By Rand Paul
Obama acts as though we no longer have a Constitution
Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies issued a report in December on the U.S. war in Afghanistan, sparing no military kiss-up or diplomatic busybody.
Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal said Monday he backs the White House's drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan slated for 2014, but added that the U.S. owes Afghans some sort of enduring security presence to support them.
Anything smacking of government mind control will be picked up by the anti-war blogosphere and spread like lightning, being further decontextualized and sensationalized along the way. When the fog of the media war lifts, however, one thing is clear: If any organization is involved in brainwashing, it is Rolling Stone magazine.
"Rolling Stone magazine is engaging in a psychological operation trying to brainwash the American public," says an expert in military information operations. The magazine's Feb. 23 article, "Another runaway general: Army deploys psy-ops on U.S. senators," by Michael Hastings, is a confused attempt to create an issue where no issue exists, and a potentially libelous smear on the record of a senior military officer. This is what passes for reporting among the anti-war left.
The author of the Rolling Stone article that ended the military career of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former top commander in Afghanistan, has been denied permission to join U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
President Obama on Tuesday froze any cash bonuses or similar discretionary pay boosts for political appointees, calling it a prudent example of cost-cutting at a time when many families are just trying to get by financially.
Was this the big liftoff? Well, no.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal has ended his military career with a self-inflicted wound. He's the victim of a needless crisis in which President Obama seems more defensive than decisive.
Mr. Hastings dramatically asserts that using Lt. Col. Holmes in doing prep work for a congressional delegation's visit constituted targeting the dignitaries with an illegal psychological operation.
Mr. Hastings notes that an Army investigation found that Lt. Col. Holmes and Maj. Levine spent their time off-post drinking and planning a private business for when they returned stateside.
