The Greatest Generation, Redux (his likely anti-Obama veteran students)

RealClearPolitics ^ | November 22, 2012 | E.J. Dionne

[Seizethecarp]

WASHINGTON -- For nearly a decade I have had the privilege of teaching veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, though they have taught me more.

Most of them were Army captains and majors who had done three or four tours of duty. And here's the most remarkable thing: Not one of these men and women complained about what we asked of them.

My Thanksgiving thoughts have often turned toward my military students at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute, and to the thousands like them who have done very hard duty with little notice.

We can show our gratitude toward these officers and their troops in at least two ways. First, as my MSNBC colleague Rachel Maddow keeps reminding us, we need to cut through what the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America calls the VA's "egregious failure to process the claims of our veterans" in a timely and effective way.

And we need to recognize the contribution that this new generation of veterans can make to our nation. The character of the "Greatest Generation" that fought World War II was established not by the generals but by the officers in the lower ranks and the millions of enlisted men and women who carried into civilian life both the skills and the sense of service and community they learned in the war years.

My students taught me that we don't need to be nostalgic about the Greatest Generation. It's right here among us.

[Seizethecarp]

There are too many Marxist kisses in thie piece to save it even though it is an attempt to compliment Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

How many of your student majors and captains voted for Obama, Professor Dionne?

Imagine having done four tours of duty in the war zones and having to get through a course with Dionne to get your degree!

[jimfree]

This is as close as Dionne will get to patriotism and I commend him for the stretch. Where was he in 1973? We were both 21 then and I wonder how much he appreciated those returning.

[Seizethecarp]

per Dionne in the article:

“The ongoing war barely impinges on our daily discussions, and we don't bother to argue much about our Afghanistan policy. Mostly, we hope President Obama can keep his promise to bring our troops home.”

If you were in a Dionne class, would you express your true feelings about the GWOT and Obama with your grade at stake???

Dionne dares to speak for the vets, which is offensive: “we don't bother to argue” and “we hope President Obama can keep his promise to bring the troops home.”

I expect that any sane officer would be livid that Obama had tipped the enemy off on future troop movements undermining the fighting season and endangering an orderly retreat, thus violating the classic WWII (and FReeper) admonition “Loose lips sinks ships!”