The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Nostromo — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:03:11 -0000

"as if the embargo which Uncle Sam and the UK imposed on Japan in July 1941 wasn’t an act of war;"

Did Japan have the right to purchase American steel, scrap iron, and aviation fuel with which to blow apart Chinese people, as Japan had been doing since 1937? Were the anti-Apartheid divestment campaigns of the 1980s "acts of war" against white South Africa?

"as if Normandy wasn’t a sneak attack"

...Adolf Hitler declared war on the US back in December, 1941. The allied invasion of Normandy was a "sneak attack" in the context of an already-declared war, not a sneak attack that precipitated a war for the purpose of enslaving and killing tens of millions of people. I think there is a big difference.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

KCN — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:48:13 -0000

This is one of the clearest examples of karma that I have ever seen. Great politics but more importantly a great choice.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Keith — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:41:34 -0000

Honestly, Shinseki was my choice for Obama's Veep (with Wes Clark a close second), so it's nice to see him in the Cabinet.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Marie Burns — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:10:02 -0000

This is a wonderful appointment for all the reasons stated. It is mitigated only by the perhaps coordinated effort by Steve Hildebrand, an Obama campaign operative writing in the HuffPost, to silence progressives. Hildebrand's admonitions to liberals to stifle their criticism of Obama's nominees and policies are no less anti-American than were Rumfeld & company's squelching of the honorable General Shinseki and anti-war voices.

The Constant Weader at www.RealityChex.com

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

True Asian American Conservati — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:26:23 -0000

I believe the appointment of the Honorable General Eric Shinseki is a big "FUCK YOU" to that "LOSER" Donald Rumsfeld and his also "LOSER" comrade Paul Wolfowitz. I hope they are pissing blood in their stools today as our true Commander in Chief Barack Obama and our Honored and Patriotic General Eric Shinseki lead our country back to prosperity.

Screw all you racist white conservatives who've betrayed many Asian American Conservatives out there by electing a bunch of white affirmative action beneficiaries.

Now look what happened to our country.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Sorn — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:30:54 -0000

Shinseki was chief of staff when I was a PFC/SPC. As a lower enlisted soldier I didn't know much about him and his policies at the time other than the fact that he was the guy responsible for the black beret. After coming home from the desert in 2003 I did a lot of reading about this guy and how what he stood for. In a nutshell although I don't know much that I can talk about other than what you can learn from Fallow's articles I do know that this guy has a record of speaking truth to power and is a believer in empiricism.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

jaye — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:35:21 -0000

I really liked it too, that he announced Shinseki as he talked about commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor. There's just such an eloquence to it.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Watson — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:29:54 -0000

Pearl Harbor is often invoked in support of the exceptionalist notion that Americans are beleaguered, misunderstood, and unappreciated good guys, and that Japanese are treacherous.

As if warfare doesn’t consist substantially of stealth, deception, and surprise; as if the embargo which Uncle Sam and the UK imposed on Japan in July 1941 wasn’t an act of war; as if Normandy wasn’t a sneak attack.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Nina — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:39:01 -0000

As a Japanese-American, honestly a few years ago I disregarded General Shinseki because he worked for the Bush administration. Now, I've researched him further and to corrupt the words of Malcolm, "an enemy of Donald Rumsfeld is a friend of mine."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Covey

Good luck Secretary Shinseki, I think you will make us very proud. Japanese and Japanese-Americans have haunting (not glorious) memories of war, and most of us are very progressive as a result. Yay! May the veterans get the care they deserve, and more importantly -- let's not create new veterans unnecessarily.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

nolo — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:50:40 -0000

I don't usually stoop to or bother with making this sort of comment, but Fred, you're an idiot. I suggest you read James Fallows' posts on Shinseki and answer your question for yourself.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Eduardo — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:48:37 -0000

"He was right." Obambi, Obambi-you are such a bad boy. Even badder than the sexiest American pol alive

Check this James Fallows post

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Fred — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:11:40 -0000

But what does he know about the VA? Anything?

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

progressiver-than-thou (Urk) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:05 -0000

This is a terrible betrayal of our efforts!!!!!!!! The Obama Presidency Is A Failure Already!!!!!!!!That's not change you can...oh, wait.

Never mind.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Incertus (Brian) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:18:55 -0000

Speaking of poetry, did you catch the bit where President-elect Obama said he'd be having poetry readings in the White House? Hells yeah!

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Watson — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:14:22 -0000

Re: diversity.

Not to be picky, and I can understand Obama’s need to placate (disarm?) the establishment with his first round of major appointments, but I think he’s got a lot of catch-up to do: Asian, Hispanic, Native American, gay, labor, consumer, progressive, handicapped, community organizing, ‘tree-huggers’, and I’m sure I’ve missed some.

