
While many had issues with Gates on some issues, there was never a question about his having the aptitude and the experience to handle the job effectively, even if under the thumb of Barack Obama. Gates decided to leave when he realized that his ability to act as necessary was not what Obama wanted.
So in steps Hagel, a man with limited military background and experience (he did serve a hitch as an Army sergeant) with a well noted penchant for wanting the military to be smaller and less involved in world affairs. It is also worth noting that his Senate career exhibited no clear guiding passion, he merely opted as often as not to operate against his party's position on many issues, particularly conservative ones. He was kind of like a John McCain without the anger and personal desire to be in front of the cameras.
When Obama selected him as Secretary of Defense, it was obvious that he was appointed merely so that Obama could claim more bipartisanship in his Administration. This was despite Hagel's marginal Republicanism at best and his largely unknown stature to those outside of Nebraska.
He immediately set out to do the President's bidding. He went to work attacking religious freedom of military personnel, interjecting social experiments and pushing the gay issue on to the front burner, making cutbacks in the budget and, ultimately, retiring many of the most qualified senior officers as well as eliminating seasoned mid-level leaders who held the most experience in the ranks. He never spoke up to defend the services when Obama started his overly ambitious draw downs overseas and now has a much smaller, much less equipped and combat ready force where morale has plummeted. Social issues seem to be the primary concern, not combat preparation and readiness.
As a result, America's standing has been seriously impaired and we are becoming a laughingstock on the international stage. No one counts on America or trusts her anymore and as a result of the vacuum created largely by Hagel and his boss, evil has grown in the form on ISIS and other Al Qaeda related groups worldwide. Since Obama's announcement that Islamic terrorism has been neutralized, thousands of Shia Muslim, Christian and other religious men, women and children who don't subscribe to their evil code have been murdered, raped and tortured.
Barbaric use of such methods as beheading and crucifixion have become their order of the day. This was predicted earlier by many experts opposed to our complete departure from the region and it has come to pass. Meanwhile, Obama has only given it momentary mention in between golf rounds while Hagel has been hiding in his Pentagon office.
So yesterday, the Secretary decided to speak up. And he makes the brilliant announcement that America had better get ready, that ISIS is a much bigger threat than ever thought. He further stated that it is well armed and growing, and that it has the capability right now to harm America much more severely than the 9/11 attacks.
Really, Mr Hagel? As a principal player in formulating or at least initiating the degradation of America's military, you have the audacity to say we now must get ready? Are you and your boss going to undo the damage by loss of qualified manpower and elimination of materials needed to engage the enemy effectively?
It's probably a safe bet to say that both Hagel and Obama were both beside themselves seeing Matt Drudge make it the headline story late last night. As usual, Matt Drudge has the capacity to really get to the heart of the matter with his brilliant conciseness. His readers know immediately just where the story is headed and it drives the Administration crazy.
But there's even more that came out on Thursday which probably also ruined their day. Remember when Obama traded five senior Islamic terrorists for one Army deserter, Bowe Bergdahl? Also remember how Senator John Cornyn seriously objected because Bergdahl's release was illegal by the Pentagon but Hagel said he had the authority?
Well, it turns out that the Government Accountability Office released its findings stating that the Pentagon had broken the law on two counts. First, they were required to give the Congress thirty days' notice which they didn't and, second, there was no appropriation funding approved to pay for the release action. Will both Hagel and the President see any blowback from this or will it just be water over the dam like so many other illegal actions taken?
A recommendation is order for Mr. Hagel, one which has been universally proven correct and is needed now more than ever. It is this: quit the social engineering and the political correctness nonsense with the military and just let them do what they do best: kill people and destroy things. For when American leads and we complete our military tasks completely and efficiently, threats quickly disappear and peace returns.
When the leadership shows weakness and indecisiveness, as Obama routinely does, the end result is always disaster. It is much longer lasting and more deadly than using overpowering and lethal force to combat evil at the outset. Had we not done so back in World War II, we would probably be speaking German with a touch of Japanese in parts of the country.
We are faced with an enemy more bloodthirsty and ruthless than ever before. They only understand one thing: overpowering force. So both Obama and Hagel need to either make decisive and wise choices or get out of the way; it's as simple as that.
May God add his guidance and blessings to our cause. If we don't start to act and do so decisively, we may not be able to in the future. Come on America, it's time to roll.