Gen David Petraeus: A ‘Dragon’ in Iraq?
New York artist Leonard Rosenfeld created this portrait of David Petraeus in 2004, inspired by Petraeus’s famous question on Iraq: “Tell me how this ends.�
Thank you Marc Schulman for the suggestion to read Jim Lehrer’s lengthy interview with the General Petraeus on PBS NewsHour.
I have been doing a bit of research on this General, and the Lehrer interview confirms my findings that this Chief of the US army in Iraq is not an ordinary soldier/human being…
Well, to be precise, he is a ‘Dragon’. Let me talk first about this dimension of his personality before I discuss the PBS NewsHour interview. Let’s have some fun…
David Howell Petraeus is a ‘pucca’ Dragon in the Chinese astrology (born November 7, 1952) and the element that governs him is ‘water’. And that’s it – fire and water!!! Contradictory?
Says my favourite Chinese astrologer Suzanne White: “Unlike other Dragons, this Dragon is a tad more moderate and his verve is tampered by the influence of Water. He gives the impression of high-born gentility, likeable and,well, scholarly and informed.”
She says that this Dragon cannot kowtow to a bunch of ‘witless cigar-smoking guys’…either success comes ‘because of his talent, his unusual gifts and his remarkable brilliance, or he simply cannot be bothered. He would rather go and live in the country and raise goats.’
“This Dragon is intuitive, and can advise you on almost any thing. He has the capacity to be a soothsayer.
“If he does not know an answer to a direct question he will say so”. (Those of you who have read Gen Petraeus’s interview given to PBS NewsHour would find how true this statement is. Read about this in my next post.)
“Love is his main objective…Family, children and long friendships are the mainstay of his emotional stability. He lives for improving the structure of his family and thrives on the approval and gratitude he receives from them.”
This Dragon is “creative,…innovative” and multi-talented. Does not like conformity. “He knows how to marry the new with the established and come up with plans which surprise us by their improvisational yet solid sturdiness…”
Well, I can’t go beyond this length in this post without annoying TMV’s editor-in-chief Joe Gandelman who keeps reminding us contributors to be brief. So I take up Gen Petraeus’s interview in the next post tomorrow.
But I can’t sign off without providing this ‘Dragon’ General’s Chinese astrological forecast for the year 2007: “…Your most divine dreams will start to come true this year. Harmony re-enters the picture too.
“Your private life smooths out…Behave modestly: It wouldn’t hurt to tone down your act, be gentler, lower your voice, take an occasional back seat in the arguments.
“Be more humble – if only for the purpose of gaining the goodwill of those who, previously, found you far too overwhelmingly fiery.
“My advice? Structure. Discipline. Focus.”
Meanwhile for General Petraeus’s profile please click here…
If you wish to buy Suzanne White’s book “The New Chinese Astrology” from the Amazon…please click here…
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14 Responses to “Gen David Petraeus: A ‘Dragon’ in Iraq?”
The exerpt above is from the Joe Klein article, An Administration’s Epic Collapse, in todays TIME Magazine… Mr. Klein once again has a ‘TIME’ly report on the misadventures of the Bush Administration
General Petraeus is indeed an extraordinary man. Unfortunately, he has taken over much too late and cannot undo the damage that the commander in chief has wrought.
Swaraaj, please, an astrological profile? Please tell me that this is merely tongue-in-cheek, presented as a foil to set up a serious and thoughtful point. I would hate to feel compelled to skip over your posts in the future
as I don’t have the time to read arguments presented by someone who views individuals and events through an astrological filter.
I have enjoyed your previous posts. Even when I have disagreed with you I found your perpective thought-provoking. However, I would say that an astrological profile belongs on a more credulous site.
I know you began your ‘reading’ of the good general with “let’s have some fun” but, I must ask you, how much actual credence do you give to the above?
I had such a laugh reading your comment. Frankly, I don’t see anything through any filters conservative/liberal/moderate/leftists/astrological or whatever. I just do what my heart tells me to do.
And I always wonder later what the hell I have been doing!!! LoL!
Hey JimFM! Life is too short…Why subscribe to a constipated outlook.
Give a try to new things in life…Experiment…
Don’t be so serious…Enjoy…Have a laugh!!! Then life takes different colours and hues!!!
Life is what you think it is…
I think some imagine far to much into, and, expect far to much out of the bland, cardboard cutout personalities of the career military mentality. Hollywood has shaped to much of our national persona and reality conflicts with it far to often for my taste.
Swaraaj, please, an astrological profile?
Would it be any less absurd if Pat Robertson claimed that Petraes was sent from God? What is wrong with a little Eastern astrology when may Religious Right wingnuts welcome the war in the ME for bring about the second coming of Jesus. These people are the delusional ones….
But what can the military do!!!
