The irony that Hegseth sure didn't beat out others on merit for the top job.

[RoeVWade]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday sent a memo to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, saying that all future admissions will be based solely on merit.

"The Department owes it to our nation, our Service Members, and our young Americans applying to the MSAs to ensure admissions to these prestigious institutions are based exclusively on merit," Hegseth wrote in a memo to the academies.

"Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces," he wrote.

[Ocelot II]

1. Depends on how you define "merit."

It would appear that the baseline for merit is being white, male, straight and Christian. Having relevant educational and professional qualifications as well seems to be optional, since hiring a person with those qualifications but who is not a straight white male Christian is clear evidence of DEI wokeness, which isn't allowed.

[NCDem47]

2. Turn DEI back on them: DEI equals Didn't Earn It

[TnDem]

3. re: merit

Apparently, people just don't understand how positions are obtained or awarded in the cabinet or even the military.

Secretary of Defense or ANY cabinet position is never based on merit under any administration....Cabinet positions are purely political and they serve at the will of the President....Then there are the dozens of positions such as "Special Assistant to the President" that are 100% political and can, (and are), awarded to people that worked in the campaign to help elect that candidate....No qualifications are necessary.

Positions such as active duty military E1-about E-7 are generally merit based, (schools completed, awards, time-in-grade, etc.)...Then you have E-8 to E-9 which is almost always political....On the commissioned officer side, From Second Lieutenant through about Lieutenant Colonel, politics are mild...After 06 "Full Bird Colonel", it is almost ALL political....General/Admiral staff hae zero to do with ability, but are all political appointees.

[RoeVWade]

5. It's not that I didn't know it, but it's no different that the head of anything making a biggest deal out of something

he didn't meet himself. Most head of state departments even if they lack less experience than people under them don't go on about other people not meeting standards like Hegseth has.

[3catwoman3]

6. "General/Admiral staff hae zero to do with ability, but are all political appointees."

Which explains why there are always some really shitty top brass.

[3catwoman3]

4. Hegseth yapping about merit...

...is as hypocritical as it would be for Trump to say anything at all about marital fidelity (or pretty much any attribute that the vast majority of humans consider virtuous).

[gulliver]

7. Nope, the President decides the qualifications

I think Hegseth isn't fit for the job on the basis of my idea of merit. But my idea of merit doesn't matter. The elected President decides what the merit criteria are. Unfortunately, that's Trump. Elections have consequences.

Also, we have to make sure that we don't impugn the idea of the importance of merit on the basis of Hegseth. Merit and Hegseth are unrelated. Merit is important. Hegseth is a numbskull.