The Mad Poodle resigns
To call General Mattis's appallingly ineffective performance as Secretary of Defense a disappointment would be a SEVERE understatement. It's a reminder that no amount of tactical or operational effectiveness means very much when it comes to grand strategy and geopolitical politics, let alone loyalty to American national interests. His letter of resignation:
It's just as well. Notice the Mad Poodle's focus on diplomatic marketing gimmicks, "the common defense", and the solidarity of alliances with countries that have less ability to project military force than the average Mexican drug cartel. This guy wasn't a warrior, he was just another corrupt globalist bureaucrat dressed up in a snappy military uniform, complete with fruit salad and red heels. And notice the telling phrase "defense of our citizens and ideals" rather than "our nation and our Constitution".
What is Mattis's legacy? Women in the special forces, trannies in the military, and losing a hopeless proxy war to the Russian-Iranian-Syrian alliance in the Middle East? How very impressive. It kind of reminds you of Julies Caesar and Alexander the Great, does it not? Jimmy Carter's hapless SecDef could have accomplished as much.
December 20, 2018Translation: I'm a sellout, I violated my oath of service, and I never had any intention of actually defending American national interests, much less defending the Constitution against its enemies, foreign and domestic. So, I'm resigning in a hissy fit because you're not on board with unwinnable perma-war in the Middle East.
Dear Mr. President:
I have been privileged to serve as our country'ss 26th Secretary of Defense which has allowed me to serve alongside our men and women of the Department in defense of our citizens and our ideals.
I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past two years on some of the key goals articulated in our National Defense Strategy: putting the Department on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming the Department's business practices for greater performance. Our troops continue to provide the capabilities needed to prevail in conflict and sustain strong U.S. global influence.
One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat ISIS coalition of 74 nations is further proof.
Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.
My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.
Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed as well as to make sure the Department's interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in February. Further, that a full transition to a new Secretary of Defense occurs well in advance of the transition of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September in order to ensure stability Within the Department.
I pledge my full effort to a smooth transition that ensures the needs and interests of the 2.15 million Service Members and 732,079 civilians receive undistracted attention of the Department at all times so that they can fulfill their critical, round-the-clock mission to protect the American people.
I very much appreciate this opportunity to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform.
It's just as well. Notice the Mad Poodle's focus on diplomatic marketing gimmicks, "the common defense", and the solidarity of alliances with countries that have less ability to project military force than the average Mexican drug cartel. This guy wasn't a warrior, he was just another corrupt globalist bureaucrat dressed up in a snappy military uniform, complete with fruit salad and red heels. And notice the telling phrase "defense of our citizens and ideals" rather than "our nation and our Constitution".
What is Mattis's legacy? Women in the special forces, trannies in the military, and losing a hopeless proxy war to the Russian-Iranian-Syrian alliance in the Middle East? How very impressive. It kind of reminds you of Julies Caesar and Alexander the Great, does it not? Jimmy Carter's hapless SecDef could have accomplished as much.
Labels: trainwreck, war
152 Comments:
Trump's original cabinet largely turned out to be fucking lame. It's not like he got praised by the moderates for his choices either. Might as well have hired more extreme right-wingers. But then they wouldn't pass the cuckfirmation process. All these "checks and balances" only serve to protect the swamp.
Human violence is not a bug, it is a feature. For exactly these kinds of situations. I'm starting to come around to Vox's ideas about Anders Breivik.
I lost all respect for Mattis when I learned he was on the Theranos board. Beta thirst is real.
So long and thanks for all the ricin memes.
The Jordan Peterson of the MIC racket.
The DoD hundreds of billions per year to patch together a 70s/80s designed military and then wear it out for a 1990s sole superpower delusion, itself a derivative of the 1945 forever delusions.
Jesus Christ... we're retconning Mattis as incompetent now? The guy that just a matter of months ago you yourself credited with preventing war with Russia?
Have you already forgotten "Thank You Mr President" with the picture of Mattis at the Resolute Desk?
Also... do you really think this is real reason he's stepping down? For one... its the only story the media is telling. That means the one thing we know for sure... is it is not 100% true.
