The Pentagon's Purge of Generals and my dad's response

[proud patriot]

I sent my dad the story about rummy's little purge http://www.msnbc.com/news/947673.asp


This is what he sent in response :

Stalin. Of course, he had them taken out and shot.

It's mainly that bastard Rumsfeld's idea. He figures that he can pack the Army leadership with a bunch of right-wing hawks like him. They don't want any more Colin Powell's. In fact, I heard tonight that if Bush is finally elected for real in 2004, he will not return as Secty of State.

Reminds me of Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre. Remember, he ordered Atty Gen Elliot Richardson to fire the Independent Counsel, Archibald Cox, who was investigating Nixon's dirty tricks and Watergate. Richardson refused and resigned in protest. Then Deputy Atty Gen. William Ruckelshaus was ordered to fire Cox and refused. Nixon fired him.

What isn't often mentioned is that Robert Bork was the next in line, Nixon asked him and it was him who WAS the asshole who fired Cox. Remember him, the Dems blocked his appointment to the Supreme Court - Reagan nominated him.

Dad


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Article on Saturday Massacre

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/saturdaymassacre_980917.html


Oct. 20 In a Saturday night news conference, White House press secretary Ronald Ziegler announces that Elliot Richardson has resigned and that Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus has been dismissed after refusing to fire Cox as special prosecutor. Solicitor General Robert Bork then carries out Nixon’s order and fires Cox.

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Stalin's Purge of the Military

http://mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/ww2/lectures/purge.html

In May and June the arrest of Marshal Tukhachevskii, who more than anyone else was responsible for the development of the Red Army into an effective fighting force, and of other senior-level military officers followed that of Iagoda. Charged with espionage and treason on the behalf of foreign powers. Tukhachevskii and the other military ''conspirators'' were tried by all special and secret court, found guilty, and shot. Tukhachevskii and his immediate associates denied these charges; and the only ''real'' evidence to establish their guilt was all falsified dossier that had been planted with the NKVD by the German Gestapo.

Their execution marked the beginning of all general purge of the army that was to eliminate 3 of the 5 marshals, 14 of the 16 army commanders, and approximately half of the 70 to 80,000 men in the entire officer corps. Needless to say, this purge necessarily had an extremely deleterious effect on the effectiveness of the Red Army's military leadership.