"We've Seen Enough of the Dishonesty" - General McChrystal on Why America Needs a Conversation About Character / One Decision

"We've Seen Enough of the Dishonesty" General McChrystal on Why America Needs a Conversation About Character

🎙️This Week on One Decision:

Christina Ruffini and ex-MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove sit down with retired U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, who led the Joint Special Operations Command during the Iraq War. 

They reflect on Iraq, share stories of working with former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, discuss the war in Gaza, and explore McChrystal’s latest book, "On Character: Choices That Define a Life."

TUNE IN

🎙️Episode Highlights

The Pressure to Conform in the Halls of Power

Sir Richard Dearlove notes that maintaining "an independence of mind" when surrounded by power is "quite a tough call" and can be a "lonely position to be in."  

Few people have had a closer view of global power than Sir Richard and General McChrystal: a man who headed the U.K.’s counterpart to the CIA, the British Secret Intelligence Service, and the other who commanded one of America's most secretive military operations. 

Now, they speak openly about the cost of silence and the courage it takes to challenge authority from within.

Reassessing Critical Decisions in the Iraq War

Both General McChrystal and Sir Richard Dearlove express regret over key judgments made during the Iraq War.

Dearlove reveals a "profound disagreement between us on the British side and the American side" over the decision to disband the Iraqi military.

McChrystal concurs, labeling it a "huge misstep" and noting that many of the disbanded soldiers later became "the shock troops for ISIS."

The Strategic Cost of Civilian Casualties

General McChrystal explains the rationale behind his policy to minimize civilian casualties in Afghanistan, arguing that winning an insurgency is a "popularity contest."

"If there are 10 insurgents and we kill four, how many are left?" he would ask his troops, before explaining that, in many cases, "the answer is 40" due to the radicalization of the deceased's relatives and community.

The Aftermath of the "Runaway General"

General McChrystal gives a personal account of the 2010 Rolling Stone article that led to his resignation. He describes the shock of reading the piece, expecting it to be "innocuous," and immediately realizing it was "an atomic bomb."

He recounts facing a "remarkably professional and gracious" President Obama and the personal crisis of identity that followed.