The State Department said Friday it will begin ordering diplomats to serve in Iraq because of a lack of volunteers to work at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the first such large-scale call-up since the Vietnam War.
Beginning Monday, 200 to 300 diplomats will be notified that they have been identified as “prime candidates” to fill 40 to 50 vacancies that will open next year at the embassy, said Harry Thomas, director general of the Foreign Service.
[link]
The members of the Foreign Service are, understandably IMO, not exactly thrilled at the prospect of a forced vacation at sunny fortress Baghdad, so SoS Condoleezza Rice decided to send them a memo explaining it all to them, which I’m sure will be of great comfort comfort those forced to go to Baghdad as they huddle in their bunkers while rockets rain down upon their offices.
Maybe things would be different if today’s [supposed] paper leaders took a page from the great book of days gone by and led by example instead of hiding in their posh offices, drinking catered specialty coffee, watching TV, and ordering others to do the hard work on their behalf.
As one individual said at their meeting
“It’s one thing if someone believes in what’s going on over there and volunteers, but it’s another thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment,”
So there ya go Dr. Rice, if you really believe in the mission come out from behind your big ‘ole luxurious hardwood desk in sunny DC and set up your office in The Green Zone - I bet your revolt fizzles and dies the day you sit down there.
—–
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Stop the ACLU, Perri Nelson’s Website, The Virtuous Republic, The Midnight Sun, The Random Yak, 123beta, Adam’s Blog, Right Truth, The Populist, Grizzly Groundswell, Webloggin, Leaning Straight Up, The Bullwinkle Blog, The Amboy Times, Phastidio.net, Big Dog’s Weblog, Pursuing Holiness, Adeline and Hazel, third world county, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Wolf Pangloss, and Church and State, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
Condoleezza+Rice Iraq Baghdad Hypocrisy Green+Zone
Seriously LMAO!
A civilian draft…only in America…
When I saw this story last week on a British news site, my first thought was of what John Lennon said oh, so many years ago:
“What if they gave a war and nobody came?”
I think the people who actually administer the American government are teetering on the edge of mass refusal-to-comply. I mean, really, if everyone refuses, what can the government do?
[Having a little trouble getting comments pubbed. Still tweaking?]