David Petraeus steps down

Týr · Post by **Týr** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 6:53 am

I'm not quite sure what message to take from BBC News - CIA director David Petraeus resigns over affair

Never get married, perhaps?

What sort of Judeo-Christian moralistic overdrive has the USA imposed on itself, and why.

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:02 am

None.

He's being thrown under the bus for political reasons yet to be determined.

Týr · Post by **Týr** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:05 am

Is that a guess, or is it based on something.

tabby · Post by **tabby** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:37 am

It's a politically weary guess. No one really cares if this man had an affair and in truth that brief or non-brief interlude ultimately is a concern only between him and his wife. No high ranking military officer with political connections is going to be brought down solely because he has a weakness for pretty women. If that were the case, we'd have no military leaders left and on the political front Washington DC would be empty. However, it's good scandalous information if you want to discredit someone.

Sometime in the next 2 weeks, Petraeus was scheduled to provide testimony about the recent events in Benghazi.

Maybe it's a coincidence that his credibility is now at stake ... :-3

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:47 am

Týr;1410102 wrote: What sort of Judeo-Christian moralistic overdrive has the USA imposed on itself, and why.I believe they were sexting, which has led to a bit of concern for national security.

Týr · Post by **Týr** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:56 am

K.Snyder;1410109 wrote: I believe they were sexting, which has led to a bit of concern for national security.

Go on, I'll bite, how could that have had any effect on national security had it turned out to be true.

The last time we in England intervened in this sort of matter was when it was announced by the press that our Minister of Defence was regularly sharing the personal services of a pair of attractive "models" with a KGB officer stationed at the Soviet Union's London Embassy. It falls somewhat short of libidinous SMS messages.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:04 am

tabby;1410108 wrote: It's a politically weary guess. No one really cares if this man had an affair and in truth that brief or non-brief interlude ultimately is a concern only between him and his wife. No high ranking military officer with political connections is going to be brought down solely because he has a weakness for pretty women. If that were the case, we'd have no military leaders left and on the political front Washington DC would be empty. However, it's good scandalous information if you want to discredit someone.

Sometime in the next 2 weeks, Petraeus was scheduled to provide testimony about the recent events in Benghazi.

Maybe it's a coincidence that his credibility is now at stake ... :-3
Very good point.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:40 am

You gotta wonder how effective he was as the head of the CIA if he couldn't keep an affair secret.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:50 am

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/us/da ... s.html?hpw

Just another man of power on a long list. Not to excuse infidelity, but these are just human beings after all......not gods.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Humpty appears in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass (1872), where he discusses semantics and pragmatics with Alice.

"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,'‰" Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!'‰"

"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument'," Alice objected.

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less."

"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master that's all."

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. "They've a temper, some of them—particularly verbs, they're the proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot! Impenetrability! That's what I say!"

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:48 pm

I just don't care. I've thought about it and I just don't care.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:31 pm

Týr;1410114 wrote: Go on, I'll bite, how could that have had any effect on national security had it turned out to be true.

The last time we in England intervened in this sort of matter was when it was announced by the press that our Minister of Defence was regularly sharing the personal services of a pair of attractive "models" with a KGB officer stationed at the Soviet Union's London Embassy. It falls somewhat short of libidinous SMS messages.I believe the concern is over the emails the woman had possible access to. This woman could have been anyone with access to highly confidential information. Maybe a threat to national security maybe not. I doubt very much it matters though.

I think along-for-the-ride posted a link that mentions it.