Gen. Franks Gets Honorary Knighthood

[Judi Lynn]

Tuesday, May 25, 2004 Weather: MOSTLY CLEAR, 87°

Gen. Franks Gets Honorary Knighthood

The Associated Press

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks, who oversaw military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, will receive an honorary knighthood Tuesday in recognition of his "inspirational leadership," officials said.

Britain's Ministry of Defense said Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon will make Franks a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in a private ceremony.

Because he is American, Franks cannot call himself "sir" - a distinction reserved for British citizens - but can use the initials "KBE" after his name.

"Gen. Franks has been a sterling friend to the United Kingdom during a period of extraordinary turbulence in world affairs," the ministry said in a statement.
(snip/...)

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040525/API/405250622

[saracat]

1. Puhleeze!

Lapdog Tony must have needed press! Plus, good PR for the US.He doesn't realize this will sink him.Bye Bye ,Tony.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

2. Geoff Hoon is a whore

They're giving knighthoods out like cheap cigars.

[0007]

3. Are criminals charges on their way to greet Tommy boy?

He must of knew something about how intelligence worked the prison systems in Iraq, eh?

[soothsayer]

4. A reward for being one of the few retired generals who's not speaking

out against the war.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Britain's lowered the bar the past few years: Ronald Reagan, Rudolph

Giuliani got their honorary knighthoods too. Aside from the obviously, what exactly has either or both done for Britain?

I can only imagine * jumping up and down this morning, rhetorically crying, "Where's mine? Where's mine?"

[trof]

6. bullshit

Sorry, that's the first word that came to mind.
Sir Tommy my aching ass.

[Snellius]

7. I can't figure Franks out

One minute he's a complete jarhead yahoo, another true crusader, Onward Christian Soldier Bushbot, and the next I see him in Vanity Fair chatting up the liberal literati at a Manhattan cocktail party or calling Doug Feith "the fucking stupidest guy on the face of the earth."

[Cooley Hurd]

8. Keith Richards deserves one over Franks!

Sir Keith...

[lumpy]

13. Sir Keith

Oh m'god. Old leather butt.

[leesa]

9. Figures they would be honoring a war criminal

Quite a stretch...considering the lousy job he did and the mega lies he told. He's a disgrace.

[Just Me]

10. *sigh* What is this world coming to? Geez. n/t

[HereSince1628]

11. Wes Clark received the same award...

Personally I find peerage, royalty and all its trappings abhorrent...something the founders of the nation hoped to quash in their idealism (regardless of how well, or poorly THAT has been implemented).

But I am sure that part of my personal dislike of knighthoods has to do with how investing people with titles, etc. plays into rw personality (acceptance of social inequality--a key milepost down the slope that leads to authoritarianism).

Even so, I do realize that these honorary knighthoods don't get passed along to survivors. Rather, they are given as recognition of personal accomplishment in the form of service to the "British Empire." Somewhat like a Jaycee's community service award.

Despite nearly 100 years of close cooperation between nations the irony that American generals should want to be recognized for supporting the British Empire persists.

[bobthedrummer]

12. They even have Dr's that were made Doctor by honorary degree

with political apointments all over OUR COUNTRY:grr::argh:

Spook war.

An American Knight, Sir Franks? Hey it's all about defending protecting and preserving OUR U.S. CONSTITUTION-WHICH IS US.

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.

[calimary]

14. For doing WHAT? Engineering and operating one of the biggest

military fiascos in our history? THAT gets him an AWARD? Or maybe because he skeedaddled outta Dodge the instant he could, and went into hiding from there? I mean, this guy has dropped out of sight faster than that diamond necklace the old lady dropped into the drink in "Titanic." And he's rewarded then?

[Judi Lynn]

15. We miss our Tommy. What a fun guy. A real two-fisted hum-dinger.

Why stop with a knighthood? Is that all?



He deserves to be exalted to the highest degree, just like our Emperor of the Universe, _{George Bush.}