Perhaps the most insane theory seen to date regarding Bowe Bergdahl was posited on Twitter yesterday by Brandon Friedman, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. Friedman suggested that perhaps Bergdahl is not a deserter who may have actually aided the Taliban, but instead, was attempting to flee from a platoon full of "psychopaths."
Here's the thing about Bergdahl and the Jump-to-Conclusions mats: What if his platoon was long on psychopaths and short on leadership? (1/5)
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) June 5, 2014
And your evidence of this is...?
What if he grew disillusioned with what he saw, didn't trust his leadership, and walked off? Legal? No. Worthy of sympathy? Maybe. (2/5)
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) June 5, 2014
...
If that were the case, the soldiers in his platoon would have all the more reason to smear him publicly now. (3/5)
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) June 5, 2014
Because, yes, we all know how easy it is to get dozens of people to agree on the same, made-up story.
Given other examples, it's not out of the realm of possibility--and more reason to withhold judgment until after an investigation. (4/5)
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) June 5, 2014
There are several documents suggesting he was a deserter, or worse, a traitor, plus he left a note and emailed his parents about how much he hated America, but okay, continue.
I'm not a fan of such speculation, but this story could not be more unbalanced--with so many premature calls of "traitor." (5/5)
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) June 5, 2014
Fin.
Oh, but no worries guys, he quickly removed any evidence he's associated with the Obama administration from his Twitter.
Looks like Brandon Friedman -@BFriedmanDC - is trying to hide his association with the Obama administration... pic.twitter.com/pmQMQRgE4m
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) June 5, 2014
Look, I'm not a fan of premature speculation either, but come on now. The evidence has been out there for years, and there's no shortage of documents and data about his actions prior to going AWOL. To libel Bergdahl's platoon mates as being "psychopaths" without a shred of evidence is jumping to a premature conclusion himself. This is demonstrating a complete lack of respect for American soldiers, and is absolutely disgusting.