So now the Republicans in Congress have proposed legislation condemning
Moveon.org for criticizing General Petraeus's testimony before Congress
on the Iraq war. Conservatives are pressuring Democrats to do likewise
condemn the ads and some have backed away from Moveone.org. They are
also condemning others in Congress for daring to say Petraeus was
dishonest in his testimony.
The only lesson worth learning from all this is, sadly, that those in
the military are still put on a pedestal and are considered beyond
criticism. Just because some General says something, many in this
nation believe it must be true, and just because someone has stars and
stripes on his shoulders, they are given automatic respect and
credibility. It is a shame we don't treat the likes of Petraeus as less
of a "hero" and more like a bureaucrat serving at the behest of the
President. Whether or not you support the war, does anyone think a
General is going to go before Congress and the American people and say
anything but what the President wants him to say? Oh but because he is
in the military that must mean he has integrity, values, etc... We
would never hear politicians condemning someone for criticizing the head
of any other government bureaucracy, or that agency itself. That would
never be considered unpatriotic. America allows it's military to play
by different rules than other government organizations, gives it many,
many times more money, puts it's spokesmen all over the news, has
countless ceremonies, and bashes every other government agency for one
thing or another, all the while looking up to the military as if it were
godlike.
Now when people are exercising their right to free speech and dissent,
they are once again being called traitors. We have every right to say
that General Petraeus has betrayed his soldiers and lied to the American
people. Unfortunately America tells it's dissenters military leaders
are off limits.
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