There is obviously more to it... becuase for one there has been talk of Mattis stepping down for over a year... going all the way back to July of 2017. More than likely there is some fundamental habit that Trump has.. or leadership style that he has.. that pisses Mattis off and he tolerated it for as long as he could and is now over it.
The insinuation that our military will be better off without Jim Mattis is damn insane.
Are there any Baby Boomers that aren't hopelessly corrupt and compromised?
It seems that the best way to get allegiance from a Boomer is to get him to advocate anything against the best interest of the American people.
They'll sell out every single time.
Jesus Christ... we're retconning Mattis as incompetent now?
"[...]It's a reminder that no amount of TACTICAL OR OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS means very much when it comes to grand strategy and geopolitical politics, let alone loyalty to American national interests.'[...]"
The insinuation that our military will be better off without Jim Mattis is damn insane.
The Mad Poodle has been one of the biggest globalists in the Trump cabinet. It's not like it's a secret. Just read his own words.
Correct me if I wrong,but didn't he said that trannies weren't as lethal as average male soldiers and that they were of no utility for the military?
The guy that just a matter of months ago you yourself credited with preventing war with Russia?
It apparently was not Mattis who was responsible for that, if he wants to continue engagement in Syria.
Also... do you really think this is real reason he's stepping down? For one... its the only story the media is telling. That means the one thing we know for sure... is it is not 100% true.
It's his letter, Nate. Do you think the media wrote it for him? He chose those telling phrases, not the New York Times or the Financial Times.
The insinuation that our military will be better off without Jim Mattis is damn insane.
Peter Principle. He was a fine general by all accounts. He was probably a top-notch lieutenant too. What has he accomplished as Secretary of Defense that impresses you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but he didn't even overturn most of the policies that Obama's SecDef put in place, which obviously were within his purview.
@Nate
Mattis is a gamma bitch who objects to Trump's "habits" or "style"? That's not a ringing endorsement to most people.
"The insinuation that our military will be better off without Jim Mattis is damn insane."
Because nothing says military strength like trannies, gays, and women in the combat military...and if we have to trash all our fitness standards to do it, no problem according to Mattis..
Mattis reminds me a bit of Tim Cook. The difference between implementing policy and deciding policy is a much, much bigger one than most people, even at the highest levels, seem to understand. And competence in implementing policy says precisely NOTHING about competence in deciding policy.
It's like assuming someone is good at chess because he's good at basketball.
@5 Mister Excitement
Are there any Baby Boomers that aren't hopelessly corrupt and compromised?
Sure, but they are almost all self-centered and grossly incompetent, yet somehow retain this amazing ability to get and keep high paying jobs.
Some veterans have always regarded Mattis as overblown...the comment "how many wars did he win?" has been seen frequently.
It's like assuming someone is good at chess because he's good at basketball.
Or like assuming biologists are trustworthy because physicists get amazingly accurate results!
@8 "Correct me if I wrong,but didn't he said that trannies weren't as lethal as average male soldiers and that they were of no utility for the military?"
And yet did not the God Emperor himself proclaim no trannies in the military -- and the military did NOT obey the CinC!?
President Donald Trump on Friday issued orders to ban transgender troops who require surgery or significant medical treatment from serving in the military except in select cases — following through on a controversial pledge last year that has been under review by the Pentagon and is being fought out in the courts. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/23/trump-transgender-troops-ban-483434
and
Starting today, transgender individuals may openly join the U.S. military, this despite stiff opposition from President Trump, who tweeted last July that he wouldn't accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity.
Since then, several federal courts have rejected that position. And the Justice Department said Friday it will allow transgender individuals to serve, pending the results of a Pentagon study that is currently under way.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/transgender-individuals-may-now-openly-join-the-u-s-military
WTH?!
As American imperialists go, he was a great choice. But I'd rather not have an American imperialist as SecDef. Good generalling and good policy-making do not have a great amount of overlap as far as skill sets go.
4. Nate December 21, 2018 8:21 AM
Jesus Christ... we're retconning Mattis as incompetent now?
while their results may often appear similar, there is a vast gulf between "incompetent" and "unwilling".
look at all the things the Republicans in Congress have refused to do, going back to the 70s.
Mattis may have been useful, at times. but no SecDef who is permitting using the military as a fag dating pool or who wants women in combat is a friend of mine.
