So, now this asshole is saying that he wishes that he could take it all back?!?

[MrScorpio]

Pardon me, but my foot wants to laugh.

You have got to be fucking kidding me… Didn't his superiors give him the chance to do just that and he steadfastly REFUSED? He was the one who wanted this court martial and he got one. AND yet he could have avoided all of that, but now he's crying baby tears because he had his stupid ass handed to him.

Be a MARINE, dipshit… Jeez.

Well, tough luck, fuck face… Just be glad that you didn't get the Big Chicken Dinner out of your brain dead stunt on Facebook of all god damned places…

Just have fun trying to make a decent living from now on with an OTH discharge in this economy.

Marine who criticized Obama on Facebook: I wish I could take it back

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/25/11396769-marine-who-criticized-obama-on-facebook-i-wish-i-could-take-it-back

By Isolde Raftery, msnbc.com

Sgt. Gary Stein, the 26-year-old Marine who learned Wednesday he would be discharged for his online comments criticizing President Barack Obama, wishes he could take it back.

“People ask me, ‘Would you go back and change those words?’ I would most definitely,” Stein told msnbc.com. “I would articulate my point better.”

On March 1, Stein wrote on a closed forum for active-duty meteorologists and oceanographers that he would say "Screw Obama" and not follow all orders from him, according to Courthouse News.

“Obama is the economic enemy,” he wrote in the post. “He is the religious enemy ... He is the ‘fundamentally change’ America enemy … He IS the Domestic Enemy.”

[haele]

1. Guy must have slept through the UCMJ course in boot camp. And since he was a sergeant -

He had to do some sort of non-comm training, so he must have slept through those classes, too.
Whatever made him think, after at least five years in the service, that he could carelessly mouth off - in a Military active duty forum, at that?

I know when I was in bootcamp, they beat it into our heads that in public, it was always about the rank, not the man you, and you weren't supposed say anything about the chain of command without permission that could be traced back to you.

Lady knows that no matter what I felt about Ronnie Raygun, so long as I was in uniform or pulling a paycheck from Uncle Sugar, I kept my mouth shut and my bic clicked when it came to publicly voicing an opinion about him - or any of the other weenies in his administration.

Sucks to be Stein, but even the Marines don't want you to check your brain when you put your uniform on. That gets people killed.

Haele

[MrScorpio]

3. They always told me in the Air Force...

You get paid to PROTECT the First Amendment, NOT practice it. Bitching is one thing, and we ALL bitched from time to time, but there is a proper time and place for that shit.

Those last few years that I was in, my complaints about Junior were NEVER in the form of an Air Force Tech sergeant with my actual name. And guess what, no one cared what I said. It never came back to me.

The fact that he attached his name and rank to his bullshit disgraced not only himself, but the Corps as well.

[Meiko]

17. Spot on

As a member of the military you just didn't run your mouth about some things. I guess times have changed.

[marlakay]

22. My son n law in air force

A major, will delete anything my daughter says if it has to do with the military even if not bad. He is over careful...

[MrScorpio]

27. It's an entirely different level with most officers

I don't blame him at all for being extra cautious

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. Journalism fail.

"I would articulate my point better" isn't "take it back".

[Rex]

4. Agree those are two different statements.

That is about 10oz of failsauce.

[MrScorpio]

5. He expressed regret in a form or fashion...

Six of one or half a dozen of the other.

The point being that he's sad (let me put my sad face on for him here) that the desired result didn't pan out for himself.

It's clear thats he's an idiot, but too bad he hasn't figured that out yet.

Now he can express his idiotic opinions in any way that he wants to, now that he's a civilian idiot.

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. The only regret I see is that

he didn't troll his opinions any better, even after given the opportunity.

This reads more like doubling down with the aide of Merriam Webster than backing off (especially when he was given the opportunity to do so).

You are right - now he is free as a bird to say anything he wants about anyone he wants, and good riddance to him.

[Major Hogwash]

34. Maybe he's a big Sinatra fan.

"Regrets, I've had a few,
But then again, too few to mention."

