# Admiral William Fallon, head of CENTCOM, "retires" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 11, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026 "2008-03-11T21:45:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/21 "2008-03-13T05:13:10Z")
> [@](#): > > That is absolutely nonsense because President Bush has always fostered an environment of robust and healthy debate. President Bush probably genuinely believes this. I’m sure he consults his advisors and listens to their views. But the problem is that he’s surrounded himself by a bunch of people who all share essentially the same viewpoint. So he hears ten different people tell him the same thing and he comes to the conclusion that what he’s hearing must be the general consensus on an issue. He’s failed because he hasn’t made the effort to diversify the opinions he hears. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/22 "2008-03-13T18:58:41Z")
[QUOTE=Blalron] It’s a testament to her professional skills that she was able to say that and still keep a straight face. :smack: [/QUOTE] Botox isn’t just for aging actresses. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/23 "2008-03-13T22:05:58Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] President Bush probably genuinely believes this. I’m sure he consults his advisors and listens to their views. But the problem is that he’s surrounded himself by a bunch of people who all share essentially the same viewpoint. So he hears ten different people tell him the same thing and he comes to the conclusion that what he’s hearing must be the general consensus on an issue. He’s failed because he hasn’t made the effort to diversify the opinions he hears. [/QUOTE] I think you’re right. I also think he really believes his administration “exhausted all diplomatic options” before invading Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/24 "2008-03-13T23:22:05Z")
[QUOTE=tds1273] How about Hillish? [/QUOTE] Hillacious. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/25 "2008-03-14T01:47:40Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] He’s a Democrat? -Joe [/QUOTE] Democrats are not allowed in the upper military echelon. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/26 "2008-03-14T04:07:21Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] Hillacious. [/QUOTE] Rodham-esque. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/27 "2008-03-14T16:04:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Sitting in his Tampa headquarters office last fall, I asked Fallon if he considered the Centcom assignment to be the same career-capping job that it’d been for his predecessors. He just laughed and said, “Career capping? How about career detonating?” > > At the time, I took that comment to be mere self-effacement. I have since come to think that Fallon was deadly serious. I have no desire to be on an Admiral’s staff, especially a CoCom’s staff, but he’s one guy I would have made an exception for. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/28 "2008-03-14T16:22:45Z")
[QUOTE=flyboy] I have no desire to be on an Admiral’s staff, especially a CoCom’s staff, but he’s one guy I would have made an exception for. [/QUOTE] Does the Admiral’s staff have a knob on the end? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026/29 "2008-03-14T19:29:42Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Does the Admiral’s staff have a knob on the end? 🙂 [/QUOTE] No, it usually has a Vice Admiral. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-william-fallon-head-of-centcom-retires/441026.md?page=1)