I have posted a comment elsewhere and I repeat here:
“I have written so many times that if one carefully reads the history of Iraq and Afghanistan, no foreign power has managed to dominate these people.
“They have a strange history…they always seem to be fighting. Be it a foreign invader or within themselves. So if an invader shoves his ruddy nose into their affairs/countries what else do you expect except bloodied nose, face or worse.
“Their fightings do not come to an end until they have a strong/violent/brutal man – such as Saddam Hussein – and then there is a semblance of peace and order.
“But the US administration thought it was clever and meddled in a royal fashion and destablised the area. So pay the price. So if you don’t believe in diplomacy then why not astrology!!!”
“So why blame the army…the civilian leadership has to take the full responsibility. Poor soldiers have to sacrifice their everything carrying out the orders of the political leaders, who seem to have no accountability.
“Please don’t run down the soldiers. They are trained to lay down their lives on the orders from ‘above’ without question. And they are doing so in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Have a heart!!!
Rudi-
[....Pat Robertson claimed that Petraes was sent from God?]
I am absolutely certain that Pat thinks so. I think he contributed the maximum to God’s campaign in 2004.
Swaraaj, I’m glad that I could provide you with some amusement.
Perhaps my first few lines were a little too strident. For that please accept my apology. But you appear to be guilty of just that of which you seek to accuse me – “Hey JimFM! Life is too short…Why subscribe to a constipated outlook. Give a try to new things in life…Experiment…” You assume ( with scant evidence) that I have dismissed such things out of hand. This is not true. I have simply reached differing conclusions than you (or maybe not – I notice that you never directly answered my question).
My distress at your post was summed up perfectly by Rudi – “Would it be any less absurd if Pat Robertson claimed that Petraes was sent from God?”
I have become over-saturated the last few years with personal faith being injected into political discourse. I try not to make judgements with any point of view but it gets hard when people like Pat Robertson constantly attempt to color public discourse with their personal beliefs. I am not comparing you with Pat Robertson, but I am trying to ascertain if your (apparent) faith in Eastern Mysticism rivals the faith of Pat Robertson, a man who’s faith must certainly be factored in to how I process the things he says.
Is it possible to leave aside ‘personal faith’ or ‘beliefs’ in public discourse? How can you discuss anything without faith in what you are saying?
If by ‘personal faith’ you mean one’s ‘religion’, then that’s a separate matter altogether.
I don’t quite understand when you say, and I quote: “I try not to make judgements with any point of view…” But then how do you make a judgement? You have to study various viewpoints before arriving at your own viewpoint.
Well, talking of astrology…it is not a religion. It is to be found in some form or the other in all the religions – Hinduism. Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Even non-believers are known to delve into it. It is a common human heritage right from the early days of humanity.
It is the art of predicting the future and attracts many because certain developments in life (including the behaviour of President Bush and other crisis) defy any ready explanation.
So people, who might have earlier believed that there can only be a rational explanation to life and developments look for alternatives. Astrology is one of them…and a very popular one at that. Some follow it secretly (fearing they may face ridicule) while others do it openly.
As a journalist I had been the usual cynical/critical self for a long time in my life.
However, I cherish liberal values and open discussion and open societies. That’s why I admire the British and the American way of life (in that order). Of course, my first preference is the Indian way of life!!! LoL.
I feel the reason some people manage to remain happy and contended is that they are always ready to learn and experiment in life. I believe a person who feels that he knows everything and there is nothing more to learn in life is a dead person.
When someone suggested I have a look at the Chinese astrology book I agreed. The book by Suzanne White is remarkable. I went through it with patience and open mind. Try it out before passing a judgement. No harm.
If you become her fan don’t blame me!!!
Now, as I turn 60, I use as much my heart as I use my head!!!
I wish you well JimFM.
[...] (This is in continuation of my earlier post…click here to read). In spite of all the mixed reports coming in, General David Petraeus appears to be a thorough professional. Well, you may ask how I have arrived at this conclusion without meeting the chief of US troops in Iraq. [...]
great piece. Put you on the Astrology News here:
http://www.toptensources.com/topten/Astrology-News
Well, shut my mouth! Thanks Swaaaraj.
Listen here kids, astrology is not a religion. Nor is it some kind of oogah boogah dance around the fire waving incense out your behind cult either. Astrology is a language.
You learn all the rules and then you can talk the talk and walk the walk. Astrology exists. Like hard boiled eggs and milkshakes. It’s just there.
Anyway, whenever I am questioned about the veracity of astrology I remind people that I am not a missionary. I don’t much care whether they are interested in what astrology has to say or not. But if they have half a brain, they should allow a little astro sun into their otherwise cloudy little numbskulls. Swaaraj is right. Have a look at a couple of my books and see how you feel afterward. Then drop me a line at suzanwhite@aol.com. I always answer my e-mail.
And while you are at it, will somebody please get that ventriloquist’s dummy out of the White House?