Yeah, right.

[calimary]

14. Isn't that like romney asking for his comments on limbaugh's attack on Sandra Fluke

and merely mumbling that he would have used different language. What? "Whore" instead of "prostitute," willard? "Floozy" instead of "slut"?

Too late for this pipsqueak. He should have stopped and thought about it before he shot his mouth off on the internet. Now, he's shot himself in the foot, metaphorically speaking.

I have no patience for self-inflicted wounds.

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. Edit - sorry wrong post

Was responding to a Rmoney post (too many tabs open).

I think the only thing this one is sorry for is that it sunk in that he didn't just toss his career, he got kicked out of the military over it.

Maybe he will grow up now, or like noted below - maybe he is next in line as a Fox Military Analyst.

[WilliamPitt]

6. The federal justice system is an unforgiving mistress.

Enjoy.

[MrScorpio]

8. I agree

Last edited Fri Apr 27, 2012, 08:09 PM - Edit history (1)

But I can say from my own experience that a military courts martial can also be an exceedingly fair process.

However, you never want to tease that puppy, because it can bite you back in the ass hard.

There are mechanisms in place to avoid them in most cases…

To get as far as it got for him meant that he wanted it to happen.

[freshwest]

9. You think he thought saying he'd refuse orders would pass? He needs to stop drinking the kool-aid.

[MrScorpio]

13. I figure that's exactly what he thought

He was thinking that the Prez (and therefore the entire military system) had no leverage over him when it came to his First Amendment rights.

Man, I wish that I could have been a fly on the wall when his commander offered him the choice to back down.

[freshwest]

15. It's one thing to not like the man as you explained upthread. But you tell me...

What would be it called, Insubordination? Trying to breed an Insurrection? Or some classic term civilians may not take very seriously?

The military doesn't play around, AFAIK. That's how coups happen. Thank goodness for Butler and others who didn't' go along with such things in the FDR days. I wonder if this guy really felt he was justified?

I think that Rush, the Koch brothers and Teabaggers have been trying to stir up people against Obama and I really do mean that. Certainly their internet ravings would show such intent, it's been terrible for year.

I think most the majority of the military support Obama and only a small group have gone off the deep end like this guy here. Although Rush is still on their radio station.

Am I wrong, or is it too wild to think any would?

[MrScorpio]

21. I regard this fool as an aberration...

And I applaud The Corps for dealing with it.

The military has a stake at staying apolitical, even when controversial CiCs are at the helm.

The most important thing for the brass, whether they be for the right or the left personally, is to maintain the professionalism and the honor of military service.

They do that by upholding the military's subordination to civilian authority.

Again, troops are pretty much expected to bitch, it's a time honored tradition. But if ever that bitching goes over the line to threaten the good order and discipline of the service, and as long it's a non-partisan profession, the military will deal with the malcontents thusly.

With this latest result, I'm not worried.

[shanti]

25. exactly

i have a friend who has been RETIRED from the military for years, and even now, he's paranoid about speaking negatively about the government or prez.

[DearAbby]

10. Sorry Gomer.

better luck the next time.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. But the really sad thing is ...

The troubles that he has ... from here on out, will forever be President Obama, or those damned liberal's fault. He will never make the "I said, then they did" connection, it will always be "they did."

[MNBrewer]

20. He should have been summoned to the Oval Office, to explain in person to his SUPERIOR officer

[MrScorpio]

28. I like the cut of your jib

However, that would make it look personal.

The proper protocol is to handle these things at the lowest rungs of the chain of command as possible.

[MNBrewer]

36. Perhaps,

But i think it needs to be mercilessly pounded into everyone's head that the military reports to the civilian leadership, not the other way around. Too often we have the military seeming to lord it over the civilian political structure. IMO, anyway.

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. Soon to be referred to as Fox News Military Analyst Gary Stein

Screw you, Stein.

[bluedigger]

16. Nah.

He's over qualified for Faux News.

