Defense secretary Gates, simply put, doesn’t want to be wrong, no matter how a person (general) screws up. He initially advocated that person and cannot suddenly say, sorry I made a huge mistake. Of course Gates knew exactly what a hot head McChrystal was before he was hired, but the military loved him.  To now put Gen. Petraeous in charge in Afghanistan, is a very similar game. This general is loved by the right as he, just like Gates himself has always been very friendly with the Bushes White House. Any person can see that this Afghan war can never be won, no matter how much money or 5 star generals and soldiers are put in place. It is pure arrogance from the military and Gates and President Obama, to make the American people believe it can be won. All the want to do is score (temporarily) some points with the war mongers in this country. When these plans fall apart, which it certainly will, Gates will still be liked by the military and by the right as he listened to them. The big losers are the American people, whose little money has been squandered again and again. Trillions of dollars to wrong and bad wars, like all other wars after world war two. All to make Americans think that we still matter and that we still have power and more important to please that big evil of all evils: “The gazillion dollar War Industry”

McCrystal is out, Petraeous has taken an effective down grade from CENTCOM commander to Afghanistan and a Marine Corp Four star has been put into Petraeous’s former job at Central Command. Was this all an elaborate ploy to punish Petraeous for being such a flunky for Bush?