He has been accused already by some on  the right for even going to Dover, he is going to get bashed regardless of what he does. The rules of it make the President our elected leader and also head of all military forces, he sets the policy and he is at the very top of the chain of command, he just does NOT wear a uniform, now that would be carrying it to far and none ever has, I don’t believe General Washington even wore one after elected to the Presidency.

Of the remains that returned that night only the one family allowed the President be filmed while the transfer was made from the plane to the transport vehicles, this isone trip that none in the previous administration ever made and would not even allow any news organizations to take pictures let alone have anyone else release them, the American public need to see these caskets come home, they should also be publishing the number of severely wounded more than 1000 alone in the past 3 months in Afghanistan. They need to know the real price  not just the off budget billions being allocated to Iraq and Afghanistan, anything that makes the Congress and public sit up and pay attention, even a President making a Salute to the fallen it is more appropriate than Saluting door handlers on military aircraft.  Just my 2 cents

I am not arguing for any legalistic reading of whether or not his salute was right or wrong.  I am saying that in my opinion, civilian leaders of governments that adopt military formalisms act in a manner consistent with fascistic government structures.  All the fascists did this in the 1920s and 30s and 40s.  It is that fascists history of civilians saluting in suits, of civilians adopting military rites that I object to…it does not bode well for our culture.

I like Obama.  I voted for him.  I am an active Democrat.  I have no problem with him doing whatever he wants on this level. I just object to it theoretically.  It is too fascist a thing to do for my blood.

I just don’t like civilian leaders apeing military gestures.  It is not healthy in a cultural sense.

CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)

As far as him saluting..he can kiss off…he doesn’t have a clue…

I wonder, since he has played golf more on 9 months as President then Bush did in 3 yrs and he plays a lot of basketball and throws a lot of partys and runs all over giving speeches and not taking any action on the state of the country.

If maybe he is using Coke again..he once was Mr. Coke head you know.

Makes one think huh? All action, all that engery, never sits still, hmmmm..is Mr. President really Mr. Coke Head again?

For me the salute is a sign of respect.

The one thing I would always ask is that the salute be performed correctly. From what I saw this morning President Obama performed a correct and completely appropriate salute.

Considering he has never served, in order to present a salute that well I suspect he sought and received coaching.

All I can say is bravo Mr. President.

I believe that there is no protocol on this nor should there be.

The pres is after all, the Commander in Chief, the CIC, in fact …. the HMFIC.

Still and all, it is a military rite exercised by a civilian official who is the President of the United States and I do not think it is appropriate in a civilian led democracy.  It is not a personal thing, I voted for the guy and am a very involved Democrat in politics here in Northern Virginia.

I am just saying that these symbolic things have importance, they do not exist in a vacuum.  I don’t want civilian Presidents or civilian government officials mimicing military formalisms.  It confuses our friends and encourages our enemies.  We have civilian government here.  I support that and do not think it is appropriate for civilian leaders to mimic soldiers.

That is all I am saying.  I find it to be fascistic.

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/photographs/large/c22149-32.jpg

According to the naval officer, historically, the president has always been the only civilian exception until recently, when a change in regulations permitted all military retirees to do likewise at their option.

If someone finds the official, published protocol on this, post a link here. I’d like to see it.

You are absolutely correct of course.  The larger issue here is that the President of the United States went to Dover to meet the bodies and paid personal respect to our military dead.  I concede the point and admit that you have grasped the larger point.

I just hate all the psuedo-military Ramboism that now seems normal among our civlian government.  I don’t want a military government here.  Ever.  I want civilian government.  That is why we are so strong, the community runs the nation, not the army or navy.

I really wish all the military nonsense among our civilians leaders would end.  It is not in the best traditions of our people and does not speak to democracy, it speaks to militant army based fascism.

 What I see of great value here is that our President is acknowledging the returning of our dead soldiers. He was at Dover AFB when they returned to our/their country. Some can say this was a strategic political moment, but I say that it was a moment long overdue and can appreciate the recognition these soldiers received. The soldiers are no longer coming home in the shadows of the night, without obvious public notice. It is a step towards taking responsibility and making our fallen soldiers as important as they always were, not only to their families and friends, but to those of us who are not immediate harm’s way. It is the very least that can be done when they very sadly return home this way. 

 Carol 

You are probably absolutely correct.  I do not doubt what you are saying. 

But we have to stop at all costs the creeping militarization of our government.  This nonsense started under Reagan and reached its height under Dubya constantly referring to the Attorney General as "General…"  This is nuts. 

These people are civilians elected or appointed to office to run the nation by the elecorate or appointed by the president with the advice and consent of Congress.  That is very, very important that this distinction be codified in their public behavior on ceremonial occasions. 

I do not want a military president under ANY conditions.  Ever.  Anywhere or anytime.

As far as I know, the Flag Code does not allow any one not wearing a uniform to salute.  I could be wrong about that, but I don’t think it is the way that these things are done. And even if I am wrong and veterans out of uniform are allowed to salute, the President should not do it.  It just is not right. 

We are not a banana republic where one general after another simply takes over the presidency.  It smacks of dictatorship in my mind. 

Whenever I see a picture in the paper of a guy in a suit saluting a military honor guard it is usually a photo of a dictator who was the leading general three months ago but is now the "president" of some impoverished and repressed nation with the army’s boot on the neck of the people.  It screams fascism to me. 

All I can see when I see these photos is Pinochet or Franco or Mussolini or Hitler or Castro in his military fatigues or some Asian despot who is now "president" because three months ago the CIA helped him overthrow the king or the shah or the sheikh or the legally elected left leaning president who we fear because he is not friendly to our aims.  I see repression when I see this. 

It is not appropriate for the civilian president of the greatest democratic republic on the planet to mimic military stylisms for ceremony.  It is in fact chilling.  The psuedo-heros that we have elected in the past forty years or so started this nonsense and it must stop. This is simply wrong.  I do not expect this from the most enlightened civilian led government in the world.

I would really like to see it end.

CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)

Take your point but if President Obama were to return a salute with his hand over his heart (contra every modern president) what do you believe the political ramifications would be? Every moron in front of a camera on cable TV would speak of nothing else.  

You are quite correct in the logic of your argument, but changing this symbol now is the very last thing that should be done.

These things such as salutes are symbolic, and therefore they take on an important greater than simple liturgy.  They mean something.

I don’t want the civilian elected to the highest office in the land to salute like he is a general.  He is more than a general and he represents the nation, and NOT the military alone. 

They should not salute.  It gives the impression that we are a banana republic run by a generalissimo.