Quote Originally Posted by walrus View Post
it didn't come from a "Hard core leftist website" unless you call Col. (ret.) Pat Lang's "Sic Semper Tyrannis" website hard core leftist.
Nah, I consider Lang soft core. He's a waste of time, I've long paid him very little heed. Giraldi seems to lean somewhat more crossways -- or something...
The question remains; how did she get this position? I'm very sure she is very smart and good at what she does. However, the "world islamofication" map and her associated speech however is certainly unmeasured and certainly not in Americas best interests by any stretch of the imagination, as recent events surrounding settlements in East Jerusalem and comments by Gen. Petreaus have indicated.
By being bright and obviously ambitious, she insinuated herself into various positions and friendships and used those to lever herself 'up,' one job at a time. Fairly standard way of doing business. I don't agree with it but it's quite common and I doubt we'll change it. Has to be that way to prove the Peter Principle.

As for her 'ideas' -- there are a lot of folks who have ideas with which I disagree in all facets of government in most nations. I'm opposed to most social welfare provisions for example as I believe their secondary goal of creating a complaint citizenry is inimical to freedom -- and accountability. Yet, most western governments are filled with folks who believe in that stuff. Idiots abound. The Air force -- indeed all the services, the entire US guvmint -- puts people in high places that I wouldn't take as working troopies in combat because while they may be intelligent and educated, they have no common sense and thus are ineffective -- or mildly dangerous...

The Middle East today is a conundrum, all the rest of the world can do is watch as it sorts itself out. Yet, the urge to poke it, stick fingers in odd places or otherwise meddle seems to overwhelm many. No worries, as my wife, for some inexplicable reason, absolutely hates to hear me say; "It'll all work out -- one way or another..."
I've given powerpoint presentations about "seamless integration of technology to produce a magic customer experience" myself. I smell the same paradigms in that presentation.
Yes. Hmm. I agree but I also am confirmed in my opinion that a grease pencil on acetate is far better than a computer and PP...

Also confirmed is my suspicion that certain salespeople are best avoided.
...We fail to understand how this person is "adding value" to command, nor how the risk associated with potentially divided loyalties, as demonstrated by her unhelpful and misleading hype about Islam, is being managed.
I strongly doubt she is adding any value. OTOH, neither is or did Pat Lang in his government tenure. Very few people in government really add much value at all, most just do their job to one degree or another. The system is too large and self correcting (self-defeating??? ) to be much perturbed by anyone or any group of persons. Nothing to worry about, really -- there are a slew of bright people in the US (all???) government(s) who probably don't have the best interests of the nation or its people as their overarching drive. Fools, charlatans, con men, mildly incompetent well meaning and generally ineffective folks, blithering idiots all abound. That's life...
If there is some form of risk management in place, and it can be shown that there is some value add, then well and good.
The risk management factor is amply provided by plain old bureaucratic risk aversion and generic US governmental mismanagement.