When a leader makes choices based on political expediency instead of operational effectiveness, the result is an erosion of confidence and faith in those in charge. This is especially true in a military setting where wrong choices often mean senseless death. When this happens, the chain of command breaks down as orders are questioned and directives ignored. This is why there is nothing more crippling to a military and its morale than a loss of confidence in its leaders. This is an idea that is lost on the present administration in Washington.

The Commander and Chief of the U.S. Military has used America’s men and women in uniform as guinea pigs. Concerned more about social experimentation than military effectiveness, he has spent his time pushing things like gender neutral uniforms, sensitivity training, lowering boot camp standards to be fairer to females and restricting Christian expressions of faith but has done virtually nothing to improve combat readiness. When it came time to nominate a new Secretary of Defense, he called on Chuck Hagel; a political clown with virtually no qualifications for the job. Of course, being a yes man with no mind of his own, he was everything the President was looking for.

Secretary Hagel has been conspicuously AWOL lately when it comes to national security issues. Maybe that is because whenever the inept former Senator opens his mouth he quickly fills it with his foot. According to Defense One, America’s premier military magazine, only 26% of U.S. security personnel have any confidence in Hagel’s ability to do his job. This is the man who is suppose to be leading the Department of Defense?

On the other hand, America’s Generals are fit to be tied. Their advise is ignored as their Chief tries to triangulate what is most politically expedient or fits more with his ideology. Three months ago the Generals told Obama additional troops were needed in Iraq to back up their national forces, He decided the war could wait until after the election, letting ISIS make more gains and leaving thousands to be unnecessarily massacred. The president seems to be intent on dragging his feet going forward as well, meaning the genocide will continue nearly unabated. This is not to say the President hasn’t made any plans on how to deal with the situation, he has. He did contact Iran’s Ayatollah and asked for his help fighting ISIS! An arrangement that would quickly turn a bloody but contained conflict into region wide Arab civil war. Making the conflict not merely the actions of out of control fanatics but a war pitting Shia against Sunni, That Barack Obama suggested such a thing shows to what extent he is out of touch. Senator Lindsey Graham called the bizarre invitation “stupid” and by his own admission he was being kind due to the family nature of the program he was on.

Like Lincoln, President Obama followed the cautious advice of his military advisers at first, but later decided to go his own way. Of course, that is where the similarities end. Lincoln was a remarkable man who studied intensely all aspects of the war and military strategy, By the time Lincoln started making military decisions himself he had become an expert bar none. Even so, he never dismissed has generals out of hand. Unlike his idol, Obama does not spend his time studying; he arrogantly thinks he already knows it all. Consequently, he shucks his wisest advisers and follows his own path. To make matters worse, his new cabinet members are all carefully selected yes men, unquestioning sycophants with no minds of their own. Even his so called Ebola Czar was nothing more than an Obama idolizing political hack.

All of this has not gone unnoticed by America’s foes or its allies. On one hand he is looked at with cynical disdain and on the other distrust. The leadership of the United States has been forfeit and in its place the world’s tyrants have taken hold. ISIS is but one symptom of much deeper malady. Russia is on the move as is China, and third world potentates are seeking a new day as well.

Of all groups Veterans have to be looking on in both sorrow and disbelief. Sacrifices made and comrades lost, only to see all that was gained thrown away. The prestige of the country they love is being trampled into the dirt by devils and two bit dictators. All due to a man so out of touch that he is beyond reasoning with. At what point does the desecration of their sacrifices end? It would seem only when the Presidency is occupied by someone else besides Barack Obama.

This Veteran’s day extend some thanks to those who sacrificed so much for others, and some sympathy for how much of that sacrifice has been squandered by the arrogant incompetence of their former Commander and Chief.

“The Conservative Mind”

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