Chan Lowe: McChrystal, crazy like a fox?
You can go ahead and fault Gen. Stanley McChrystal for insubordination, but you have to give him credit for his impeccable timing.
Everyone is wondering why on Earth a smart guy like McChrystal would allow such intimate access to a reporter from Rolling Stone, of all places. Was he crazy? Maybe like a fox. Here’s a theory, admittedly far-fetched but plausible:
If you’re going to torpedo your own career, it’s best to do it now just as the situation in Afghanistan is really beginning to go south. That way, you may be written off as a frat-boy who couldn’t control his mouth, but your war-fighting prowess will never be called into question. Walking away in the middle of battle marks you as a quitter. You must be forced to leave.
To put a modern twist on Douglas MacArthur’s famous aphorism, “Old soldiers never die; they just end up on TV news as in-house military analysts.”
With the new cred McChrystal has just acquired by holding Obama and his team in open contempt, he’s a shoo-in to be Fox News’ next celebrity battlefield poo-bah. For all we know, Roger Ailes was already on the horn asking Big Mac to simply name his price before Obama had even finished his speech announcing his dismissal.
Meanwhile, the ever-dutiful and heroic General Petraeus, answering his commander-in-chief’s call, will preside over a degenerating mishmash involving military and civilian brass who don’t get along, locals who simply want us out so they can return to their feudal ways, and a corrupt puppet in Hamid Karzai whose only saving grace is his snazzy wardrobe.
It is Petraeus who will be tarred with the way things turn out. If, by some miracle, our final exit isn’t a debacle, then good for him.
Does anyone have a better explanation?
CHAN LOWE has been the Sun Sentinel’s first and only editorial cartoonist for the past twenty-six years. Before that, he worked as cartoonist and writer for the Oklahoma City Times and the Shawnee (OK) News-Star.
Comments
Have they announced how big an advance he is getting for his book yet?
Posted by: Tom | June 24, 2010 5:03 PM
Since Fox news is the only real news channel , I don't get your point. The reason that FOX wins the ratings game is they provide better coverage and their entertainment shows ( O'Reilly, Hannity, etc.) are better produced and give voice to both sides and are not cheerleaders for a failed presidency.
Posted by: pallidin | June 24, 2010 5:41 PM
Interesting how Petraeus was referred to by all the libs as "betray us" under the Bush administration. Now, that Obama has appointed him, he's ever dutiful and heroic!!!
Posted by: Kathie | June 24, 2010 9:17 PM
Chan, you are right on. He is the McClellan of the 21st century. It is scary that Gates stood by McCrystal. It is inspiring that Petreus stepped up
Posted by: Hardin Coleman | June 24, 2010 9:32 PM
Tom is a moron that thinks Fox fairly shows both sides of an issue. And by the way, Fox was a cheerleader for Bush's failed Presidency. What planet does he live on. Another Limbaugh bobble head!
Posted by: Rick | June 25, 2010 5:35 AM
This is a Mc Chrystal Soap Opera..It sure would be nice if we could wash our hands of this war and go with Biden's thoughts---
Join virtually all of our European allies in getting our troops out of there.
We've been supporting a corrupt,"washed in heroin" country--Karzai's brother being one of the biggest heroin dealers in the world.
We've been in Afghanistan longer now than we were in Vietnam...We have a Orwellian nightmare of permanent war in the name of permanent peace...
Hope Obama takes Mc Chrystal's leaving as a good chance to end this Soap Opera..
Posted by: Lorraine Wagner | June 25, 2010 11:35 AM
I don't think it should be assumed that McChrystal is a fan of Fox. Check out this article at huffingtonpost: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/24/mcchrystal-banned-fox-new_n_623884.html
If he wanted out, there are other ways to leave with his dignity intact. He could have faked illnes for example.
@pallidin: Clearly Fox is your favorite, but it is only your opinion that it is the best. It does not give voice to both sides. I would be very leery of trusting a news source that is most often at odds with the rest of the news community around the world. Fox has a very long history,demonstrably so, of distorting facts and pushing disinformation to very gullible viewers.
Posted by: MavynFL | June 25, 2010 11:43 AM