"It's his letter, Nate. Do you think the media wrote it for him? He chose those telling phrases, not the New York Times or the Financial Times"
Because its common for people to write the real reasons they are resigning in public published resignation letters. C'mon Vox.
You've often said the Right should learn from the Left when it comes to how it treats its troops... the main example being how the left doesn't abandon its extremists. Well there is another example as well. Remember how when Eric Holder stepped down the left went insane and started calling him a birther?
No. You don't remember that. Because it didn't happen. Becasue the left doesn't destroy its own when they decide to step down. it thanks them and the next man steps up.
We would do well to do the same. Particularly when there is already massive negative pressure driving good men away from service in this administration. Mueller is a threat to those that want to help. That's bad enough. now on top of that... we pile on the bizarre tradition of personally destroying them at the end of their tenure as well. We started it with Chris Christie in the transition and its gone all the way through.. no to even include Mattis of all people.
Nothing good comes from it.
"Or like assuming biologists are trustworthy because physicists get amazingly accurate results!"
"I went into biology because they told me there was no math....But I'm sure that global warming is real!"
Eff the Baby Boomers for sure, but it's quite simple to keep a Gen X conservative on the sole superpower kickin butt train, give them a fly by at their sportsball game flying old rickety planes that cannot do the max g load lest their wings fall off.
A Gen X con in his man jersey will be heaving his man boobs at the sight of a fly by, a tear in his eye and joy in his heart that his team is gonna kick some butt.
"Mattis may have been useful, at times. but no SecDef who is permitting using the military as a fag dating pool or who wants women in combat is a friend of mine."
This is another amazingly ignorant complaint. Mattis was in fact working against all of this. he didn't have the authority to simply end it (though interestingly enough Trump does and yet no one is blaming him for letting it continue). But if you would bother to even try to remember you would recall that there were tons of articles over the last 12 to 18 months about the training focus changes Mattis was making in the military. less bullshit more fighting.
When Mattis took over... the US Military was a cancer patient coding on the table. He ran the code and stabilized the patient... and once the patient was stable... he then went on to begin the chemo and start curing the cancer.
You're bitching because he didn't cure the cancer first. Which is stupid. because if he had tried to cure the cancer first... the patient would be dead.
Did Eric Holder stab Obama in the back?
US out of Syria, on our way out of Afghanistan, a government shutdown....
It's the most... wonderful time of the year!!
Merry Christmas America! Thank you Mr. President!
We just had a Secretary of Defense that doesn't understand the difference between Nation, Country and State; or, one that purposefully muddles these, as all good Globalists are wont to do.
His resignation is a positive development, therefore, regardless of whether or not the thrust of his resignation is present in his letter of resignation.
"Did Eric Holder stab Obama in the back?"
See? this is what I'm talking about. Stepping down is seen as betrayal by you. And its seen that way... because you are accepting the media's terms on the matter. MATTIS IS STEPPING DOWN HE MUST HATE TRUMP. CRISIS!
no. Stop letting the media control your perceptions.
He wasn't worth a pimple on Smedley Butler's ass.
The trannies may be useful. Once they turn 40, strap a suicide vest on em. Statistically, that's when they're ready to blow. Aim appropriately.
OT: If you want a laugh, check out this YouTuber. He does some short, hilarious edits of the IDW.
I actually don't pay any attention to the media, I read the letter of butthurt, I read VD's commentary and I conclude that Mattis had his time, stemmed the worst of the Obama era but was a complete and utter strategic FAIL.
Here is what is going to happen to Swamp Rat Empire, it will continue to wear out old 1970s wonder weapons, the military will still decline in moral of its fighting personal, the perma war idiots will continue with low grade wars and dog and pony shows with our allies of regimental strength or less (Baltic countries), and then stumble into a war with a near peer enough adversary and get butt raped.
If it was Hillary or the next globalist stooge I wouldn't shed too many tears for Swamp Empire but with Trump I don't want the Swamp Empire to prevail. That is loyalty, Mattis can put on his high heels and go work for Theranos full time.
@4 Nate
Fully agree with you. Was about to post, more or less, the same comment.
