When you elevate political correctness and social engineering above military readiness you earn a big spread in The New York Times, which is quick to extol enlightened views divorced from U.S. interests.
There was no “epiphany” one advisor to Admiral Mike Mullen is quoted as saying in Thursday’s paper. There was instead a gradual process of enlightenment at work that brought the admiral into closer concert with the permissive views of the New York Times.
A day after the admiral testified before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee about his support for allowing gays to serve openly in the U.S. military he was exalted in a lengthy piece that takes an uncritical look at the merits of ending the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell ban.” The newspaper continues to repeat the canard that Mullen’s statements reflect larger societal trends without citing any evidence.
“Friends acknowledge that Admiral Mullen, for all the praise he has received in many quarters for taking a stand Tuesday, was reflecting the broad shifts in society – and to some degree within the U.S. military itself – since 1993,” the report says.
Mullen is lauded for his ability to cultivate Washington D.C. relations beyond orbit of the U.S. military. Apparently, his stature is rising in the Obama Administration, which places a premium on military figures who favor radical social changes that do not square with the idea of maintaining cohesive, effective military units. The following paragraphs tell the story about Mullen’s improved station.
“Appointed chief of the Joint Staff by Mr. Gates in 2007, Admiral Mullen was overshadowed at the time by Gen. David H. Petraeus, who had built a close relationship with President George W. Bush and became the face of the troop surge in Iraq.
But Admiral Mullen, who initially opposed the Iraq surge, has risen in visibility and stature under the Obama administration. He was reappointed to a second two-year term last year by Mr. Gates, and friends say that the admiral’s worldview — widely described as non-ideological — was always more in sync with the current president than the previous one.
Mr. Obama, who has made clear that he has no patience for superstar generals, met with Admiral Mullen within days of his 2008 election victory, long before he opened his door to General Petraeus.”
So Mullen is non-ideological, yet very much in step with the radical social changes that President Obama is working to force on the U.S. military. Elaine Donnelly, president of Center for Military Readiness, very effectively explains what is at stake in a detailed post available on National Review Online.
The nation at large is not clamoring for a repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy now in place, contrary to what has been widely reported, as Donnelly explains.
“H.R. 1283, co-sponsored by Rep. Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.) and more than 180 others, would forbid discrimination based on “homosexuality or bisexuality, whether the orientation is real or perceived.” If passed, the LGBT Law would be retroactive — allowing re-entry and restored promotions for anyone previously discharged. It would apply to all units, including infantry battalions, Special Operations Forces, Navy SEALS, and submarines, on a 24/7 basis.
Contrary to the president’s statement, there is no national desire to “finally” repeal the 1993 law (Section 654, Title 10). The statute, which is always mislabeled “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” states that homosexuals are not eligible to serve in the military. Only the well-funded LGBT Left is pushing this issue, and they expect a political payoff regardless of the consequences.”
In an interview with Gen. Anthony Zinni, a retired marine, who knows Admiral Mullen, The Times does report on what should be some obvious challenges associated with the proposed changes. Here are some of the questions Zinni said were raised in the discussions Mullen had with his commanders.
“How are we going to handle a gay member who is married in one state but is stationed in another that doesn’t approve of gay marriage? How are we going to handle troops who are uncomfortable around gay members? Are we going to force people to accept openly gay roommates? What about people who want to leave the service because of it?”
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