Iraq Battles Islamists in Saddam’s Hometown

he made the effort to do that right, but it's still BS. You can tell he considered it before he looked like an idiot. Obama never even considered it and that's the rub.

 

muslima.com

wtf

Banner adds rock!

 

I keep getting adds for Russian Seniors.

 

I think the situation was more along the lines of this:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/24/president-obama-forgets-to-salute/

Bush had similar awkward salutes, himself.

http://time.com/3425019/obamas-tea-cup-salute-causes-a-storm/

But, like I said, it's more like someone trying to find something to piss and moan about. Extrapolating the idea that this signifies his disregard of the military and the Marines is ridiculous (And this comes from someone in a family of Marines, including a grandfather that was a career Marine, serving in Korea and two tours in Vietnam). It reminds me of the flag pin on the lapel controversy in 2006, or whenever it was. I could give two shits about either non-substantive "controversy" (and that includes Bush holding his dog).

 

While I don't care either I can see why it would be a big deal to a military man like BPV. I respect his opinion and thank him for his service.

 

again, the issue is having considered it prior or flippantly throwing something out there as if it doesn't matter in the least. That kid is a part of a ceremonial unit that spends its time in defending and transporting the man. That kid takes it seriously and is saluting the cinc. The cinc effectively told him it wasn't important to get it right in return or even important enough to think about.

 

:hi:

 

Oh, I know the importance of the salute, definitely. But, there are a couple of things that render this a non-issue, to me. One, it has zero effect upon me and the actual important military decisions made by Obama that do affect me. Second, it's a snippet on a Vine video, or whatever. Maybe he had a million things on his mind. Maybe he has a healthy respect and good relationship with the guys in that video and was just slipping. I don't know. I hardly that little splice of him shows anything in regards to his opinion of the military, though.

 

I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it at all, but I guess that is better than half-assing it.

 

I would prefer not doing it over the half-assed approach if I were one of his detail. Just walk down the stairs and politely say, "thank you gentlemen".

 

Well put.
I know many that feel the same way. Proper or not at all.

 

I'd say not at all. The hallmark of the concept of the President as C-I-C is civilian control. Why have a civilian in a suit perform the task? Of course, these days, all hell would break lose if they stopped doing this and it would signify some kind of hatred for the military, America, puppies, etc. Nothing is too small to get outraged over.

 

Anyone holding their dog like that is having sexual relations with it

 

I've heard Bush called a lot of things, but never an animal ****er.

 

For sure. Some people have to few things to worry about if this makes the list.

 

Here's the reality of it, for all of you dumb-asses who think it's "no big deal":

1. In the grandest possible scheme of things, it is truly "no big deal". It doesn't mean, nor should be assumed, to have some larger or more ominous meaning (i.e. that POTUS has anything but high respect and deep admiration for that person, and all of the men and women of our military, that the gesture is lost on him, etc.).

2. That individual standing there, quite literally, has volunteered to devote a significant portion of the best years of their life to the military, and in this capacity. So they spend hours upon hours of time - days, weeks, months - undergoing the most tedious of training and preparation, all beneath the keenest scrutiny that you could ever possibly imagine, so as to be certain of ensuring that the President receives the full and proper respect which the high office demands, and deserves.

3. That person does this, and gladly, being fully aware that in that fractional and too-easily-ignored moment, he is the representative of the entire United States Military, and who is rendering those high and rightful honors not only to the President and CNC, but to the very office itself, and in a very real sense, the living embodiment of our nation, as testament to the apex of the will of its free people.

4. But that person also knows that their actions, if performed perfectly, will by design, go largely unnoticed. He knows that the President isn't going to stop and chat, or ask his name, or do whatever it is that dumb-assed civilians (such as most of you, here) think they should do, or that he would ever want. Simply, it didn't bother him that the President failed to salute, or was holding a dog, or a cup, or just forgot - because gaining personal attention doesn't have a damned thing to do with why he's doing it. He's doing it because it's the good, proper, right, deserved and dutiful thing to do.

5. It matters little where the tradition began, with whom, why, or whether you personally think its unnecessary or not. It doesn't matter if the President is JFK, W, Barack Obama or Tenny D. It doesn't matter if the President has 10 million bigger, better and more pressingly urgent things on his mind.

6. The only valid question is whether some acknowledgment of that dedication and of those courtesies being extended is warranted, and deserved to be reciprocated, however quickly or informally. The answer provided by the President, and to that specific question is, has always been and should always be "Yes."

7. If you ever lose sight of that, or it fails to resonate with sufficient strength to allow for they millisecond of reciprocated courtesy, then you are an asshat, in that moment, and you should absolutely be called on it. Not because you're Reagan or Obama, Republican or Democrat, but because you're being a gigantically narcissistic and ungrateful ass-hole, instead.

 

With all sincerity, I am thoroughly confused by your post, Tenny. I need to sign up for those KB reading classes, I guess.

 

They don't want or need validation of their service and dedication but they, by all means, deserve it and that should stand with every free person in our country. That's what I read in the post anyway.

 

Interesting juxtaposition of ideas there.

I still don't care. People get upset with shit like this, but show no concern about the same guys suffering in military hospitals or the lack of good psychiatric care for PTSD inflicted returned soldiers. Or, even worse, as in the case of my grandfather, the government refusing to acknowledge their culpability in getting soldiers sick or killed from things like Agent Orange poisoning. I understand the purpose and significance of the salute, but the things that gain my ire are a little more substantive than what happened here.

 

I get that. But the mistake may have been saluting in the first place. He's a civilian, maybe he should be showing that validation in other ways, and perhaps Presidents do, but it isn't in the public eye.

Putting myself in that situation hypothetically, I imagine I would verbally thank and acknowledge the marine when passing. I don't see how a guy like myself that never served in the military should be saluting. It would feel like "playing soldier."