We must remember that this is Trump. Mattis may have been cleared to throw off the deep state and for 'other' duties more suited to his pugnacious, Chesty Puller style. I can't wait to see the after action reports, in a few years, if we ever really do.
Vox says wait a few days on any seeming decision by the GE. Isn't it possible Mad Dog was following the GE instructions to the letter acting out the bumbling, incompetent fool? In the case of Mattis, it may take a few months for clarity. I suspect we have not heard the last of the 'Mad Dog.'
"I actually don't pay any attention to the media, I read the letter of butthurt, I read VD's commentary and I conclude that Mattis had his time, stemmed the worst of the Obama era but was a complete and utter strategic FAIL."
And did you also read Session's resignation letter and assume it was completely representative of why he was stepping down?
Or did you only do that with the Mattis situation?
is Paul Ryan on my side?
25. Nate December 21, 2018 9:01 AM
And its seen that way... because you are accepting the media's terms on the matter.
oh, really?
Gen Mattis: "One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships."
this is as opposed to ... our first two presidents:
"Washington advised against "permanent alliances," whereas Jefferson, in his inaugural address on 4 March 1801, declared his devotion to "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." It is a pet phrase of isolationists warning against foreign commitments."
Mattis serves the globalists, and always has. he is hardly unique in this. even in the Republican Party.
21. Nate December 21, 2018 8:56 AM
he didn't have the authority to simply end it
he did have the authority to overturn anything done by a previous SecDef.
sorry, 1st and 3rd.
The Constitution grants power to provide for the common Defense..."OF The UNITED STATES" meaning any and all of THEM, the States, NOT allies, not some freaking useless backwoods shithole country. If I were Pres, I'd pack up every man, woman, child, and thing (equipment) the US has around the world, move them within our borders, tell the world to FO, nuke some backwater as an example, and sit back.
It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model gaining veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic, and security decisions to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors
1.Isn't this just bog standard power realpolitik?
2. Saying this about a certain small nation that actually aggressively practices such things will get you branded as an anti-semite.
It just occurred to me: Trump had planned for a while both his announcements of troop withdrawal and the govt shutdown over Wall funding to occur around the same time at the end of the year.
Why at this time? His opponents have their mind on other things--taking a break over the holidays.
Trump truly is a master negotiator.
"he did have the authority to overturn anything done by a previous SecDef."
I know its early and well... you're not very smart... but Cabinet Members don't set policy. Presidents do. SecDef has the authority he is given by the president... and no more.
SecDef implements policy and administers. He does not make the policy himself.
If you have a problem with girls and gays in the military you should start with Trump. Because he doesn't.
Sessions was canned, rightfully so, the man was the usual Muh Principles blowhard virtue signaler which was fine when conservative whites were numerically superior and of high morale, now a days that virtue signaling plays to old church ladies insulated from third world America. He was of less use than Mattis, good riddance.
If anyone wants a look at America's collapsing military, a week ago there was a picture of the aircraft carrier HW Bush in Haifa harbor, it looked like a rust bucket, damn near Soviet navy collapse era bad. In 1984 I remember seeing the Enterprise at the NAS in the PI, middle of the cold war looking like a gem, if nothing the comparison is symbolic of failed strategy.
Gotta agree with Nate here - it's possible to disagree with the guy without trying to metaphorically burn him at the stake.
Then there's this part: "This guy wasn't a warrior, he was just another corrupt globalist bureaucrat dressed up in a snappy military uniform, complete with fruit salad and red heels."
Come on... Mattis enjoyed tremendous support from the military for both his personal behavior and his leadership in actual wars. This is a... bizarre response, to say the least.
Mattis was the first competent SecDef we've had since Herbert Walker's Administration. The odds of us finding another to replace him are slim to none.
This is not good news. It should not be welcome news. You should not be happy about this.
My last word, Mattis was a quitter.
Thank you. Everyone was fawning over this guy, but what precisely did he do?
Good riddance.
October:
60 Minutes: What about General Mattis? Is he going to leave?
TRUMP: Well, I don’t know. He hasn’t told me that. I have...
60 Minutes: Do you want him to leave?
TRUMP: ... a very good relationship with him. It could be that he is. I think he’s sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth. But General Mattis is a good guy. We get along very well. He may leave. I mean, at some point, everybody leaves. Everybody. People leave. That’s Washington.
