Most overrated? Mattis laughs off Trump barb at charity gala

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Tom Mcelroy, Associated Press Updated 10:27 pm CDT, Thursday, October 17, 2019



NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis is laughing off an insult hurled at him by President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a New York charity event Thursday the day after Trump demeaned him as "the world's most overrated general," Mattis joked that he took it as a compliment.

"I'm not just an overrated general. I'm the greatest, the world's most overrated," he told diners at the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner.

"I'm honored to be considered that by Donald Trump because he also called Meryl Streep an overrated actress," he said. "So I guess I'm the Meryl Streep of generals, and frankly that sounds pretty good to me."


Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Overrated-general-Mattis-zings-Trump-at-NY-14543330.php

[blm]

1. Military men like Mattis, McRaven, and others are likely to endorse

and stand with the Democrats in opposing Trump.

[MontanaMama]

2. Hope so.

I would add that their country needs them to step it up and tell Congress all they know NOW. This is war. A cute tweet or snarky comment won’t cut it going forward.

[blm]

3. ✔️

[Gothmog]

4. NEW: Former Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis roasts Pres. Trump: "I earned my spurs on the battle

Link to tweet

[Judi Lynn]

6. OMG! That's tremendous! Whoa! Boom! Perfect. Thank you, so very much! n/t

[IronLionZion]

19. Trump's favorite military leader is Colonel Sanders

[Wuddles440]

21. This comment....

definitely qualifies as the best of the day!

[Bigredhunk]

5. Re: His Book

I was going to buy his book when it was released. According to Eric Boehlert though, he took shots at President Obama but declined to go after Tangeranus - something about it not being the time to criticize b/c he's the sitting (p)resident. Decided against it.

[djacq]

7. All fun and games aside, Mattis should speak up.

If hundreds of experts can call out on the "clear and present danger" of Orange POTUS, so can he.

[elias7]

8. Meryl Streep overrated?

I hardly think that’s a good comparison or joke. In fact, it’s a dig at Meryl Streep

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Trump called her overrated. Mattis is saying he is in good company.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Trump probably sees her as overrated because she doesn't drop trou a lot,

and hasn't done films with car chases, and a lot of shooting.

Can't keep his attention, probably, without doing XXX movies.

[irisblue]

13. Streep got his attention.

[Dorn]

11. MAD DOG Mattis IS AN ASS:broke convention on generals being Sec Def, nomalizing DT, and is a killer

Because Mad Dog has lightly dissed DT do not make him a good guy; he likes to kill, helped destroy many people, and destroy our country's military standards.

[reACTIONary]

15. Have you read his national security strategy? Here is..

.... the unclassified summary:

https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf

[Dorn]

18. Quite a read and quite are load of

I love these bits:
* "The surest way to prevent war is to be prepared to win on" -- A great bit of deep deep thought
* "Professional Military Education (PME). PME has stagnated, focused more on the accomplishment of mandatory credit at the expense of lethality and ingenuity." -- How the holy hell can that happen? We spend trillions on 'defense' and we are just passing up soldiers!? This is an enormous issue and he passes it off as a minor item.
* "Each ally and partner is unique." -- Sounds like this paper was not long enough so he padded it.

He agreed to break a tradition of having a civilian military and just because he has now lightly dissed Trump does not undo this life long ass kisser who was clearly passed up on his own PMEs.

[reACTIONary]

22. seems like he relies on some standard truisms...

Truisms are often true.

If I understand his thinking, the salient points are the identification of China and Russia as our major national security concern, as opposed to counterinsurgency and non-state actors. He is concerned about increasing lethality, and I believe he means in the context of major military engagement against major world powers. I think he believes that increased concern with counter insurgency and non state threats has eroded our capabilities against those powers.

I don't believe that his comments about mandatory course work means "passing up". I think he means that the curriculum needs to be overhauled to better align it with materialistic goals.

[rpannier]

16. I know people who served under his command

They'll gladly tell you, "You're wrong. Especially on your last point"

[reACTIONary]

23. I've attended briefings by civil servants who worked with him....

.... they would concur with the people you know.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. "The only person in the military Trump thinks is not overrated is Col Sanders" . . . nt

[Skittles]

14. yuk yuk

fuck you Mattis - start protecting AMERICA

[rpannier]

17. Yawn

The guy who has been working to protect America for three decades does not need to answer to you
I served in the army, not ever with or under him, but I know a few people who have served with and under him and they'll all tell you he is a true patriot and has been defending America

[Dorn]

20. You mean: He has been defending the Military Industrial Complex

Just like all of the other 'retired' generals he supports and defends the industry that kills poor people in foreign lands -- a man without honor -- a man who should be shunned.

[reACTIONary]

24. No. I don't think that is what was meant. I think...

... "defending America" is what was meant.

[zentrum]

25. I hear ya. The Military

...Brass is always fighting to defend the military-industrial complex, endless arms sales, endless colonial style wars, endless creation of desperate refugees.

Mattis is no General Smedley who said "War is a racket". Or Eisenhower for that matter, who said, on his retirement, "Beware the military industrial complex". He knew.

[Skittles]

26. I served too

Last edited Fri Oct 18, 2019, 07:13 PM - Edit history (1)

and people who worked for Trump who are not coming out to help defeat him MAKE ME SICK

he needs to do more than make jokes

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/18/generals-donald-trump-military-criticism

[lunasun]

27. Rec only becuz this probably pisses off trump . Mattis was a trump stooge who parted ways

.