John Wayne Dude For President
Dean
Via Committees of Correspondence I found a delightful video of General Honore ripping into people September 5 down in New Orleans while in answer to charges that first responders and EMTs are in chaos and disarray. The general's response:
He's had more to say, too, but you'll have to click the link. Meanwhile, the Washington Post's also got a great profile of Honore.
Also, Jack Yoest says that professional speakers could learn a lot about how to handle a press conference from Honore. I'd only add one caveat: you'd best be sure you know what you're talking about if you use him as a role model. Indeed, "know what you know and don't pretend to know what you don't know" should perhaps be lesson #8 in Jack's series.
In truth, the General's tendency to avoid mincing words is probably a negative in the circles he runs in. That's something of a novelty when it comes to modern general officers. So when regarding this general--who I imagine will have that fourth star before this is all over--I am reminded of something Abraham Lincoln was reputed to have said when he was informed that General Grant had a tendency to drink too much. "Find out what brand of whisky he prefers and have a case of it sent to to him."
(I also still dig that Foghorn accent he's got going on. Don't nobody tell me that way of speakin's dyin'!)
Related Posts (on one page):
- John Wayne Dude For President
- My New Hero: Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore
From some things I've read and troops I've talked to, I would disagree with that. I think today's military leader recognize they need good advice to successfully complete a mission. Yes men will not do that.
To be sure they are probably some that are "my way or the highway" but I suspect they are getting fewer.
When a general makes a decision, lives frequently hang in the balance. As Gen. Patton once remarked, "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking."
Perhaps, but not universally true. As a former Air Force officer, I see the crux of the matter is that
1) He has to be right so freaking often that any damage from mistakes can be ignored
2) The people working for him are competent and DESIRE to live up to his expectations
3) While politics does enter into the mix at field grade (Rank of O-4, or Major (Army, Air Force Marines/Lt.? Commander (Navy)) on up, competence still matters a great deal. True politicing starts at the O-6 -> O-7 (Field Grade to General Officer). But depending on the post, and the officer, straight shooters that can get the job done can still get billets, and make a difference.
Being Honest and Direct without being *uneccessarily* harsh does still work very, very well in the military. The trick that many of the pinheads don't learn is distinguising between necessary harshness and unecessary.
The 'Don't Get Stuck on Stupid' was certainly a valid, useful direct observation of the risks. 'You are Stuck On Stupid' was really pushing the enevelope, but in context we can let it slide.
He does that so that the talking heads will know to STFU until he's done. It's pretty effective too, from what I've seen.