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Most Generals don't like civilian control, but that's the way we've always done it...

And that's the right way to do it, which is the huge dilemma as I see things. Rumsfeld is manifestly incompetent (and I've been saying that since 2003) but it's not right for the civilian leadership to be overthrown at the demand of the military..

My personal opinion is that the damage in Iraq itself is already done, and replacing Rumsfeld won't help now, so Rumsfeld should stay because civilian rule is paramount. Even incompetent civilian rule is better than a military coup, IMHO.

PS. Yeah, I know my opinion is in the definite minority here, so that's all I'm gonna say about this.

Nope. What is obviously incompetent is the Cold War Dinosaurs such as these 6 Generals wanting to wage Iraq as a conventional ground war. Counter Insurgency doesn't work that way and those who have no experience, like the 6 Generals who are the New Neo Isolationist hero's, should admit they aren't qualified to render judgment. If they came out and said "here is where we are going wrong" they might have a point. They did not do that, they just came out to grind their partisan axes.
It's all for nothing anyway. Sec Rummy "Mr Abusive" to the 6 Whiners, is going to be Sec Defense until Jan 2009 and nothing the usual choir of Fringe Freepers squawkers will change that. You are irrelevant. The world has evolved beyond your hide under the bed and wish the bad guys away dogma
Gee sorry Rummy had to drag all you failed Cold War dinosaurs kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. If it was up to these 6 losers our military would still be planning how to stop the Sovs from rolling thru the Fulda Gap. This Neo-Isolations world view DIED on 9-11 Dinosaurs. GROW up. WE cannot hide from this foe. Ignoring it will NOT make the terrorists go away.

Yeah, I know my opinion is in the definite minority here, so that's all I'm gonna say about this.

More bad news for you: I agree with you entirely, about Rumsfeld, about the troops, about MacArthur, and about civilian control of the military. No one could state it better.

Rumsfeld is manifestly incompetent (and I've been saying that since 2003)

That you've been saying it since 2003 doesn't make it any more true now than it was when your first expressed it.

Rumsfeld took on an enormosly complex job at a very difficutl time in our nation's history. Overall, he's accomplished well what he was given to accomplish. You may disagree with the agenda he was given to accomplish, but there is no denying that he has competently gotten the job done.

And he did it while deadwood like Shinseki and other self-important Clinton-era flag officer boobs were shackled to his ankles.