Semper Fi, General Mattis

[Draggingtree]

PJ Media:

Semper Fi, General Mattis

 

March 24th, 2013 - 12:00 am

by Michael Ledeen

General James Mattis has left Central Command, as of Friday, and it’s just as well, since he is entirely the wrong man to preside over our retreat from Afghanistan, and in all likelihood from the broader region. Mattis, the most beloved Marine officer of this generation, is an attack dog, our Patton (like Patton, he is a very cultured man who composes poetry in Greek, and his famously sulfuric language may well be, as it was in Patton’s case, a conceit used to bond with his fighters rather than a reflection of his true rhetorical preference).

 

Barbara Ledeen once sat next to him at dinner and pronounced him one of the most interesting men she had ever met. Which is quite a compliment.

 

Among my collection of secret documents is a poster design–not even the Marine Corps could actually put it out–featuring a quotation from General Mattis to “Iraqi sheikhs.” It begins

[Valin]

The Best from ‘Mad Dog Mattis’

16 best quotes from the retiring Gen. James Mattis

 

 

2. “The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot.”

 

8. “You are part of the world’s most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.”

 

10. “No war is over until the enemy says it’s over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote

 

13. “You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually it’s quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there with you. I like brawling.”

[Valin]

Nov 3, 2011

 

 

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