One of the first things I was taught after beginning Basic Training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was "Hope for the best, expect the worst." This was reiterated time and again throughout my Army days; it wasn't a suggestion, they were words to keep us alive. This phrase was an underlying tenet of both leadership schools the Army put me through.
Hell, most management courses will expect one to bear this in mind.
It would serve anyone in everyday life.
Even the Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared."
Here we have the three most powerful men in our military command structure, responsible for hundreds of thousands - millions -- of lives, and not one of them was prepared to react to what some rag-tag insurgents might do!
By their own admission, two generals ignored the basic military tenet of "Hope for the best, expect the worst!"
And Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld basically said to the United States Senate, "Look, it wasn't my fault. How could I foresee these things happening? You can't blame me."
Rummy's the damned Secretary of Defense, the same schmuck who in 1998 advised President Bill Clinton to invade Iraq! Thank gawd Bill wasn't a power-mad megalomaniac lunatic!
How could none of this not be the fault of anyone but Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, George W. Bush and Karl Rove? (Lest we forget William H. Rehnquist and his Federalist Supremes, along with the other peripheral players...)
Before the end of the day, Mrs. Clinton was calling for head of Donny Rumsfeld.
Well, not exactly, but she suggested in no uncertain terms that it would be good for the Nation were he to resign - and the quicker the better.
"I just don't understand why we can't get new leadership that would give us a fighting chance to turn the situation around before it's too late. I think the president should choose to accept Secretary Rumsfeld's resignation."
Sen. Clinton continued, "The secretary has lost credibility with the Congress and with the people. It's time for him to step down and be replaced by someone who can develop an effective strategy and communicate it effectively to the American people and to the world.
"I am frankly tired of hearing the same stories from the administration's national security team. The president changed his economic team, he changed his White House team - I think it's time for him to change his security and defense team."
I agree with everything Mrs. Clinton said in these last few paragraphs, with the exception of one item. She noted that Rummy "lost credibility... with the people." I doubt that he ever had that much credibility with the American public to begin with - nobody ever voted him into office. Hillary was just being tactfully diplomatic.
Speaking of being diplomatic, Condoleezza has been wearing those rose-colored glasses again, telling us there's going to be a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. That was in an interview taped earlier in the week for airing on Larry King (not exactly) Live tonight.
Hell, most management courses will expect one to bear this in mind.
It would serve anyone in everyday life.
Even the Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared."
By their own admission, two generals ignored the basic military tenet of "Hope for the best, expect the worst!"
And Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld basically said to the United States Senate, "Look, it wasn't my fault. How could I foresee these things happening? You can't blame me."
Rummy's the damned Secretary of Defense, the same schmuck who in 1998 advised President Bill Clinton to invade Iraq! Thank gawd Bill wasn't a power-mad megalomaniac lunatic!
How could none of this not be the fault of anyone but Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, George W. Bush and Karl Rove? (Lest we forget William H. Rehnquist and his Federalist Supremes, along with the other peripheral players...)
Before the end of the day, Mrs. Clinton was calling for head of Donny Rumsfeld.
Well, not exactly, but she suggested in no uncertain terms that it would be good for the Nation were he to resign - and the quicker the better.
"I just don't understand why we can't get new leadership that would give us a fighting chance to turn the situation around before it's too late. I think the president should choose to accept Secretary Rumsfeld's resignation."
Sen. Clinton continued, "The secretary has lost credibility with the Congress and with the people. It's time for him to step down and be replaced by someone who can develop an effective strategy and communicate it effectively to the American people and to the world.
"I am frankly tired of hearing the same stories from the administration's national security team. The president changed his economic team, he changed his White House team - I think it's time for him to change his security and defense team."
I agree with everything Mrs. Clinton said in these last few paragraphs, with the exception of one item. She noted that Rummy "lost credibility... with the people." I doubt that he ever had that much credibility with the American public to begin with - nobody ever voted him into office. Hillary was just being tactfully diplomatic.
Speaking of being diplomatic, Condoleezza has been wearing those rose-colored glasses again, telling us there's going to be a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. That was in an interview taped earlier in the week for airing on Larry King (not exactly) Live tonight.
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