Betrayus- OK for me, but not for thee

Posted By Uncle Jimbo

The left has seized on a comment left here several years back by someone saying that Petraeus was nicknamed Betrayus back then by his troops in the 82nd. Of course he was, it's the simplest pun on his name and as Matt pointed out he was probably known as Cadet Betrayus at West Point. The nickname is not the problem, it's the idea that he would lie to Congress because he, like all military officers, is just a stooge.

Let's clear one thing up right away, when the troopers of the 82nd called him Betrayus they were indulging in the millenniums old pastime of soldiers bitching about their command. There is an old tip saying "if the soldiers stop bitching check their pulses, 'cuz they're dead".  As far as the difference between his own troops calling him that name and a bunch of dirty, nasty, patchouli-smelling hippies doing so, the guys in the maroon berets earned the right. And if they heard the hippies call him that you can bet your sweet ass their would be a monumental mudhole-stomping. We once had a Company Commander who we called Ferret Face or PNG for pencil-necked geek. He was more or less universally disliked, but just let some leg, or squid or zoomie or god forbid some scumbag civilian mouth off to him and a lesson in pain would ensue.

So no it doesn't absolve the disrespectful punks at MoveOn or their hordes of poo-flingers from the insult that they know they intended.

The always wicked Ms. Underestimated has been at the digital zoo watching poo flung on HBO by the always unappealing, unattractive, dirty-looking Janeane Garafalo. I actually recall a stand up she did, I think her first, she had a little notebook of jokes and she was funny, I swear. She must have lost the notebook. She is so fundamentally dense and painful that I cannot stomach her. Ms. Underestimated has taken one for the team and has some Dirty Jobs style work reporting on the moistened bint.

Then for the lighter side of the whackadoo left the Laughing Squid brings Park(ing) Day, just go laugh.

On a serious side there is an excellent look at the whole way Rules of Engagement are used and interpreted at the Captain's Journal.

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Comments

[MICHAEL in MI]

So, in other words, the military is just like one big family. My youngest brother and I mercilessly made fun of my middle brother all the time when we were young. Heck, we still do it to each other. However, if anyone else made fun of him, especially the way we did, they would answer to us. And they did. My youngest brother found my middle brother getting ganged up upon in the school parking lot by a bunch of jackasses and he came and broke it up and gave them the business. Another time, some punk kid was messing with my middle brother's science fair project and my youngest brother confronted him on it. The punk kid made a disparaging remark about my middle brother and... after a quick look around to see if any teachers were in the area.. POW!... jab right in the gut of the punk kid.

Today, my youngest bro is a 2nd LT in the U.S. Army and my middle brother is in the Air Force. We all still mercilessly make fun of one another, but also defend each other against any punks who dare do the same.

[Caper2]

Michael:

Same with mine but you assume that the bastards have the sense of values that we have.

There you are.

In the words of my friend Tom Ktatman. That's why they are Tranzis.

The simple lack of any rational arguments, mindlessness and the immediate use of the lowest denominator and the basest of personal attacks of their mob mentality made me angry of just hearing their latest exploits.

I afraid for our future if the SOBs triumph.

El Coqui

[TBinSTL]

This is another example of the unintended consequences of open forums that never existed before. If the things that were said in my house were published across the world, most of my family would be in jail or mental institutions. I guess we need to think OP-SEC in our personal lives now.

[TBinSTL]

This is another example of the unintended consequences of open forums that never existed before. If the things that were said in my house were published across the world, most of my family would be in jail or mental institutions. I guess we need to think OP-SEC in our personal lives now.

[shmopot]

Tangential Topic: Just watched FoxNews special on Gen Petraeus. Impressive man, to say the least. Not sure it is an apt comparison, but my first thought was - America's 21st Century Washington. David Petraeus for US president - if not in 2008 then 2012.

[timothy]

Uncle Jimbo,

Speaking of disrespectful punks, I think given today’s NYT article by Clark Hoyt regarding their “mistaken” pricing of the MoveOn add, “Sadly, No” must be taking on an entirely new meaning for the geniuses writing for that blog. (And, come to think of it “Crooks and Liars” as well…).

[21stCenturyMike]

Jimbo,
I just read the Captain's Journal and I am curious about something in the story.

"Also scheduled to testify is Sgt. First Class Scott R. Haarer, a paralegal on General Kearney’s staff last October who, as part of the military justice procedure, signed the forms that charged Captain Staffel and Sergeant Anderson with murder.

In a notarized statement, Sergeant Haarer told defense lawyers last week that he would not have accused the soldiers of any crime if he had known that the Criminal Investigation Command had determined that the shooting was justified."

It appears that Sergeant Haarer was not provided all the details and was ordered to file these charges (need more information to make an actual determination, so this is my opinion not a known fact) without all the available information. I seem to recall that two separate investigations were done and that General Kearney was given the results of both investigations. I am curious if the General has created a situation detrimental to his career? Again, I feel that I am missing facts, but it appears that the General may have done something that is at least in the grey area of legal under the UCMJ. I have never been any good at remembering the exact text of the UCMJ, but this seems a little odd.

Has anyone looked into how these charges were filed? And what repercussions might be available, or is the General in a position that he can ignore the advice and move forward with charges? I am not really looking to get the General, but I really do not understand why our troops keep getting hit like this by the officer corps that is supposed to be supporting them and keeping them safe. Maybe it is just that I have it wrong and officers are supposed to make it harder to fight a war, guess I missed that during my time in uniform.

Thanks for what you guys do, and maybe the President will invite you the next time,
mike

[Uncle Jimbo]

I'm more likely to get invited to Cheney's secure undisclosed location.

Cordially,

Uncle J