Posts Tagged ‘general’
Petraeus: The hero that never was
From the photos you would think General David Petraeus was a genuine hero. The left side of his jacket is filled with ribbons that make him look like a true warrior. Looks can be deceiving, only one of those ribbons is attached to a medal for action, the Bronze Star (with V device) and there is some question about how he earned that, See: "Petraeus Allegedly Earned A Bronze Star For Combat Valor 'Without Firing his Rifle'". The others are service ribbons or medals awarded for good staff work ... Full Story
Collapse of the Petraeus facade
As pointed out last week in this publication, General David Petraeus' reputation appears to be built upon a foundation of public relations sand, a foundation that is quickly becoming quicksand. More and more publications and reporters are now beginning to take a hard look at the General and what they have written about him in the past. It appears that his greatness has been a media creation, one that he directed and fostered. My observations in the above mentioned article are based on my ... Full Story
The Medals They Carried
A reader writes You observed that so many journalists stand in the presence of men like Petraeus with "open jaws and worshiping eyes." That brings to mind the military's cultural shift in its medals, ribbons, and badges. Consider these portraits of Generals Petraeus and Eisenhower. Petraeus is wearing over 30 ribbons and badges on his uniform. I'm sure he earned each of them. But of that 30, how many civilians will notice that only one item was for heroism (Bronze Star with ... Full Story
The Character of George Washington
By Dr. Gary Scott Smith What made George Washington the most remarkable man of an extraordinary generation? He was not an intellectual giant like Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, or James Madison. Compared with most other founders, he was not well educated (he attended school for only about five years), and, unlike many of them, he disliked abstract philosophical discussions. Washington was intelligent, well informed, and astute, but he was neither a polished writer nor a ... Full Story
