Courage under Fire in DC

The US armed forces are advertising for recruits. They could not hope for a better "poster boy" than General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His behavior is exactly what the military aspires to: spontaneous courage and morality.

Courage under fire is an abstract concept for most of us, thankfully, but courage to correct your boss? That's something we can all appreciate and admire. It must be especially hard for a military man, who is presumably accustomed to following orders. In this case, the General corrected the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, a boss already shown to punish those who disagree with him. Fortunately, General Pace recognizes that his real boss is the American people and, ultimately, his own soul.

Rumsfeld, the moral dwarf, had said that the responsibility of American military was to report any torture they observed. Pace demurred, stating that "it is the absolute responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene, to stop it" (emphasis added). General Pace courageously defended his position in the face of Rumplestiltskin's fierce attempt to "correct" or clarify the serviceman's responsibility.

It's a sad state of affairs when it takes personal courage to be moral. This administration is the most deceitful and vindictive since Nixon's. It will be interesting to see how the Pentagon and administration toadies, who seem to outnumber those with backbones, will respond.