Reply #5: While it is not unheard of for Generals and Admirals to step down

[rasputin1952]

on principled stances, it is remarkably rare for them to do this.

IT is pretty well understood that active duty Flag Officers will not "go against" what the CiC has drawn up. MacArthur is one who openly spoke against Truman, and he paid a price he was not really willing to pay. Smedley Butler on the other hand, saw his MArines being tossed into fights for big business, ie the Dole banana wars, and waited until he retired to lash out against the practice of military members being tossed into he fray for business. Even though Butler despised the practice, he had the presence of mind to return to civilian life before taking on big business.

Personally, I believe that bush knows his options are limited, he has had to draw from retired ranks to fill some of his positions because, remarkably, some Generals refused to move up into some of the positions they spend careers positioning themselves for. With few exceptions, I believe that the Flag Officers see bush as an idiot, and they are pretty well sick of seeing their troops being sacrificed for a plan that was flawed from the beginning.