HEGSETH, TRUMP AND THEIR SAD BUT DANGEROUS LITTLE-BOY VISION OF A MILITARY
Dr. Common Good
In the nonstop litany of idiocy that is the Trump administration, we now have Hegseth’s “gathering” of the generals and top brass to promote his, and apparently Trump’s, darkly cartoonish vision of a new military and its “warrior ethos.”
What a pathetic joke. Where, one wonders, does Hegseth get this garbage? With a full-sized American flag behind him a la Patton (the movie), he sternly addressed a room full of high-ranking, professional military who have actual, serious experience with warfighting, defense, and global conditions (and don’t need a lecture from an unqualified, junior wannabe), laying out a childish, performative vision of what his new “warrior ethos” means. Everyone needs to be fit, and must meet the “highest male standards.” No “beardos,” no “fat generals.” Appearance is paramount. There is to be no more “wokeness,” no concern for “climate change delusions,” no DEI, and a removal of “social justice, politically correct and toxic ideological garbage.” “We are done with that shit,” he said. “You are not politically correct and don’t necessarily belong, always, in polite society.” More stunning, and dangerous, was his call for the military to ignore Geneva Convention laws on humanitarian treatment during war, and to eliminate “stupid rules of engagement” often designed to protect civilians during fighting. Since soldiers are trained to “kill and break things,” they should not fight with one hand tied behind their back.
What was that? He apparently dreams of fostering a 19th century, Teddy Roosevelt-style corps of tough guys, charging up the hill, spitting out blood and tobacco as they run. Somebody please tell him to stop watching B war movies. This is 2025. A lot of contemporary warfighting happens behind a screen, piloting virtually-operated drones, engaging in cyber-warfare, monitoring and processing intelligence, or piloting high-tech aircraft, vehicles and ships. In this globalized world, it also requires knowledge, intelligence, and diplomatic skill. There should be two central qualifications for being in the military: 1) a strong commitment to defending the United States and the Constitution, and 2) high-levels of competence as appropriate to one’s designated role. Who cares whether you are male, female, trans, non-binary, or whatever? Yes, direct battlefield roles should require fitness and discipline, but many of these other roles should focus on competency. Look at Ukraine. They are surviving against a vastly larger military because of their ingenuity. I doubt anyone there cares whether or not you have a beard or your jaw isn’t square.
If I were in the military of any other country, particularly China, I would be laughing at this ridiculous display. It should be patently clear what is needed for a high-functioning military in this age of high tech and AI. And it is highly likely that America’s rival, and even allied, militaries, are not running around spouting off this kind of retrograde drivel. It would be a joke, except this is a serious matter and potentially damaging to our national defense. Responsible people need to pull Hegseth off the stage before he turns the national defense into a Potemkin-like simulacrum.
And then on top of Hegseth’s blather comes Trump. In an hour-long, largely incoherent ramble that included a bucketload of false claims, a professed love for his own signature, criticism about how “ugly” stealth ships look, and his usual bragging and whining, he also tossed out a number of exceedingly disturbing statements. He warned that “America is under invasion from within,” and that the enemy from within is “no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways because they don’t wear uniforms.” US cities, he said, are now a “big part of the war.” In fact, he added, “we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.” This, from a President of the United States of America. Such statements should be instant grounds for impeachment or removal via the 25th Amendment. Ah, but did we hear from any shocked Republicans? You know the answer.
By the way, despite the MAGA claims about cutting government expenses, the cost of forcing high-ranking military personnel to leave their posts all over the world and come to Virginia for this shallow, incompetent, and useless reality-show spectacle must have been enormous.