Rumsfeld: Airing Concerns Was Healthy

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=2&u=/ap/20041209/ap_on_re_mi_ea/rumsfeld

~snip~

NEW DELHI, India - A day after being challenged by a soldier on the Army's failure to provide adequate armor for vehicles used in Iraq (news - web sites), Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday he was pleased to hear the gripe and expects the Army to do its best to resolve the problem.


"I think it's good" that ordinary soldiers are given a chance to express their concerns to the secretary of defense and senior military commanders, Rumsfeld told reporters during a visit to the Indian capital.


"It's necessary for the Army to hear that, do something about it and see that everyone is treated properly," Rumsfeld said, referring not only to the complaint about insufficient armor but also another soldier's statement about not getting reimbursed for certain expenses in a timely way.


Those complaints, and others, were aired on Wednesday when Rumsfeld held a "town hall" style meeting with about 2,300 soldiers at Camp Buehring in northern Kuwait, a transit camp for troops heading into Iraq.

[PCIntern]

1. We love dissent here in Bush's Army...

in fact, we're gonna fly this kid home in a small plane to see his family.

ooops...did I say that?

[jukes]

2. liar

they'll be unofficially punished for speaking out.

[private_ryan]

8. nah

he's a soldier and probably the low level commanders who he reports to love him for that. They deal with this (lack of supplies) and fell the same. Their best is to have Halliburton get involved in armor

[pinniped]

3. Well that's a pretty slick twist. Who the hell spun this one?

I guess it's not "healthy" for his asshole presidunce to hear gripes because they try their best to make sure those voices aren't heard.

[htuttle]

4. What a bunch of pantywaists they all are

Guy asks a simple question of management, and they've been put into a tizzy for two days.

[cliss]

15. Exactly.

After reading several threads on this issue, I checked into Yahoo news to see what they had to say about this.

There was an article on the left hand margin that referred to US troops scrounging in landfills looking for armor. It said, "Military was unaware of this problem".

I can believe that.

[DebJ]

5. Just giving an appearance of concern, that is all. And looking

for ways to increase the defense budget, increase the national debt, and more quickly squash the middle class out of existence.

[Just Me]

14. The defense budget is HUGE and an additional 200 billion for the war,

has been allocated.

Where the hell is all that money hemorrhaging?

[omshanti]

6. arrogant condescending chickenhawk bastard. n/t

[tsuki]

7. What a Liar. What Bushco likes being challenged by a

mere 'Merikan?

[ktowntennesseedem]

9. Did anyone catch the Leno clip on GMA this morning?

He joked that Rummy explained that logistically we can't just get armor on every vehicle right away, and then when the conference was over he got into his own armored vehicle and rode away!

[Supersedeas]

12. great joke...now back to Peterson Peterson Peterson & the striking parents

the logical follow-up from the US Media would be to dig deeper into the soldiers story...what are troops having to do, improvising, in order to defend themselves...instead we get the blip and then back to infotainment and infomercials.

Relying on Jay Leno jokes for serious follow-up is pathetic journalism.

But, at least someone in media world is paying attention.

[ktowntennesseedem]

13. GMA also had on the wife of the soldier who asked the question.

At least they raised the issue, but only for a few minutes. Too bad we are in such a sound-bite oriented culture with so many choices for information (and even mis-information if you prefer). If the picture doesn't change fast enough, the viewers will flip the button and change it themselves.

Laughter is an excellent medicine, but it's no cure for the problem.

[Rockholm]

10. Wonder if Rummy has a "Support Our Troops" sticker...

on his car?
What a bunch of losers this cabal is.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. Quoth Pearl Jam:

Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin round my head
I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning

--"Black"

[VegasWolf]

16. But riding in Humvee's isn't Healthy! Always words, never action. n/t

[Demeter]

17. Destroying Bushco Would Be Healthy

put the whole operation out of business and into prisons.