The establishment was wrong about Iraq, the economy, and just about everything else. BHO was elected on a change platform.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

ed — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:24:41 -0000

President-elect: ‘Both he and I share a reverence for those who serve’

Heh. Indeed.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Persia — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:15:36 -0000

And another addition to the diversity of the Obama staff, too.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

TKOEd — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:52:01 -0000

You can see what looks to me to be an angry smirk on Barack's face at the end right as he's saying "he was right". I think we can be sure incompetence will not be rewarded & competence will not be shoved aside in the new administration.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

rikyrah — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:36:46 -0000

I hope he takes some of the bureaucracy out of the VA's bureaucracy. The government needs to hire some of our college grads---the ones that envision a career at places like Google---to come in and modernize some of our process. Less-paperwork, more-online-requests kind of changes. Hey, if the DMV can progress, there's hope (not that all DMV are there yet, but it's getting better).

the bureaucracy is there to hurt the soldiers. no other reason. the medical records bureaucracy of the VA is pretty good. it's trying to get other services. I'm a tinfoil hat wearer by nature and think it's on purpose

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Tessa — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:15:43 -0000

I don't know much about Shinseki either, aside from his infamous testimony. I read his Wiki profile this morning, and he definitely has an impressive background, including a stellar education; Holy Cow! Taught English at the Military Academy for several years; very cool. And he's from Hawaii...I love the idea of Hawaiians in the WH. We could use some more Aloha.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Zak — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:57:36 -0000

Without knowing much about Shinseki either, I love this move: it adds diversity to the cabinet, repudiates the Bush/Cheney/Rummy model, does a neat end run around criticisms that Obama opposed the Surge (Shinseki was the Surge before there was a Surge), he announces a Hawaiian-born Japanese-American on Pearl Harbor Day...man! Poetry indeed. Plus there's every indication that he'll do an excellent job. Win.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

sgwhiteinfla — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:53:20 -0000

The Grand Panjandrum

I didn't finish my thought in that sentence. I wasn't trying to say appoint him to Atty Gen. I meant appoint him somewhere in his administration or reappoint him as a US Attorney. I honestly don't know enough about him to say he should be Atty General just because he was unjustly fired. But I do believe he deserves to be appointed back as a US Attorney at least in a symbolic move because he took a stand against frivolous prosecutions of ACORN for political reasons. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

Eli Rabett — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:33:48 -0000

Shinseki was a logistics specialist, that is what the VA is all about, delivering care. Besides the political message, this is about ability and experience. A twofer as it were, and a message, a strong one, to the officer corps, especially to the nomenklatura that Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld promoted and kept in place. Watch for retirements as Gates is free of their restrictions. What is important is who goes.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

The Grand Panjandrum — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:17:12 -0000

@Patrick:

In terms of policy, maybe it means less veterans lying in their own sweat and urine at VA hospitals such as Walter Reed.

Walter Reed operates under the control of the DOD not the VA. Shinseki's appointment has a very practical dimension, as well as, the political message being sent. He is an effective and tough administrator willing to kick ass and take names. He understands the problems of Vets and will not be a shrinking violet. Throughout his career he was always admired and respected by Office and Enlisted alike. He knew how to take care of his troops.

@sgwhiteinfla:

Maybe Obama's next move will be to appoint the former U.S. attorney Yglesias who got sh!t canned in the purgings during Gonzo's time as Atty General.

Obama has already announced Eric Holder as his choice for AG.

Re: Shinseki to Vet. Affairs

sgwhiteinfla — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:00:25 -0000

The symbolism of this move might be bigger than anything Sheneski ever does. Not only is it another minority in the cabinet, but its also the biggest repudiation EVER for the Bush/Cheney way of doing things. You bring back a guy who testified against the Rumsfield plan and was RIGHT who had to resign because he was honest and didn't sing the administrations song. Maybe Obama's next move will be to appoint the former U.S. attorney Yglesias who got sh!t canned in the purgings during Gonzo's time as Atty General. But for now this move sends a strong message that people will not be marginalized for speaking the truth in an Obama administration and the Veterans Post is going to be very important right now with so many veterans coming home wounded.

The media are just so horrible at doing their job that its ridiculous. They keep flogging the number of soldiers we have had die in Iraq and how the numbers are going down, but they hardly ever point out the number of wounded soldiers who are coming home from the war every day. Many of them will never live a "normal" life anymore but the only times you hear a story about them, it really isn't about them. Its about some new company who has made a new artificial arm or artificial leg and how much better the wounded soldier's life will be with said new invention. But what about the soldiers who come home with severe PTS syndrome? Have they come up with a new invention for that? Now with a new administration coming in the veil will be lifted and people will see the REAL cost of war and the problems at the VA can be fixed. It is shameful the way our "pro military" Republican led government has failed out soldiers up until now just trying to save a couple of dollars.