In Defense of Civilian Controlled Military

On April 11, 1951, President Harry S. Truman preserved an essential component of the republican system of government. By dismissing General Douglas MacArthur of his duties as commander of American forces in the Pacific during the Korean War, Truman preserved the American ideal of civilian control of the United States military.

During the Clinton Administration, numerous generals and ex-military brass criticized the President's handling of military affairs, i.e. defense spending, deployment of forces, defense preperation. Despite the criticism, the Clinton White House continued their defense plans and military operations. The criticism was rightfully dismissed and voters were given their chance to assess the Clinton Administration at the ballot box.

In the past weeks, ex-generals have become quite vocal over current Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The generals have been calling for Rumsfeld's firing because of perceptions he fails to listen to top brass over military decisions.

I am not a fan of Donald Rumsfeld, but I do believe strongly in the principle of civilian control of the military. I feel it would be dangerous for the administration to perform an about-face because of pressures applied from ex-military officios and applaud President Bush for standing beside his Defense Secretary.

The American people will have their chance to voice their opinions over the path our nation is headed in November. If Democrats feel Rumsfeld is a major campaign issue, as they did in 2004, then voters will reward them at the polls. I hope the calls from former generals was not politically orchastrated.

The issue I am most concerned about is the lack of a Democratic alternative to the War. I say this with the upmost respect for the party, yet I worry that a lack of an alternative on this issue makes our candidates vulnerable to a cut-and-run label from Republicans.