Tom Clancy Wanted

Professor J,

Good clarification on the meaning of the holiday. Apparently much needed if the number of people I saw thanking veterans in general, and posting photos of family members who had served in conflict but then returned home to lead long and productive lives is any indication. However, I'm at least glad to see it indicate more to folks than the unofficial beginning of summer.

And Spankmomma? Alrighty then. LOL

Scandalmania: You indicate that you believe Benghazi to be a bungled CIA operation, the objective of which is unclear. Care to hazard a guess or two as to what it might have been (if such speculation doesn't make you nervous)? You might as well since this may be one of those situations where full disclosure never comes about. There's little chance you'll be proven wrong anytime soon. ;)

The real scandal, and the one you outline quite well, is that much of the secrecy and posturing that we see done isn't in any way related to how things play out on the world stage or to save face with our enemies. The fact that what seems of primary importance in Washington is shielding one's self against political foes who are fellow citizens. How exponentially that must weaken us I think we can scarcely imagine.

We have met the enemy and he is us. 

Few of our politicians are hard on the heels of truth. Truth is a tricky thing, isn't it? We often say we want it, but we (or in this case our politicians) only want part of it. The part of it that gives them the upper hand in some way. The part that makes themselves look the best while making their opponents look as bad as possible. Politics is so rarely very much about the truth.

In this case the Republicans look even worse than just run of the mill spin crazed politicians. Deliberately misquoting e-mails that would surely be released afterwards shows a kind of hubris that is unnerving. As if the folks back home who voted them in, and detest the Obama administration won't care all that much about them playing fast and loose with the facts. Which sadly for many is probably the case.

As you've pointed out there is plenty to warrant "legitimate criticism" but here's where the Republican's have made perhaps the biggest mistake of all. In criticizing everything, all the time, they've lost any credibility they might have had about something that genuinely concerns them. Something important like a diplomatic facility being used as a disguise for a CIA operation and a cover up when it all went bad. But anymore for the general population it is just the We Hate Obama Show run amok. Except for the true believers (those in the birther, socialist, and anti-Christ camps) who think he is the "worst president ever" no one much is paying attention.

My question about the whole Benghazi affair is this: Does any one person know the answers to all the questions being asked? Or was this an operation with several different agencies and multiple personnel involved that may appear to have been better thought out after the thing fell apart than it actually was before or during the operation? As you point out there was no back up plan or military coordination. The inability to get the story straight in the days after makes me wonder what kind of planning was involved. Who doesn't make a contingency plan for such a thing?

It doesn't instill confidence that the people in charge aren't using any more forethought than that. Is Tom Clancy busy? I'd have more faith in him at this point.