Maybe he's just exiting and ingratiating himself to the MIC so that he won't get put in Mueller's cross hairs. But still. If there's any truth-telling in that letter at all, good riddance. "International order"? Ugh.
@40. Mr.MantraMan
It may be your last word, but, I would put a lot of money on the bet Mattis is no quitter.
For God's sake, are we going to always crucify our best prematurely? If it turns out Mattis is a 'black hat' I will accept my misjudgment of the man. Are any of you nay sayers ready to do the same if he is a hero in the mold of General Flynn?
Who is going to protect Israel from the Russian-Islamic alliance, Moshiach?
Allies
The fucking Europeans cannot backstab the USA fast enough.
If I were Pres, I'd pack up every man, woman, child, and thing (equipment) the US has around the world, move them within our borders, tell the world to FO, nuke some backwater as an example, and sit back.
I would start with the DRC. There is an Ebola epidemic there that is threatening to break out. Nuking it may be the only way to stop it.
"our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships"
You can have your entangling alliances, or you can have America.
Evidently, you can not have both.
If you folks have some interest, view the latest Q posts. Especially # 2637.
https://qposts.online/
And this friends, is why it must ALL crash & burn. Because even the 'tip of the spear' types bow & scrape before the globalists our "allied democracies".
You wonder why we are ranks are shot through w/ fags & trannies? This is why... let it burn. Build something new. A return path to normalcy seems to be a long shot at best.
@15 - it almost seems like Avalanche's post was ignored in later comments. Can either Mattis or Trump be blamed for women and gays in the military when activist courts intervene? Trump tried banning those who required surgery (i.e. sex reassignment), a perfectly logical decision considering the damage done by those surgeries. And a decision which, on the face, has nothing to do with "muh discrimination." Yet it got shot down.
How would either of them ban all women and gays unless the president is ready and willing to tell the courts to pound sand?
@34 - 2. Saying this about a certain small nation that actually aggressively practices such things will get you branded as an anti-semite.
How could you say such a thing about our greatest ally??? Bowtie spinning intensifies.
What a fag.
this from the guy who didn't grok the difference between a young and old Solomon?
well alrighty then, sugartits.
you aren't any more infallible than Trump or Vox are.
36. Nate December 21, 2018 9:29 AM
If you have a problem with girls and gays in the military you should start with Trump. Because he doesn't.
and Orange Man is Bad about that.
but at least OMB is trying to honor another of his campaign promises.
you know. one of those things that Mattis knew about BEFORE HE ACCEPTED THE JOB.
but now that the President is honoring the commitment that he made to the Electorate, well, this is just completely unacceptable. according to Mattis.
Mattis is quite intelligent, but he has blinders on, as they are a necessity to advance up the officer ranks. The military, or at least the army, and I’m
guessing the marines, look down on critical thinking skills. This when our military leaders run for office, they can’t shake the “Hooah,” and “Outstanding” mentality they’ve developed over years in service, out of necessity.
I’m sure President Trump is chomping at the bit, while waiting for my illustrious opinion, but I would not appoint any generals to high office. They tend to lack perspective. They are technicians, not artists.
A war in Syria would have been an absolute disaster. A highly motivated Syrian government army, along with an increasingly effective Russian military, would cause massive casualties. Both sides would experience huge losses. All so the (((special ones))) can feel more secure, in their colonization of the Levant.
Imagine if F117’s were getting shot down by the S300. I don’t know if that’s actually possible, or simply hot air, but that would wreck our perceived power around the world.
I'm going to disagree with just about all of you. Mattis was the right man for the job...if he had held it five years ago.
For the last 25 years, the American military has been focused on the Middle East. This was due to our dependence on Saudi oil, and the lack of a peer or near-peer opponent. The difficulties in rebalancing caused by Goldwater-Nichols didn't help.
The geostrategic situation has changed. We have achieved energy independence, the Russians are getting frisky, and the Chinese are undertaking the biggest naval buildup since World War II. CENTCOM is no longer the primary focus.
And while Mattis was a perfect pick if you intended to focus on the Middle East, he's not the pick if you need to focus on the Pacific.
