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USA Edition | Today Is Monday, September 6, 2010 |
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President Barack Obama Speaking With General Stanley McChrystal
McChrystal is no nave. He is responsible for what he says and to whom — so best one take care to understand what he said, in what situation(s), and whether intended to represent his true beliefs as opposed to letting off steam. What was published in Rolling Stone showed considerable failure of judgment by General McChrystal. Even worse, it showed considerable failure of judgment by our nation’s journalistic establishment.
Newsroom Magazine Publisher Robert Butche
Washington
Absent Responsibility Journalism Destroys An Officer And A Gentleman
Much has been written and opined about President Obama’s dismissal of General Stanley McChrystal. Most of what has been said about this unhappy event has been described in political, or procedural, or military, or on occasion constitutional terms. Little, we regret, has been said in our major media about what mattered most:
Failed judgment on the part of what appear to have been thoughtless journalists that triggered an avalanche of escalating commentary and self-serving condemnation of a competent and highly valuable General Officer.
Had General McChrystal’s off-the-record comments about the President being uncomfortable and intimidated been uttered in the framework of a staff meeting, or an address to his troops, or by way of a press release — he would have been fair game. We hold our military officers to a higher standard. The chain of command is sacrosanct. No one up the chain, especially the commander-in-chief, is to be publicly questioned, condemned, or ridiculed.
But that’s not what happened.
Needless Waste
McChrystal was schooled at West Point. His world was one of honor and devotion to serving his country on battlefields defined by others. He is a man of intense loyalty who possesses scarce skills and knowledge that is of value to his profession and his nation. Now it is needlessly wasted.
Stanley McChrystal was sacrificed — not by military might — but by those he trusted — people who chose to do him damage by turning his kvetching about his difficult job into a cause célèbre for short term audience and a few fast dollars.
The irony is that men like General McChrystal, whether officers or combatants, give of their lives to preserve our constitutional freedom to publish.
No wonder the American public holds our profession is such low esteem.
Decisions Have Consequences
General McChrystal foolishly permitted a journalist to witness off-the-record events absent a clear rules of engagement.
Michael Hastings reported on certain events and quoted certain utterances absent, it would seem, either General McChrystal’s consent, or consideration of the consequences. Nor, some have argued, is there evidence to suggest that Hastings considered the implications for the troops under McChrystal’s command, or the Afghanistan war effort that had cost thousands of lives.
McChrystal was sacked by his Commander In Chief. We take no issue with the President’s decision — he had little choice once the McChrystal story turned into a promotable story — and opportunity célèbre.
Whether or not there were any alternatives remains for politicians and The Joint Chiefs to say. Whether or not the McChrystal story was good journalism, on the other hand, is for responsible journalists and skeptical editors to say.
For our part, we feel that the actions of Michael Hastings and Rolling Stone has in some unfortunate ways put journalism on trial for being incompetent to judge between what’s important and off-duty behavior not unlike that of nearly all Americans.
Doing Harm To Our Military
Coalition Military Fatalities By Year
Year US UK Other Total 2001 12 0 0 12 2002 49 3 17 69 2003 48 0 9 57 2004 52 1 7 60 2005 99 1 31 131 2006 98 39 54 191 2007 117 42 73 232 2008 155 51 89 295 2009 317 108 96 521 2010 212 67 57 336 Total 1159 312 433 1904 Operation Enduring Freedom
Good journalism is as much about judgment as it is about fact. In times of war, good judgment demands that we not report on troop movements, or battle strategies, or anything else that endangers military personnel. Reporting on a military officer’s leadership qualities or field performance is clearly fair game — but not his or her penchant for profanity, or lewd behavior while off duty.
We are not the behavior police.
Information that is merely interesting, or enticing, or scintillating has to be weighed against risk of damage to military operations, morale — or safety. Since the onset of military operations in Afghanistan a decade ago over 1900 persons have lost their lives in battle.
They gave their lives to make our military strong. Doing anything that demeans their sacrifice, destabilizes military control and command, or knowingly does personal harm to a commander or solider, no matter the personal or business motivation, is disgraceful.
No Commander Is Perfect
President Obama Preserves Four Star Benefits For General McChrystal
“The president believes and has talked with Secretary Gates about this, and we will do whatever is necessary to ensure he, somebody who has served the country as he has, can retire at a four-star level.”
White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs
There is little to suggest that what was done or said by General McChrystal and his staff was newsworthy in the same context as the enduring war in Afghanistan.
General McChrystal’s sorry mistake arose from a long standing American tradition. Some call it bitching, others kvetching and worse. What General McChrystal did in Afghanistan is done by nearly everyone in the White House every day. Same for the House and Senate when they’re in session. They do it at newspapers, in factories and at lawn parties. Being a free people invites us all to comment on those in power, or bosses, or nameless legions of others with who we disagree, or wish to embarrass.
Kvetching — An American Tradition
Bitching, complaining, and what David Brooks has described as kvetching about the personalities and decisions made by higher-ups, is a time honored American tradition — born of our freedoms of speech and independent thinking. It goes on in the White House and at the Pentagon with every-bit the fervor and biting irony as is evident in what has been published in Rolling Stone.
Being free to express our opinions, both formally and informally, is an important part of what it means to be an American. We learn early in life what is appropriate — and therefor meant to be disseminated — from what is unfitting or unbecoming — and therefore not intended to be disseminated.
Our profession is thus damaged as needlessly as that of a fine American brought down by friendly fire from his own countrymen.