[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
[/quote]
I had the same initial reaction. The one caveat is that (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong because I was told this today but I haven’t had the chance to verify it) people working in the clandestine services would generally be forced or pressured to quit because conduct like this opens up vulnerabilities to blackmail. Since Petraeus is the top official in the clandestine services, he is held to the same standard.
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
[/quote]
I had the same initial reaction. The one caveat is that (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong because I was told this today but I haven’t had the chance to verify it) people working in the clandestine services would generally be forced or pressured to quit because conduct like this opens up vulnerabilities to blackmail. Since Petraeus is the top official in the clandestine services, he is held to the same standard.[/quote]
I thought that as well, but just read that there is no internal requirement for him to resign.
I just assumed that he takes his honor and his reputation seriously…[/quote]
That’s something else to think about.
I still kind of feel like it would have been more of a ballsy, “Presidential” move to refuse to accept his resignation because he is too valuable to the security of our nation. But again, maybe there is an aspect of this that I am not thinking of.
[quote]SexMachine wrote:
Yes monolingual is a word. And achievement or not, you have an advantage over me there. Regarding history: there is NOTHING more important to developing wisdom than to study it. Just be sure to read all perspectives. I can assure you that I’ve read a great deal of leftist based history - even Chomsky. I read Manufacturing Consent when I was 15. If you can find it in Norwegian I would recommend anything by Winston Churchill. And classical history too. May be heavy going and time consuming but it’s worth it my friend. Keep reading and think critically. I’ve only recently delved properly into American history and it’s changed my perspective.[/quote]
Yhea I am at fault of not reading to much original texts, I have mostly read text books when it comes to the subject of history and therefor my knowledge of history probably reflects that, except for the hint of ultra-leftist influences from before my time at University ( lol ). Your advice about reading sources representing different wiews sounds like a wise one and I will keep that in mind. In that regard I have wanted read both original texts of both Burke and Adam Smith, perhaps I should start there even though they arent historians.
Ps. I didnt know Churcill wrote historical texts/books.
[/quote]
Yhea I am at fault of not reading to much original texts, I have mostly read text books when it comes to the subject of history and therefor my knowledge of history probably reflects that, except for the hint of ultra-leftist influences from before my time at University ( lol ). Your advice about reading sources representing different wiews sounds like a wise one and I will keep that in mind. In that regard I have wanted read both original texts of both Burke and Adam Smith, perhaps I should start there even though they arent historians.
[/quote]
Good choice. Burke’s Reflections on the French Revolution and Smith’s The Wealth of Nations - to be honest I haven’t read Smith’s Wealth of Nations but I’m pretty familiar with the concepts therein.
Churchill was likely one of if not the greatest historian of the 20th century and won a nobel prize for literature for his historical and biographical works. He was an incredibly prolific writer. He wrote the history of his ancestor the Duke of Marlborough, historical/biographical accounts of the Sudan WarThe River War, the British War in the North West Frontier Province(Afghanistan Pakistan) called The Story of the Malakand Field Force and the Boer WarLondon to Ladysmith and the sequel Ian Hamilton’s March. He served in all these conflicts with distinction however in the Boer War he was technically a correspondent. He also wrote a history of the First World WarThe World Crisis in which he also served and held high command and the Second World WarThe History of the Second War War. I’d recommend starting with Malakand Field Force which is his first historical work, quite short and gives a great deal of insight into the current Afghan War from an historical perspective.
[quote]SexMachine wrote:
Yes monolingual is a word. And achievement or not, you have an advantage over me there. Regarding history: there is NOTHING more important to developing wisdom than to study it. Just be sure to read all perspectives. I can assure you that I’ve read a great deal of leftist based history - even Chomsky. I read Manufacturing Consent when I was 15. If you can find it in Norwegian I would recommend anything by Winston Churchill. And classical history too. May be heavy going and time consuming but it’s worth it my friend. Keep reading and think critically. I’ve only recently delved properly into American history and it’s changed my perspective.[/quote]
Yhea I am at fault of not reading to much original texts, I have mostly read text books when it comes to the subject of history and therefor my knowledge of history probably reflects that, except for the hint of ultra-leftist influences from before my time at University ( lol ). Your advice about reading sources representing different wiews sounds like a wise one and I will keep that in mind. In that regard I have wanted read both original texts of both Burke and Adam Smith, perhaps I should start there even though they arent historians.
