Ralph Peters Rips Bush For "No Leadership"

[NATO AIR]

i am a bit shocked at the anger he expressed here, but I can understand how folks like ralph peters, thomas barnett, etc etc feel about the nation being weakened by poor leadership on all levels in this disaster.

I must be honest and I think that most people on USMB, living in the US, do not quite understand the disaster the disaster response has been for how foreigners and foreign governments view the US. I can't say how many well-meaning Japanese, Indians, Israelis, etc etc that I've talked to are amazed, shocked, appalled and worried at how the most powerful government in the world was unable to save its own citizens for nearly 5 days in the face of a tremendous natural disaster. They understand concepts like federal/state law, corruption and poverty, but they do not understand how in the midst of an enormous emergency, it took the US so long to react.

Put simply, Al-Queda and our many enemies are laughing and cheering, our allies and well-wishers are shocked and appalled, and not a little bit worried.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/09.html#a4870

 

[Avatar4321]

I am going to ask the question that's on everyone elses mind.

Who the hell is Ralph Peters and why should we care what he thinks?

 

[dilloduck]

i am a bit shocked at the anger he expressed here, but I can understand how folks like ralph peters, thomas barnett, etc etc feel about the nation being weakened by poor leadership on all levels in this disaster.

I must be honest and I think that most people on USMB, living in the US, do not quite understand the disaster the disaster response has been for how foreigners and foreign governments view the US. I can't say how many well-meaning Japanese, Indians, Israelis, etc etc that I've talked to are amazed, shocked, appalled and worried at how the most powerful government in the world was unable to save its own citizens for nearly 5 days in the face of a tremendous natural disaster. They understand concepts like federal/state law, corruption and poverty, but they do not understand how in the midst of an enormous emergency, it took the US so long to react.

Put simply, Al-Queda and our many enemies are laughing and cheering, our allies and well-wishers are shocked and appalled, and not a little bit worried.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/09.html#a4870

I'm with them---the total lack of any leadership emerging out of this mess is an embarassment.

 

[Annie]

I am going to ask the question that's on everyone elses mind.

Who the hell is Ralph Peters and why should we care what he thinks?

I know who Ralph Peters is. I know what Nato is getting at. I have the utmost respect for both and their ilk, but am going to disagree with both.

 

[NATO AIR]

I am going to ask the question that's on everyone elses mind.

Who the hell is Ralph Peters and why should we care what he thinks?

Ralph Peters- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Peters

1- Anyone who is a student of international relations, homeland security or the miiltary (or even a casual observer) knows who Ralph Peters is. As someone wiser than me once said, "Ralph Peters is more compelling than Tom Friedman, goes deeper than Robert Kaplan, runs the numbers as well as Clyde Prestowitz, and runs as many risks as Robert Young Pelton. All of these men are among the best and the brightest of our generation. Ralph Peters is first among these equals." His new book "New Glory: Expanding America's Global Supremacy" is top-notch reading, unless you're an anti-bush nutso (which I know you are not).

2- He is most certainly not an anti-Bush partisan, he was one of the more experienced former military officers to come to his defense in the Rathergate fiasco with his detailed experience of 70's era military documents.

3- You should care what he thinks because the man knows what the hell he's talking about. And he has an intelligent, informed opinion that originated not from some leftist hate-bush fantasy but an indignant American watching his nation be weakened by poor leadership, poor execution and a lack of accountability.