Personally, I'd dearly love to see John Lehmann (Reagan's SECNAV) in that position. Frankly, I would not mind doing it myself - take a whack at REAL acquisition reform, rebalancing the force structure, and getting morale and training up to the fighting trim we had in the late 1980s.
Mad Poodle was a fucking globalist who loved neocon foreign policy. He is unfit to be Secretary of Defense. Forget firings and resignations. Establishment dogs like him should be given the Old Yeller treatment.
Not covered here, but one crazy idea -- this is another head fake, as General Mattis is merely stepping down to take another role? Of course, if that were true, General Mattis would have to be part of the head fake with his resignation letter.
Sun Tzu? I'll wait and see.
The Peter principle a analysis is solid, IMO.
And my biggest frustration with Mattis is that he did nothing to undo the social engineering, and all the same PC mechanisms of power remain in place.
And that letter was remarkably passive aggressive for someone allegedly so brave and virtuous.
I agree with Nate.
In truth, I was quite certain from the the start that none of the Generals that Trump picked would be sticking around for long.
Normally when a man becomes president, he's got a pre-existing pool of candidates to choose from that are members of his own party.
Trump didn't have that.
Not at all.
He could have either picked GOP establishment types (AKA the Washington Republicans) who had only ever served under Papa and Baby Bush and would absolutely stab him in the back the first chance they got.
Or could leave the Obama Democrats in place. Which he had to do in a few spots.
One thing that president Trump did not have was a pool of talent that (A) knew how Washington worked and (B (prime)) were loyal to him.
So he went with the only other option open to him, the Generals. They do know how Washington works and would be "corporately loyal," which is NOT the same as "personally loyal" which is what Donald Trump prizes.
The problem is that president Trump's personalty, management style and tastes were going to be in conflict with men that had been in uniform for forty years. They just were, trust me on that point.
ALL of the Generals were going to be leaving as soon as the President had identified a pool of men that would be loyal to him personally.
If Mattis had wanted to screw him, he would have resigned right before the mid-terms.
The fact that the President only had kind words about Mattis on Twitter indicates to me that this was an amiable parting of the ways.
I'll add one other comment. Don't underestimate Harold Brown (Carter's SECDEF). He was a far better man than his master.
Remember that Dr. Pournelle's most important work was, "The Strategy of Technology." He and Possony argued that with the new microprocessor technology, the U.S. could develop a generation of weapons the Soviets could not copy, train to a standard they could not match. By 1977, the new weapons and training systems were under development...but R&D doesn't come cheap. Dr. Brown knew he wasn't getting enough money to run DOD, he gambled and gutted the readiness accounts to pay for the new generation of weapons.
At the same time, he was encouraging the new strategic and operational thinking in the services. The Army was studying the Israeli operational art and realized they could do more against the Soviets than get killed to justify the use of nukes. The Air Force was finally getting their tactics honed. The Navy was thinking in terms of taking the fight to the Soviets, defending the convoys that would resupply NATO with an offensive elsewhere.
The military machine that Reagan took over in January 1981 was starvation-weak, but strong in the bone and sharp in the mind. Given proper nourishment, it would fill out to titanic strength. And did.
@54 - Imagine if F117’s were getting shot down by the S300. I don’t know if that’s actually possible, or simply hot air, but that would wreck our perceived power around the world.
F-117's are no longer in service. They were stealthy for their time but they probably could be picked off by S300s. F-22s, so long as their pilots are not asleep, are probably safe. Couldn't say yet on the F-35.
But whether or not we can evade S300s is a footnote. An S300 shooting down a Raptor is equally as bad as a Raptor blowing a S300 site...with Russian operators...to hell. Either way you're in a shooting war with Russia, one which could escalate out of control very, very fast. "Perceived power" would be the LEAST of our problems.
Hillary's war talk with regards to Syria sometimes made me wonder just how twisted the elites are and just what their true plans were.
Jack Ward wrote:If you folks have some interest, view the latest Q posts. Especially # 2637.
https://qposts.online/
Rogers departure. Intel.
Sessions departure. Law.
Kelly departure. Warfare/MIL
Mattis departure. Warfare/MIL
Notice a pattern?