Ps. I didnt know Churcill wrote historical texts/books.
[/quote]
Does the Nobel Prize in Literature still count?
You may find Volume 2 particularly rewarding.[/quote]
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
[/quote]
I had the same initial reaction. The one caveat is that (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong because I was told this today but I haven’t had the chance to verify it) people working in the clandestine services would generally be forced or pressured to quit because conduct like this opens up vulnerabilities to blackmail. Since Petraeus is the top official in the clandestine services, he is held to the same standard.[/quote]
I thought that as well, but just read that there is no internal requirement for him to resign.
I just assumed that he takes his honor and his reputation seriously…[/quote]
That’s something else to think about.
I still kind of feel like it would have been more of a ballsy, “Presidential” move to refuse to accept his resignation because he is too valuable to the security of our nation. But again, maybe there is an aspect of this that I am not thinking of.
[/quote]
Agreed, if what we know is all there is to know (though, since we’re talking about spooks here, that seems unlikely).
Being Bilingual is NOT an “Achievement” if one grew up in a Bilingual Household,
it’s only an Acheivement when one CHOOSES to study a second language and
and then becomes proficient in it.
There was little effort for me to learn and understand 2 languages at once at home, and I believe
a Child can learn and understand VERY easily 3 Languages at once if he/she grows up in home
that speaks 3 Languages consistently…The Brain is an amazing thing.
Considering his involvement with Benghazi attack, his participation in the cover up and the timing of just after the election, I can’t help but think there is more to this.
I think the question is not so much could this have been used to compromise him but was it already used to compromise him by team Obama. It would explain his participation in the cover up.
One good thing about this is the press cannot ignore a salacious sex scandal, it may even bring in the National Enquierer and it’s investigative journalism capabilities. so now Benghazi is going to get more coverage.
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
It’s like the Japanese in WWII having their high ranking officials commit seppuku. Well, it’s all well and good to be ashamed that you’ve done something, but wouldn’t you be better served “working off” your debt to society by serving it instead of removing yourself from it along with the valuable strategic, intellectual and leadership resources you provide?[/quote]
That’s what I’m still thinking. It’s not like sex scandal stopped Clinton from being president much to the ire of the republicans at the time.
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
[/quote]
I had the same initial reaction. The one caveat is that (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong because I was told this today but I haven’t had the chance to verify it) people working in the clandestine services would generally be forced or pressured to quit because conduct like this opens up vulnerabilities to blackmail. Since Petraeus is the top official in the clandestine services, he is held to the same standard.[/quote]
I thought that as well, but just read that there is no internal requirement for him to resign.
I just assumed that he takes his honor and his reputation seriously…[/quote]
If your honor is tied to monogamy and important to you, you dont fuck around.
Resigning when it comes out has little to do with honor, maybe with dignity.
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
[/quote]
I had the same initial reaction. The one caveat is that (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong because I was told this today but I haven’t had the chance to verify it) people working in the clandestine services would generally be forced or pressured to quit because conduct like this opens up vulnerabilities to blackmail. Since Petraeus is the top official in the clandestine services, he is held to the same standard.[/quote]
I thought that as well, but just read that there is no internal requirement for him to resign.
I just assumed that he takes his honor and his reputation seriously…[/quote]
That’s something else to think about.
I still kind of feel like it would have been more of a ballsy, “Presidential” move to refuse to accept his resignation because he is too valuable to the security of our nation. But again, maybe there is an aspect of this that I am not thinking of.
[/quote]
He didn’t resign because of the affair, he resigned because he got caught and outed. There is a difference. I agree that he it’s a massive loss of talent, that is unfortunately how the self righteous game of politics gets played.
Perhaps there is some security angle to this relating to the woman he was having the affair with?
