The Art of War, as Viewed from the Dog Park…, by Whitney Farmer – Un Pop Culture

June 23, 2010 Whitney Farmer 25 Comments

President Obama replaced General Stanley McChrystal today as commander of Afghanistan military operations following a face-to-face meeting at the White House. The General was given an opportunity to provide his account regarding a series of derogatory comments in the upcoming Rolling Stone magazine. The comments, available electronically now at http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236 , were spoken according to both McChrystal and members of his senior staff while stuck in Paris during volcanic ash induced flight delays. Subsequent articles stated that the group had “gone to the locker room after the game and had their guard down”. Interestingly, the article seems to time these quotes as occurring during scheduled events, the most bothersome being a formal dinner, rather than while the group was shell-shocked with fatigue and ambushed by a long-hair with a pencil.

The comments range from veiled contempt to paternalistic exasperation to insubordination against the Commander in Chief. There is a stunningly unwise hijacking of a pop culture symbol when these senior advisors proudly call themselves Team America. As in accidently blowing up a culture treasure and then saying, “Back to headquarters for debriefing and cocktails.” Did they see enough of the movie to realize that they were being parodied?

There are troublesome indicators in the content of the article, fundamentally the concern of why the seasoned General would communicate in the manner that he did.  There are two scenarios, both of which need to be of deep concern to the American people:  First, that he might have astonishingly poor judgment and not understand the ramifications of what he was saying. This alone should disqualify from leadership in this volatile region. The second more troubling and perhaps more likely scenario is that he believed that he had enough power to be immune from civilian accountability. This latter scenario is the first step down a deadly road to military fascism.  This is the reason that President Truman fired MacArthur at the height of his popularity.

A few years ago, a friend mine was being represented by Pat Tillman’s dad in a divorce.  When news of the favored son’s death first reached our circle, we talked about what you tell a father when he has lost a child. In ordinary circumstances, words can’t seem to carry the weight of the help we want to give in the midst of crushing grief. It is always possible to say that the death of a child is a horror, even if it is an ordinary end for a soldier. But since that time, the Tillman family has encountered the additional burden of the conspiracy that has been revealed surrounding the circumstances of Pat’s death. McChrystal was part of that deception, signing papers for a commendation that falsified the facts and then personally receiving a promotion a few weeks later.  He warned Bush and Rumsfeld about the prudence of keeping the details of the friendly fire incident secret even from the family. And he was rewarded for it.

Whatever treats were handed to the General along the way to train him towards lifting his leg on the rule of the law, Obama as Big Dog has stepped in to remind him who is alpha at the dog park.

Those who are dog lovers and have had the opportunity to visit a dog park have witnessed a living lesson in politics. It is a war zone.  It’s a place of conflict and aggression that can quickly turn into an opportunity for adventure, victory and honor.

It’s usually the smaller dogs that start the fights. They usually have the most aggressive attitudes, perhaps because they need to bluff their way into equal relationships or perhaps because fear makes them mean. Like people. But while the smaller dogs start the fights, the others join in and take it over quickly. They battle for treats, attention, and mates and can cause lethal damage in the midst of the tussle.

But the alpha dogs rarely fight.  They show up on the scene and become the center of attention, leaving chew toys and turf wars forgotten.  When the alpha dog arrives, there is a calm order that settles in.  If an alpha doesn’t walk in its proper authority, the dangerous jostling and political maneuvering can begin again. A violation is committed, and then another line a bit farther is crossed.  The tension escalates and then the teeth are bared. Outside of the dog world, this can manifest as a military coup and the rise of a fascist state, or anarchy and the abandonment of law.

President Obama did the right thing.

Quote of the Blog from Barbara Woodhouse, author of “No Bad Dogs”: “ I say with all my heart that unless the owner of such a dog particularly requires it for show purposes, it should be neutered to make its life happy and that of its owners equally trouble free. ”

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Whitney runs a rock music club in L.A. She didn’t celebrate the summer solstice.