Q
Yah. Maybe Mattis has to be politically neutered in order to serve on the Military Tribunals
This letter reads like a disappointed kid taking his ball and going home. I doubt Mattis is to blame for trannies in the military but if he's so much more competent than roughly two decades of his predecessors he must be aware of that. Assuming that's true I don't see how him quitting is excusable especially given the timing of his resignation. He would have to know that by quitting he'd be leaving the US in a weaker position going forward. Problems with Trump's personality quirks wouldn't even begin to justify his decision. Taking him at his word he sounds like he's stuck in the past and isn't coming close to living up to his reputation.
Mattis was one of the better generals the United States has produced since 1945. He is also one exhausted looking SecDef. My guess: He burned entirely too much energy pushing back against Potus instead of translating the "commander in chief's intent" into a viable, long-term defense policy.
Where are we after two years? We still have an establishment that thinks we can standoff the Russians, compete with China militarily, and deter Iran, while remaining engaged in multiple low-intensity conflicts ranging from landlocked Eurasia to the African Sahel.
Mattis may have helped win more funding for Defense, but the problem of geostrategic overextension remains acute as it ever was.
I struggle to see how the letter indicates that Mattis is a sellout. He wasn't fired. He resigned because he recognized that he wasn't the right guy for Trump's vision. We should pray that all of Trump's appointments were as honorable and encourage folks to step down who don't work out.
While I may disagree with a few of Vox's remarks, the post is spot on.
For the defenders of Mattis, explain why Mattis defends the neocon/MIC talking points? Youre playing on the past and ignoring the present. Mattis was a good team player and kept his remarks to himself but the letter makes his position clear. Nationalists dont bemoan withdrawing from empire like Mattis plain has. Trump did not want trannies in the military and made his position clear but Mattis carried on with business as usual from Zero's era. Others have pointed this out. I have no doubt that he could have scaled back women in combat and SpecOp units but he made no effort to do so or convince Trump to do so. Mattis may have been an excellent soldier and commander but he drank the kool-aid and chose the globohomo hill of Syria on which to die...
@65: Excellent point. Resignation over a disagreement is honorable. Staying and betraying is not.
I would also add that he could have kept his letter simple and sweet. Instead he chose to elaborate and therein lies the issue.
FWIW, Wictor thinks Mattis's resignation is deception.
https://quodverum.com/2018/12/355/james-mattis-to-resign-as-secretary-of-defense.html
Trump had observed a while back that Mattis was "some kind of Democrat." It seems that Trump may have had a sudden epiphany and realized that he is surrounded by enemies...
Mocheirge wrote:FWIW, Wictor thinks Mattis's resignation is deception.
Wictor is very good at what he does. The only quibble with the story is that the Russians that got wiped out were mercenaries, not Government troops.
Last competent general was MacArthur - fired for wanting to use tactical nukes on the chinese military forces sticking their nose into the korean war and call the bluff of a still nascent (at the time) soviet nuclear strike capacity.
The failure to rehabilitate the most important weapon in the military, the individual himself, was my biggest aggravation with Mattis. Trump did issue the order. Did Mattis obey? Did the courts stop him? It's a combination of all three, but if Mattis wasn't on board in his soul with kicking out the trannies, faggots and women, military defeat is inevitable.
> The trannies may be useful. Once they turn 40, strap a suicide vest on em.
No need for that. Just give them their own division and use it for suicide missions.
> Mattis may have been cleared to throw off the deep state and for 'other' duties more suited to his pugnacious, Chesty Puller style.
Some folks haven't been reading their Q drops. Such as serving as a judge on a military tribunal, say? :) Now, I'll believe that when I see it, but...
> Mattis was the first competent SecDef we've had since Herbert Walker's Administration.
I will reluctantly agree with that assessment.
> The odds of us finding another to replace him are slim to none.
I doubt that's the case. The odds of getting him approved, OTOH...
> This is not good news. It should not be welcome news. You should not be happy about this.
It's extremely bad news in that there was a fundamental disagreement on strategy between Mattis and Trump. I can't say exactly what that disagreement was at this point, but that's troubling. I trusted Mattis' judgement on matters.
> The fact that the President only had kind words about Mattis on Twitter indicates to me that this was an amiable parting of the ways.
