I always feel a little uncomfortable talking about national policy and the way the government works by referencing fictional movies or fictional books. I understand what you are saying and that using the reference is an illustrative way of conveying your point. The flip side of what you are doing is exemplified in the many conversations we've had on various threads with people saying "you've got to see movie X" or "I saw them violate his rights on NYPD blue, so the patriot act is wrong" - which is laughable but it's what my father the PhD history prof faced me with a year or so ago.

Rumsfeld's boss is W. W's boss is the electorate. Much like we elected him for a 4 year term I think that W appointed Rumsfeld and doesn't micromanage. Rumsfeld appears to be in charge at the DoD. Now, from a programmatic standpoint he is quickly re-inventing the military. It's a different type of world than what the military has been designed for since WWII and before. We do need more of the special op type folk - maybe we don't have the time to train them the way we have in the past becuase globally the anticipated need is far greater than our current resources. This is a guess, it's not my area of expertise. My point is that in any major alignment shift there are going to be major problems. The business of the DoD is defense which results in someone dying. As the paradigm (how I hate that word) shifts things do not operate smoothly, but waiting until things do means that there will never be a shift. We have a global terrorist threat, perhaps many rougue nations. In addition, there is China looming on the horizon. Our military has to be prepared for both. Incidentally, so does our State Dept. and the various branches of the intelligence services. I'm still kinda puzzled that we don't have thousands of people learning arabic as collateral duties. I'd volunteer in a heartbeat.

In any case, we get back to Bot's earlier point. What do you do if your legally elected boss gives you a legal order that you disagree with? If you're military you state your thoughts, if allowed, and then do what you are told or resign (in reference to officers). If you are civilian you state your thoughts, no need to ask permission, you do what you are told or resign. Ideally your leadership will take your thoughts into mind - it still may not change the decision. In either case you've sworn to uphold the constitution that provides the framework that put your disagreeable leader in charge.

__________________
-livin' in the terminally flippant zone

Uhg you don't get it, the duties of the officers are to do their best to protect the country, the he's your boss stuff is horse$hit you are splitting a hair that doesn't exist in the real world. What we have here is a man (Rumsfeld) that has intentionally undermined the General officers to promote his own agenda. As a result we have a folly war and people are dying due to poor policy. You seem to take the dying is the business issue very lightly as if its a necessity while I do not because I have lost many close friends due to men in suits meddling in military affairs.

Don't give me this constitutional chain of command crap again or I'll come unglued the fact of the matter is this. I should stick you in an unarmored Humvee and see if you change your mind. The USA has no excuses.....ever for not providing it's soldiers with toilet paper, body armor and bullets......ever. The failures are criminal IMO. Every single person that I have seen that supports Rumsfeld has one thing in common..guess what that is. I don't know one single officer, cia, soldier or civilian advisor (and I know a lot of em) that supports Rumsfeld....not one.

Rumsfelds failures are well documented why are you not questioning these failures or demanding that they be corrected?

The VA has been given an increase in funding but they need it due to 260,000 new veteran's, mean while Rumsfeld.

Rumsfeld stated that Humvee armor simply wan't availble in a speedy time frame, why is it that after the press got ahold of the issue armor production was increased 10 times in a month....why because arming soldiers properly isn't a Rumsfeld priority.

We are @ the Presidio I have a brother that graduated from the Defense Language Institute last month. Now who's been watching too many movies...spare me, chew on your popcorn and rent Blackhawk Down and see who does the dirty work.

Sorry I get a little touchy when people who slam Clinton condone the exact same actions by someone because they share a political belief.