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America's Generals Must Stand Up to Trump
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/crisis-civil-military-relations/612589/Military leaders are bred for two kinds of courage—the courage to expose themselves to hostile fire and the courage to assume responsibility for the gravest decisions anyone can make. Most of them, particularly in the upper ranks, demonstrate those qualities. But what they need now, in the face of an unprincipled and brutal commander in chief, is a different kind of bravery.
The president raves of “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons” while ensconced in a blast-proof basement. Angered by cable-newscasts noting that fact, he had armored and helmeted police sweep a park of peaceful protesters before a curfew, using smoke grenades, flash bangs, and the threat of batons. All this so that he could stand before a church that he could not enter and where he was not welcome, holding the book that he has probably never read and cannot understand, and whose precepts are a reproach to the life he has led. He is a malignant, empty human being.
But he is the commander in chief, and he does exult in violence wielded by uniformed men at a safe distance from himself. It is why he Twitter-screeches “Domination!” and yells at governors to throw away restraint in suppressing demonstrations or riots. It is why he urged police officers to slam suspects’ heads into cars. It is why he threatens to take over the job of law enforcement with the one organization that could do so: the United States armed forces.
-snip-
Every appearance in uniform, every word out of the mouth of a senior military leader, at this point has consequences. While these men and women are not the only or even the prime safeguards of American freedoms, they constitute an important line of protection. And if they are willing to take a bullet for the country, they need to be entirely prepared to take obscenity-laced tirades and a pink slip for it. If they are not, far worse things may follow than what we have already seen.
The president raves of “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons” while ensconced in a blast-proof basement. Angered by cable-newscasts noting that fact, he had armored and helmeted police sweep a park of peaceful protesters before a curfew, using smoke grenades, flash bangs, and the threat of batons. All this so that he could stand before a church that he could not enter and where he was not welcome, holding the book that he has probably never read and cannot understand, and whose precepts are a reproach to the life he has led. He is a malignant, empty human being.
But he is the commander in chief, and he does exult in violence wielded by uniformed men at a safe distance from himself. It is why he Twitter-screeches “Domination!” and yells at governors to throw away restraint in suppressing demonstrations or riots. It is why he urged police officers to slam suspects’ heads into cars. It is why he threatens to take over the job of law enforcement with the one organization that could do so: the United States armed forces.
-snip-
Every appearance in uniform, every word out of the mouth of a senior military leader, at this point has consequences. While these men and women are not the only or even the prime safeguards of American freedoms, they constitute an important line of protection. And if they are willing to take a bullet for the country, they need to be entirely prepared to take obscenity-laced tirades and a pink slip for it. If they are not, far worse things may follow than what we have already seen.
The entire opinion piece is well worth reading.
Found this thanks to a Jennifer Rubin tweet:
Link to tweet
4 replies
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