Pratt,
I listened to the interview with Starr yesterday.
My takeaway is that like most higher ranking military, he got there by by continuing to get his ticket punched by superiors with the goal in mind of someday filling his ticket and getting that cushy do-nothing Pentagon job where his most crucial decision each day is what Military Industrial Complex lobbyist or representative should have the honor to take him to lunch. Maybe if he plays his card right he gets a star in the process.
These aren’t stupid people by any means, but know how to play the system and continue their upward movement. The only real competition in the military is how much you impress your superiors and how far over the barrel you bend for them to make them look good. In the last seven years this has included how much you can pass the Obama test of blind obedience and loyalty litmus tests not to the Constitution, but to Obama and the left’s agenda of using the military for social experimentation and indoctrination. There has been a very active purge going on the last seven years of military officers not perceived as being loyal, willing to follow unconstitutional orders, pro LGBT and pro women in every corner of the military.
I find it no surprise that Starr actively and enthusiastically engaged in the gay pride activities. Rather than take a stand and be identified as a purge candidate, he bent over the barrel even further for his superiors in order to stay on that career track. I’m only surprised that he didn’t take part in the “walk a mile in her shoes” initiative where military men were required to walk around in red high heels for a day.
I’m guessing at some point he realized the brass pentagon was out of reach and decided to look around for some other cushy do-nothing Washington job where his most important decision would be what lobbyist would take him to lunch each day.
I admire the military and the work and sacrifices they make, but let’s be honest, even as a base commander what tough decisions is he really required to take? At best he is upper-mid level management. In the military you take orders and give those orders down the line. He may have to send those below him into harms way, but it is not his decision to do so. He is an implementer of policy decided well above him. He doesn’t have to worry about making payroll, doesn’t have to market his services and is virtually immune from all economic fluctuations. He is there to be the principle point of contact between his superiors and his airmen and to make sure all the feel good crap coming down from Washington is implemented in a very visible way to the rest of us.
Like the job he seeks in Washington there has always been a large support staff under him in the military to do all the detailed dirty work. Like many of the elected officials we heard about first hand from Representative Burrows, he is the ideal candidate if you want someone in Washington who will probably let his staff run everything and make all the key voting decisions while he is out at all those lunches. This will likely be a staff of career DC bureaucrats who have been there for decades, worked both sides of the aisle, don’t know his constituents and more than likely have contempt for them.
I think your steer clear recommendation should have some exclamation point behind it. He may be a good guy with good intentions. I thank him for his service, but nothing in his background or experience, I believe, makes him a good candidate to represent us. Time for him to go get a job in the real world and deal with consequences outside of a very sheltered environment.
Allen
Well said. I retired as an Major in the Air Force, and served 21 years total, 8.5 years enlisted, and 12.5 as an officer. The politics at the upper echelons are extreme, and one false move or complaint from someone can sink the next promotion. It was bad in 2002 when I retired, I can only imagine how much worse it is now! Unfortunately, Political Correctness permeates all levels of society, and in the military, if you don’t conform, you can be court martialed, or max-out your promotion potential quickly. The Colonels and Generals who should be speaking up, have been effectively neutered. Darn shame!