[quote]ZEB wrote:
Call me crazy but I take him at his word. Not everything is a cover up HH. Sometimes people make mistakes and they have to step down.
Seems pretty cut and dry to me.[/quote]
Setting up an attractive intelligent woman with Petraeus, a guy who is often not home and with an old wife.
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
[/quote]
I had the same initial reaction. The one caveat is that (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong because I was told this today but I haven’t had the chance to verify it) people working in the clandestine services would generally be forced or pressured to quit because conduct like this opens up vulnerabilities to blackmail. Since Petraeus is the top official in the clandestine services, he is held to the same standard.[/quote]
I thought that as well, but just read that there is no internal requirement for him to resign.
I just assumed that he takes his honor and his reputation seriously…[/quote]
That’s something else to think about.
I still kind of feel like it would have been more of a ballsy, “Presidential” move to refuse to accept his resignation because he is too valuable to the security of our nation. But again, maybe there is an aspect of this that I am not thinking of.
[/quote]
He didn’t resign because of the affair, he resigned because he got caught and outed. There is a difference. I agree that he it’s a massive loss of talent, that is unfortunately how the self righteous game of politics gets played.
Perhaps there is some security angle to this relating to the woman he was having the affair with?[/quote]
Why wasn’t the person doing his biography some grey haired old guy with a weight problem, instead of a hot younger woman? Do I have to draw you guys pictures? Jesus…
Hard to say what the whole story is, but would guess with the timing coming a few days after the election, President Obama wanted the popular general in his administration with the run up to the election. Now that he won re-election, as I was reading, it was OK for Petraeus to go.
“CIA director David Petraeus resigns in sex scandal”
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
[/quote]
I had the same initial reaction. The one caveat is that (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong because I was told this today but I haven’t had the chance to verify it) people working in the clandestine services would generally be forced or pressured to quit because conduct like this opens up vulnerabilities to blackmail. Since Petraeus is the top official in the clandestine services, he is held to the same standard.[/quote]
I thought that as well, but just read that there is no internal requirement for him to resign.
I just assumed that he takes his honor and his reputation seriously…[/quote]
If your honor is tied to monogamy and important to you, you dont fuck around.
Resigning when it comes out has little to do with honor, maybe with dignity. [/quote]
Because good people don’t sometimes slip and do things contradictory to what they truly value?
There is honor in taking responsibility for your mistakes.
But it sounds like you apparently would never make the kind of mistake he did, right?
[/quote]
That kind, no.
I fail to see how he honors his comittment to his wife by resigning from his job or how that constitutes “taking respopnsibility”.
[quote]Cortes wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous to let such a valuable asset as Gen. Petraeus resign over an affair that was (as far as I know) not related to the job he does for the US?
[/quote]
I had the same initial reaction. The one caveat is that (and someone can correct me if I’m wrong because I was told this today but I haven’t had the chance to verify it) people working in the clandestine services would generally be forced or pressured to quit because conduct like this opens up vulnerabilities to blackmail. Since Petraeus is the top official in the clandestine services, he is held to the same standard.[/quote]
I thought that as well, but just read that there is no internal requirement for him to resign.
I just assumed that he takes his honor and his reputation seriously…[/quote]
That’s something else to think about.
I still kind of feel like it would have been more of a ballsy, “Presidential” move to refuse to accept his resignation because he is too valuable to the security of our nation. But again, maybe there is an aspect of this that I am not thinking of.
[/quote]
He didn’t resign because of the affair, he resigned because he got caught and outed. There is a difference. I agree that he it’s a massive loss of talent, that is unfortunately how the self righteous game of politics gets played.
Perhaps there is some security angle to this relating to the woman he was having the affair with?[/quote]
Why wasn’t the person doing his biography some grey haired old guy with a weight problem, instead of a hot younger woman? Do I have to draw you guys pictures? Jesus…
Bait = taken.[/quote]
That’s a bit of a stretch, I thought I heard she was also a WEst Point grad like him? So not just a bit of fluff…I also heard she was a machine gun model in her younger days lol, whatever that means