SEPTEMBER 24, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A9
Milley enabled military
debacle in Afghanistan
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Chemeketa and the future
Education is more important than ever.
Many businesses will not interview job
prospects for some jobs without a degree.
Many jobs are going unfulfilled; a dearth
of applicants bedevil hiring managers
across the country.
Many workers today are expected to
change jobs up to seven times during their
working years. The Greatest Generation
and the succeeding Boomers had careers
and worked hard to create a life promised
by the American dream. The grandchilden
of the Boomer Generation have different
perspectives on work.
Many fields of employment are seeing
a decline in the number of applicants. Law
and medical schools have fewer applicants
today than 20 years ago. There is a critical
nurse shortage.The trucking industry is in
dire need of drivers.
In the 21st century, education is geared
toward preparing students for employ-
ment. Locally, our high schools have
added technical courses and the Career
and Technical Education Center (CTEC)
in northeast Salem is a leader in preparing
students for living wage jobs in a variety
of fields.
Chemeketa Community College has
always been at the forefront of offering
courses that lead to skilled jobs.
The new Agriculture Complex, which
will open soon, will give students compre-
hensive studies in an industry that is vital
to Oregon. Farming is more sophisicated
than ever and preparing future farmers
with a state-of-the-art education will
enure our region remains a leader in agri-
cultural science. For more than 50 years,
Beating bullies
By ROBERT L. BECKNER
Most of us have experienced being bul-
lied growing up in school, our neighbor-
hood, even our workplace. Unfortunately,
due to one negative side of human
nature, human history is full of prime
bullies: Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Saddam
Hussein, Osama Bin Laden. All seeking
self-esteem through propaganda, fear
and power over other people. Basically,
bullies.
Thank God I experienced a major
bully when I was the new kid entering
my seventh grade year in a small country
grade school. I suddenly because one big
guy’s favorite pick-on target. Fortunately,
after about a month of his ‘not so friendly’
kindness, I stood my ground, taking him
on with both fists flying. The shock and
fear in his eyes and face said it all. He then
ran away, all while some eighth grade
boys ‘cheered’ me on. Our male teacher
and principal never said a thing, and this
once-bully never bothered me again.
One of the great life lessons the Lord
blessed me with was learning bullies only
understand strength and power because
they are insecure, weak inside and only
pick on those weaker than themselves.
They won’t challenge anyone who stands
up for themselves for their self-esteem
is based on bullying and will eventually
move on to easier targets.
My Oregon State University self-de-
fense instructor was a Marine sergeant
on Iwo Jima…need I say more? Our class
had many state champions in various
Editorial
Chemeketa has been one of the premier
schools in agricultural education, espe-
cially in the areas of leadership and farm
business.
The newest area of study at Chemeketa
is Diesel Technology, a field that sees
demand increase as many current techni-
cians enter their retirement years. Once a
student completes the course, they will be
in high demand.
In all of its technical study areas
Chemeketa has fostered tight partnerships
with private businesses, who know that
being involved means they are helping
educate and train their future employees.
Chemeketa Community College is not
just a technical school. It offers a number of
degree programs. Many high school grad-
uates opt to attend community college for
two years and then transfer to a four-year
university to finish their education.
President Dr. Jessica Howard and the
Board of Education are all also dedicated to
making Chemeketa Community College a
school where people can augment their
education to further their careers or where
students can prepare for a career in their
chosen profession.
Chemeketa is a gem in our educational
system and will continue to meet the
needs of students and industry alike.
—LAZ
guest
OPINION
disciplines of self defense. Not one ever
took him on—he was one tough dude. His
wise advise, the best self defense is ‘run’
unless….then you stand your ground and
put them on the ground with a bloody
nose. Where is this leading? Strength,
power and self confidence means ‘beware
bullies.’
The many black belts I have known
didn’t need to talk about it or show it,
unless forced to.
Today we’re again experiencing bul-
lies in Asia: Taliban and other extreme
jihadist groups. The United States’s
inexcusable and dishonorable exit out
of Afghanistan has enabled and ignited
more worldwide terrorist attacks.
America, wake up. We have only
empowered bullies, they will come for us
because our actions have created a nation
of terrorists and bullies.
Freedom from fools and bullies is never
free. Peace through strength. Strength is
the only language bullies understand. Be
prepared, be ready. Stand up and stand
our ground. We must fight for the right
of freedom and our way of life. America
needs to be on her knees to prevent us
from kneeling before these bullies.
