This is a key reason why military men detest most reporters

You're preaching to the choir, sir.

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

The guy said what is true- and he may get canned. So what? There's always another general in the background that'll try to get the job done. The office of the president is not a military office, and when the person in there is stupid, or they make stupid decisions, well, the generals tend to say so. Bush was stupid, and Obama even more so. Clinton didn't do so bad in this regard IMHO, Bush #1 was a bit better and Reagan even better. Carter had no eff'n clue, and so on. Getting canned for speaking the truth about a stupid guy in office is not a death sentence, quite the opposite.

The President is the Commander in Chief, I don't know where you get "not a military office" from that. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable with a Junta or other form of military dictatorship? There are good reasons for the tradition that general officers hold their tongues, and it makes no difference to me who is president. This guy is a treasonous slug who deserves to be shot.

It's a political office first and foremost, and military experience is not needed in any shape or form to hold it. I'm not comfortable with you telling me what I might like, but go ahead if it makes you feel good. I'm just saying what most everyone knows to be true- the military takes orders from the President, but the President in not in the military.

Because the reporters catch them making stupid statements?

Most likely, the aides got a little star-struck that a RS reporter was in their midst, and started trying to impress him/outdo each other with stories about the boss. The remarks were stupid to make in front of the reporter, but that's all. Those guys are perfectly entitled to their opinions; it was utterly unprofessional to air them outside their professional circle, though.

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

I think you're trivializing that stupid remarks were made in the presence of a reporter. A general and his aides don't get to that position by being stupid, or at least we should expect they don't.

What does that mean? That the remarks weren't "stupid," by definition? Or that the comments were made purposely? The latter sounds even more ludicrous... those are career-ending comments (or sound like them to me).

EDIT: not arguing, just trying to understand what you mean...

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

You posted-
"The remarks were stupid to make in front of the reporter, but that's all."

To me that is trivializing the incident. Making stupid remarks in front of a reporter is serious when it's done by a General and his aides.
If this does end McChrystal's career, he'll be free to tell us all about his time in uniform.

Ah, gotcha. I meant only to say that it was stupid of them to make them in front of the reporter, and we obviously agree on that. They are human, however, and are going to voice their frustrations to one another. We all do. I am not trivializing the fact that the aides chose to reveal the comments to the media; on the contrary, I thought I expressed that they were foolish to do so.

The general's apology was warranted, since the "buck stops there," so to speak. His staff, and (in some cases) his direct comments in front of a reporter. Stupid. It's up to the CINC to decide whether they warrant his being replaced. I'll admit, he's in a tough spot. Leave him in, and he looks weak; kick him out, and you look vengeful and petty.

__________________
1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

they were trivial, locker room remarks, reamarks that no one should have heard outside the circuit of professional warriors who made them. Tell me this: do you think congressional staffers ever make of fthe cuff denigrating remarks about the governance? The difference is that they don't have imbeds with them to scurry off and report them.