Unfortunately in this war, your damned if you do and your damned if you don't by the media. Everyone seems very fast to hang generals out to dry these days, maybe its fashionable, I wish I knew.
I have had the privelage of serving 3 times in three different combat zones under probably the single best commanding general in modern history. Lt. Gen James Mattis who was crucified for calling it like he sees it and keeping Marines morale high. I remember him speaking to Task Force 58 at Khandahar Airport on Christmas 2001 and saying, "We will keep killing until the killing is done." Now before all you tree huggers fly off the handle on that statement let me put things into perspective and I don't expect anyone who has not ever been in that type of environment to understand. Task Force 58 was basically a pack of wild dogs, we didn't fuck around and we knew why we were there, to kill and thats the bottom line. To make a long story short we was chastised for saying that men who force women to wear a veil and beat them if they don't, deserve to die and he would enjoy killing them. I am in agreement with this statement and if you're not well convert to Islam and go smack your wife around, if that makes you feel better. Lt. Gen Mattis was then told by the commandant of the Marine Corps to watch what he says and be more politically correct.
Now to get to Gen. Petraeus, the man went before congress and was politically correct. There are things about this war and war in general that the public does not need to know. Why? Because YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WAR IS FOUGHT, NEEDS TO BE FOUGHT, AND THE SACRIFICES BY THOSE THAT DO FIGHT. And is now being hung by a government that gave him his stars and a country that he has sworn to serve and protect not to mention the media but, hey if the news reports it, it has to be right, right? People that get all there information from news reports are idiotic and stupid. Talk about the blind leading the blind.
Its funny, I do not like movies about war because its almost like painting an angel, nobody ever gets it right because there is more to it than black and white, there is feeling involved. But, I always find myself going back to one of the best written lines in the history of cinema;
Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.