(Robert L. Beckner lives in
Gervais.)
By MARC A. THIESSEN
Gen. Mark Milley has some explaining
to do—and not just about his phone calls
with a Chinese general.
In their forthcoming book Peril, Bob
Woodward and Robert Costa reveal that
Milley was so concerned President Donald
Trump might start a nuclear war with China,
he took the extraordinary step of calling his
Chinese counterpart and promising him, “If
we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you
ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise.”
Following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Milley told
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi he agreed that
Trump was “crazy” and made senior officers
at the National Military Command Center
take an “oath” not to execute Trump’s order
for a nuclear strike without consulting him
first— even though he is not in the military
chain of command.
The idea that Trump would start a
nuclear war is ludicrous; one of his proud-
est achievements is being the first president
since Ronald Reagan not to start a new war.
When Milley appears before the Senate
Armed Services Committee on Sept. 28,
he will have to answer for his astonishing
actions and explain why they did not usurp
civilian authority.
But the fact that so many intimate
details that only Milley and his inner circle
would know made it into this book suggests
that Milley wanted history to record that
he was one of the “adults in the room” who
averted disaster in the final days of Trump’s
presidency.
Well, if Milley wants credit for stopping
Trump from causing an imagined military
disaster, then he also gets the blame for
not stopping President Biden from causing
an actual military disaster. Where was this
bold, brazen general—willing to bend the
chain of command in the name of national
security—when Biden oversaw the worst
U.S. military catastrophe in modern times
in Afghanistan?
When Trump was in office, Milley had
no compunction about standing up to the
president on Afghanistan. Axios reports
that after the 2020 elections, unbeknown
to his national security team, Trump had
a presidential decision memorandum
drawn up ordering all U.S. forces be with-
drawn from Afghanistan by Jan. 15, 2021.
When news reached the Pentagon, Milley
was “appalled” and swung into action. In
the Oval Office, Milley, national security
adviser Robert O’Brien and acting defense
secretary Christopher Miller “all aligned
against the plan.” They “painted a vivid pic-
ture of Kabul falling to the Taliban if U.S.
forces withdrew precipitously in the final
days of the Trump presidency” and invoked
the specter of America’s withdrawal from
Saigon, warning “this would be Trump’s leg-
acy if he rushed to the exit.” In the end, they
persuaded Trump to leave a residual force
of 2,500 troops in Afghanistan when he left
office.
So where was Milley’s pushback when
Biden decided to withdraw those last 2,500
other
VOICES
U.S. forces on a political timetable, so the
evacuation would be completed by the 20th
anniversary of the 9/11 attacks? Where were
his dire warnings of an impending Saigon-
like disaster? In an interview with George
Stephanopoulos, Biden claimed that none
of his military advisers had recommended
leaving a residual force. But Milley knew
better. Politico reported in April that
“Milley, Central Command chief Gen. Frank
McKenzie and Afghanistan forces com-
mander Gen. Austin Miller believe that a
force of 3,000 to 5,000 is required to con-
duct counterterrorism and as leverage to
force the Taliban to negotiate.” Milley feared
that anything less would lead to a “repeat of
what happened in Iraq after the U.S. draw-
down in 2011” when the Islamic State rose
from the ashes and spread its murderous
tentacles across the globe.
He understood that Biden’s plan would
lead to disaster. So why did Milley stand by
while Biden executed the catastrophic with-
drawal he had dissuaded Trump from carry-
ing out? Why did he go along with a plan
that had us quit Bagram air base, and put
the safety of U.S. service members securing
the airport in the hands of the Taliban and
the Haqqani network—a U.S.-designated
terrorist organization? Why did he agree
to leave American citizens, permanent res-
idents, visa holders and the United States’
Afghan allies behind enemy lines? Why,
when our NATO allies pleaded with Biden
to extend the artificial deadline he had set
for the U.S. withdrawal so they could evac-
uate their nationals and allies, didn’t Milley
stand with them?
And if Biden didn’t listen, why didn’t
Milley put his stars on the table?
Milley wanted to be remembered for
saving us from Trump. Instead, he will be
remembered for enabling Biden as he pre-
sided over the worst national security deba-
cle in modern American history. While he
may come up with an excuse for his actions
in the waning days of the Trump presidency,
there is no excuse for that.
(Washington Post)
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