2021年7月6日
Brian Wong
EJ Insight
On Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld passed away at the age of 88 on June 29.
Rumsfeld was a remarkable figure, for a plethora of reasons – from his unscrupulous and contentious approach to media and press relations, to his wanton disregard for human lives during the Iraq War, to the fact that he had twice served as Secretary of Defense, both as the youngest and amongst the oldest persons on record to have done so.
Born in 1932 in Illnois, Rumsfeld descended from a family of German migrants that had settled in the United States in the late 19th century. He was educated at Princeton, where he was an amateur wrestler and avid sportsman. After brief stints in the army, investment banking, and political aide work, he was first elected to the House of Representatives at the age of 30, cultivating elaborate ties with factions – including those of Gerald Ford – through his suave politicking and lobbying skills. Rumsfeld had persistently raised questions over the viability and tenability of American war efforts in Vietnam – asking questions that he barely raised over the Iraq War, three decades down the road. ...
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