JCS Out of Line

The recent umbrage displayed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff over a political cartoon by Tom Toles, published on Jan 29, 2006 in the Washington Post was an unprecedented effort by government to stifle valid and freely legal political satire. Here we are trying to “promote democracy” in Iraq and at home we are trying to stifle it. The actions of the JCS, while possibly being taken with true concern for the troops, are being totally misdirected. The cartoon does not make light of the courageous actions of our soldiers – nor of the sacrifices and terrible injuries they have to endure. The cartoon is intended to provoke an emotional response to the seemingly callous and insensitive remarks/actions of the civilian leadership at the Pentagon – namely Rumsfeld.

According to cartoonist Toles – the cartoon came about because of recent remarks by Rumsfeld about "battle-hardened" troops and "what came soon to mind was the catastrophic level of injuries the Army and members of the armed services have sustained . . . I thought my portrayal of it was a fair depiction of the reality of the situation. I certainly never intended it to be in any way a personal attack on, or a derogatory comment on, the service or sacrifice of American soldiers." As for the Joint Chiefs' letter, he said: "I think it's a little bit unfair in their reading of the cartoon to imply that is what it's about."

The Toles cartoon shows a soldier, a quadruple amputee, in a hospital, being visited by a Dr. Rumsfeld who is scribbling on a form. Rumsfeld says, "I am listing your condition as battle hardened." At the bottom a smaller figure of the doctor adds, "I'm prescribing that you be stretched thin. We don't define that as torture."

Here's the letter the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote to the Post.

Here's the cartoon.
Posted on The Human Stain