Tell Rummy the truth, lose a star. Gen. John Riggs found out the hard way.
A highly-decorated three-star general who dared to dissent from the Rumsfeld party line by saying forces in Iraq and Afghanistan were stretched too thin was forced into retirement and reduced in rank on transparently trivial charges of having allowed contractors to prepare Congressional testimony and do other jobs reserved for public employees.
If Gen. John Riggs is going to get his rank and honor back, someone is going to have to make a fuss.
Over to you, Gen. Clark.
Thanks to a reader for the tip.
Author: Mark Kleiman
Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out.
Books:
Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken)
When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist
Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993)
Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989)
UCLA Homepage
Curriculum Vitae
Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com
View all posts by Mark Kleiman