChrystal look bad. That’s exactly what happened! The general said he didn’t want to open an email from Richard Holbrooke, who is an accomplished diplomat, but also a haughty man known for condescending hectoring. No sane person wants to open an email from Richard Holbrooke. And General McChrystal pretended not to recognize Joe Biden’s name. People in Washington snipe at each other, stop the presses!

That’s it – the above comments are the super-ultra-mega scandal. Consider:

Nearly everything being attributed to McChrystal was not said by him.
...
Media figures are denouncing McChrystal for talking to the media.
...
The great thing about this scandal is that it has nothing to do with substance.
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The other great thing is White House focus.
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Why does the McChrystal-Tillman connection keep getting ignored?
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Where was the press corps before all this happened?
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The fitting punishment for McChrystal would have been to make him keep his job.
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For points that didn’t quite make the column, click here.
...
* The 1981 controversy regarding OMB director David Stockman’s comments to The Atlantic ...
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* The 1951 firing of Douglas MacArthur involved ...
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*Wasn’t there some kind of oil spill?
The McChrystal confabulation gives BP a few days’ vacation from the front page. “They will never forget you/till somebody else comes along,” as the song goes. And we’ve already forgotten who BP pushed off the front page — Toyota and Goldman Sachs. Sources tell me Toyota sent BP a big box of fancy chocolates, while Goldman Sachs sent flowers and a card that reads, “BP, luv u 4-ever! {signed} Goldy S.”
...

M

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Originally posted by zeeblebot
this guy makes a lot of good points. the ellipsis list is of paragraph headings.

some of it i was already thinking after reading most of the Rolling Stones article (like, McChrystal didn't make most of the quotes in the article).

http://blogs.reuters.com/gregg-easterbrook/2010/06/23/mcchrystal-scandal-is-phony/

McChrystal ’scandal’ is phony
Jun ...[text shortened]... le Goldman Sachs sent flowers and a card that reads, “BP, luv u 4-ever! {signed} Goldy S.”
...
*Wasn’t there some kind of oil spill? [/b]The McChrystal confabulation gives BP a few days’ vacation from the front page. “They will never forget you/till somebody else comes along,” as the song goes. And we’ve already forgotten who BP pushed off the front page — Toyota and Goldman Sachs. Sources tell me Toyota sent BP a big box of fancy chocolates, while Goldman Sachs sent flowers and a card that reads, “BP, luv u 4-ever! {signed} Goldy S.”
...[/b]


it seems like there are more issues competing for front-page status than there are teams competing in the World Cup. Perhaps the newspapers need to make their front pages wider?

Nevertheless, it appears that in both cases the green and gold will remain one of the big favorites.

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