General says Bergdahl doesn’t deserve jail

[TwilightGardener]

13. Honestly, I think Obama was genuinely concerned for Bergdahl and his parents,

and genuinely happy and relieved that the guy was coming home. That had been a huge weight on him for five years, the Bergdahls were actually very close with CentCom (including Gen. Mattis) and it had been a famous case because of the Rolling Stone article. I don't think they were prepared for how venal the Repubs were in their quest to deny him any sort of political gain related to it, to the point of ginning up so much crazed right wing anger that the poor guy has death threats against him now. My feelings on Bergdahl have been pretty consistent--he was a mentally disturbed young man from a weird family that encouraged his delusions (like joining the French foreign legion, for God's sake) and worst impulses. He had no business being in the Army, the Army knew it, they waivered him in after his Coast Guard rejection and they stuck him in the worst possible spot on earth anyway. You don't get mad at someone with a heart valve defect who collapses when too much physical strain is placed upon him, well, I don't get mad at someone with a clear and previously noted mental or emotional disturbance who acts irresponsibly and nuttily when too much stress is placed upon him. I think they should give him a slap on the wrist, an other than honorable discharge and send him on his way.