Comments on: High-Class Hoh http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/ Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:59:36 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Phoenix Woman http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16585 Phoenix Woman Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:17:35 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16585 In all seriousness: I agree with you, he is indeed a high-class guy, whether or not one agrees with him. In all seriousness: I agree with you, he is indeed a high-class guy, whether or not one agrees with him.

]]> By: MikeD http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16574 MikeD Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:33:24 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16574 Many thanks! Many thanks!

]]> By: marc http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16573 marc Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:15:28 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16573 Ricks was a guest on NPR's Diane Rehm show Tuesday. http://wamu.org/programs/dr/ Ricks was a guest on NPR’s Diane Rehm show Tuesday.

http://wamu.org/programs/dr/

]]> By: MikeD http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16390 MikeD Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:27:10 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16390 Hoh is plainly a powerful writer, and his experience in Afghanistan is not to be dismissed. It's also fair to keep in mind what and who he is and isn't, however. However uncharitable it might be <a href="http://www.cnas.org/blogs/abumuqawama/2009/10/putting-matthew-hoh-context-and-asking-hard-questions-washington-post.html" rel="nofollow">this comment</a> via Exum on the original WaPo report provides important context in my view. If the facts given are correct, Hoh was boots-down for four months. Do we credit a resignation-in-protest after four months? Is that enough time to credibly attempt to change policy from within -- the obligation I thought was associated with a justified resignation in protest of a policy? He was clearly offered the opportunity to do just that, though I grant him his expectation that the 180-degree reversal he became convinced is necessary would not have been in his power to bring about. Is a full about-face on a war it campaigned on resourcing and bringing to a successful conclusion a reasonable thing to expect a new administration to complete in its its first year? Especially when you yourself signed on to work on that policy less than that year hence yourself? Did he expect administration thinking to track his perfectly? And if it doesn't, is resignation then justified in under a year? I have a hard time understanding how people are taking the resignation part of this seriously, though the letter is clearly argued with passion and impeccable logic. I hope Captain Hoh was equally unrestrained in his communication of his views to his superiors and others who would listen internally for a sustained period (again: it couldn't have been all that long that he tried) before concluding a resignation was necessary. I wonder whether an op-ed outlining these views as a preliminary step to resignation might have been a reasonable able step to expect of him. I suspect the administration would have been glad to okay that as a way to avoid or delay a public resignation. Hoh is plainly a powerful writer, and his experience in Afghanistan is not to be dismissed. It’s also fair to keep in mind what and who he is and isn’t, however. However uncharitable it might be this comment via Exum on the original WaPo report provides important context in my view. If the facts given are correct, Hoh was boots-down for four months. Do we credit a resignation-in-protest after four months? Is that enough time to credibly attempt to change policy from within — the obligation I thought was associated with a justified resignation in protest of a policy? He was clearly offered the opportunity to do just that, though I grant him his expectation that the 180-degree reversal he became convinced is necessary would not have been in his power to bring about. Is a full about-face on a war it campaigned on resourcing and bringing to a successful conclusion a reasonable thing to expect a new administration to complete in its its first year? Especially when you yourself signed on to work on that policy less than that year hence yourself? Did he expect administration thinking to track his perfectly? And if it doesn’t, is resignation then justified in under a year? I have a hard time understanding how people are taking the resignation part of this seriously, though the letter is clearly argued with passion and impeccable logic. I hope Captain Hoh was equally unrestrained in his communication of his views to his superiors and others who would listen internally for a sustained period (again: it couldn’t have been all that long that he tried) before concluding a resignation was necessary. I wonder whether an op-ed outlining these views as a preliminary step to resignation might have been a reasonable able step to expect of him. I suspect the administration would have been glad to okay that as a way to avoid or delay a public resignation.

]]> By: MikeD http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16372 MikeD Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:58:41 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16372 marc, I was interested in Ricks' take as well. Can you point to where you read/heard that? marc, I was interested in Ricks’ take as well. Can you point to where you read/heard that?

]]> By: karaka http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16371 karaka Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:30:30 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16371 To be super-cynical, do you think this is a career starter for Hoh? To be super-cynical, do you think this is a career starter for Hoh?

]]> By: Spencer Ackerman http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16364 Spencer Ackerman Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:03:37 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16364 What? Why, I did nothing of the sort... ... BWAHAHAHAHAHA What? Why, I did nothing of the sort…

…

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

]]> By: marc http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16360 marc Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:38:46 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16360 Thomas Ricks seemed to imply yesterday that this is a non-story. That the loss of Matthew Hoh means the Kabul embassy will need to find someone else to fetch coffee and run the copy machine. If that's the case a lot of people went to a lot of trouble to keep him on board. Thomas Ricks seemed to imply yesterday that this is a non-story. That the loss of Matthew Hoh means the Kabul embassy will need to find someone else to fetch coffee and run the copy machine. If that’s the case a lot of people went to a lot of trouble to keep him on board.

]]> By: Phoenix Woman http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/high-class-hoh/#comment-16340 Phoenix Woman Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:32:30 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/?p=4372#comment-16340 What? You called a Villager in good standing a Hoh? Boy, are you in trouble now -- Steny Hoyer will shake his finger at you! What? You called a Villager in good standing a Hoh? Boy, are you in trouble now — Steny Hoyer will shake his finger at you!

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