[MNBrewer]

19. Whether he likes Obama or not, he is his SUPERIOR officer (can't get any MORE superior)

Insubordination will get your ass kicked in the military. Other government employees have to restrict their political activities, why not Jar Heads?

[Clouseau2]

23. Keep your opinions to yourself

I'm sure plenty of those in the military (especially those sent to Iraq) thought President Bush was an incompetent war criminal, but they knew to STFU and keep those opinions about the Commander In Chief to themselves.

If they didn't, they deserved to have been kicked out, just like this clown did.

[tkmorris]

32. Scorp, reread his post

Then ask yourself if you think he means YOU should keep your opinions to yourself, or if maybe he is addressing that to the Marine in the story.

[MrScorpio]

33. Now that you mention it, I'm reconsidering that post

Thanks for the other POV

[WillParkinson]

24. Come on, people, be thoughtful...

I'm SURE he meant no disrespect, calling him the enemy. I'm certain he was just misquoted, taken out of context or whatever the going excuse is these days.

I think he articulated his point pretty well. He hates his country. Seems simple enough.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Well former Sergeant Stein...enjoy civilian life

And a less than. I am actually surprised they did not do the time at brig shtick and reduction in rank as well.

First termers, almost understandable...UCMJ and all that...but son, you chose to reenlist. You knew better, or should have.

[standingtall]

30. Dude is stupid!

If he just simply criticized the President a court martial probably would not have been warranted, but he went way beyond that. Basically calling the Commander In Chief of the United States a traitor and threatening to disobey direct orders from the President is something any decent soldier should no better than to do. Also I don't believe the 1st amendment applies to soldiers quite the way it does to civilians. When you signup for that, and wear that uniform you sacrifice some of your personal freedoms. He got what he deserved. Now he will probably go back to Arizona, and join some teabagging militia.

[MrScorpio]

31. Welcome to DU, Bro nt

[GoldenOldie]

35. Sgt not only dumb, but doesn't think things through

before opening his mouth. If he can refuse orders from The Commander in Chief and declare he/she the enemy, what happens when the troops assigned to him also refuse his orders and declare him their enemy? dumb and no common sense!

[pinboy3niner]

37. UPDATE: His internet radio show starts Tuesday (before he's even out of the Corps)

Marine Discharged For Criticizing Pres. Obama Launches New Radio Show
by Meenal Vamburkar | 5:03 pm, April 26th, 2012

Gary Stein — the Marine discharged for criticizing President Obama on Facebook — is getting his own radio show. The first episode, called “The Conservative SitRep with Gary Stein,” will debut on May 1.

“With help of a few people, the first internet radio episode has been scheduled for my new show called “The Conservative SitRep with Gary Stein,” Stein wrote in a statement, according to the Washington Examiner.

...


Until he’s officially out of the Marines, Stein noted that his show will have some limits. “Until I am officially out of the Marine Corps I do have two ground rules for the show,” he said. “I will not talk about the details of my case or about President Obama, himself.”


http://www.mediaite.com/online/marine-discharged-for-criticizing-pres-obama-launches-new-radio-show/

[MrScorpio]

38. I think the words of the Rev. Fred Sultan in the movie, "The Great White Hype" might serve him here:

"I like you. You have a goal, and you have the balls to reach that goal. You have this blind stupid belief in yourself. "

[pinboy3niner]

39. That would have been a great title for his show

Either "The Great White Hype" or "Blind Stupid Belief in Myself."

[lunatica]

40. I recall a lot of officers resigned during the Bush Administration

But when they talked about it was after they resigned. And am I mistaken to also recall some letters being written by them as a group? Something about illegal wars going on?

[MrScorpio]

41. There was huge departure of brass

A lot of them didn't want to have anything with his stupid wars

[pinboy3niner]

42. It was called the 'Revolt of the Generals'

Retired brass spoke out in op-eds, interviews, TV ads...

Retired Generals Against Iraq War
http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/112/41/

Generals Opposing Iraq War Break with Military Tradition
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/23/4048