where are the right answers?

When someone like Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld goes to a camp of soldiers in Kuwait and tackles tough questions with answers like “You go to war with the Army you have,” something isn’t right. Where does all this money go, the billions and billions of dollars which was allocated for this war?

I hate it when Rumsfeld and Bush answer many tough questions with an answer making someone feel stupid. They first start out by stating a lot of positive things, making you feel good about some issue or issues. Then, when some difficult questions come their way, they often talk down at you and tell you how you feel.

Bush did it during the second debate. A guy stood up and asked Bush why his rights were “being watered down” as well as his fellow citizens. Bush responds saying “I really don’t think your rights are being watered down,” as if Bush knew what that person did for a living and/or his life story. I immediately thought how degrading an answer like that must have made that gentleman feel.

Very similarly, Rumsfeld answered a question about the lack of proper armor with “You can have all the armor in the world on a tank and it can (still) be blown up.” I’m not debating the fact that the war must be fought in a different way with different techniques and material, but I believe that for someone to bring the issue up and for almost all 2300 soldiers attending cheer loudly in support, it’s probably not just a minor issue. Later, the major general again stated that to his knowledge, everyone had what they needed.

I have many friends who have served in the military recently in conditions that, although tolerable, always could have been much better. Usually, when an officer or general speak, it’s the end of the argument… period. It always amazes me how blind an eye many people take even when the truth and reality are opposites.

I hate being taken for granted, when I’m saying something that I really mean and someone blows it off as generic, unworthy or untruthful. Then he or she begins to explain to me why I’m wrong or what he thinks reality really is. I usually try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Why can’t our leaders do the same?