That's my one consolation in the matter. Well, that and the fact that Mattis only said he disagreed with Trump's view. He didn't try to trash it.
@73
The courts have no constitutional authority to tell the executive branch how to run the military.
That is a judicial order that can be ignored.
So I guess all those early comparisons to General Patton were a bit off.
He was on the board of crazy-eye's diabetes testing company. Good indication of the company he keeps.
That was a new one on me, his involvement with Theranos.
I’m glad to see Mattis go. No amount of competence can make up for putting globalism over the American nations best interest.
We also know he can’t have too much integrity if he supported trannies in the military.
Most of us here back the GE to the hilt. And, we are often confused. As now.
Think on this; if we are confused and unsure just imagine what the situation is for President Trumps's enemies and the enemies of the the USA and it's sacred Constitution.
Last comment for awhile, much to some relief in certain folk, I really have to get down to business today.
@62 yep, I noticed a pattern: Q is full of shit. However, Q has served a purpose-further exposure of the deep state, encouraging people to question the narrative, and keeping the chans engaged. So it's a mixed bag.
Remember that Dr. Pournelle's most important work was, "The Strategy of Technology." He and Possony argued that with the new microprocessor technology, the U.S. could develop a generation of weapons the Soviets could not copy, train to a standard they could not match. By 1977, the new weapons and training systems were under development...but R&D doesn't come cheap. Dr. Brown knew he wasn't getting enough money to run DOD, he gambled and gutted the readiness accounts to pay for the new generation of weapons.
To a certain extent Pournelle seems to think technology was a magic bullet. The problem is that more complex systems have more complex failure modes and are harder to build, operate and maintain.
That is not good when you are also adulterating your population with Somali goat fuckers and Central American child rapists resulting in your population's IQ going down.
The Chinese and the Russians have not been following suit with respect to the goat fuckers etc, and the Russians have been adopting technology at possibly a greater pace than the US and possibly more effective technology, so it is going to be interesting.
To rise to power and standing within the territory of the beast is to be at one with the beast. Honorable truth tellers are culled long before they come to national prominence . Bet on it.
"It's extremely bad news in that there was a fundamental disagreement on strategy between Mattis and Trump."
I do not believe there was or is a fundamental difference on strategy between the two men.
You want to know why Mattis left? This is why:
https://spectator.us/trumps-sudden-syria-pullout/?fbclid=IwAR2B2lP8Td69RFA2RmuLGDmF9saO0xIA4sW4C6ep3egtfJrcuPwbCSqKy4M
"Stunningly, the Joint Chiefs of Staff were not informed about the Syria withdrawal, and their chairman, General Joe Dunford, found out about the decision when the press announced it. Keeping the country’s military leadership in the dark about withdrawing US troops from a war-zone is without precedent and speaks to turmoil and disarray inside the Oval Office, not to mention a complete breakdown of civil-military relations."
Trump didn't tell Mattis he was going to do it. Mattis, as we suspected, learned about this from some briefing or report or worse yet from seeing it on FoxNews. Meaning the enemy learned about it the same time he did... or something close to that. It is unlikely that this is the first time something like this happened... and the last time it happened he probably told POTUS if it happened again he was out.
Trump is the SitCom President.. and the name of the show is Uncle Bumblefuck. The whole show is about he means well but bumbles around and screws up. And in every episode he eventually finds his footing and fixes it all and everything turns out great in the end.
@84
When you have a hostile cabinet of neocon cucks, you run the risk of "bureaucratic jamming" if you attempt to go through normal channels.
Makes sense Trump makes it public first.
@84
Did you ever notice how biased the news is. How every last thing Trump does is bad. Every last thing always.
Nate wrote:"Trump is the SitCom President.. and the name of the show is Uncle Bumblefuck. The whole show is about he means well but bumbles around and screws up. And in every episode he eventually finds his footing and fixes it all and everything turns out great in the end.
This is a good assessment. Let's hope it does turn out great in the end.
Where was this attack of conscience on the part of GO's (once one, always one) during the Obama/Ash Carter decimation era? To the "I wanna keep my stars & lucrid defense consultancy" go f yourselves.
And to comment #5 Mr. Excitement: Congratulations. You're a generational idiot who has found their event horizon.
74. James Dixon December 21, 2018 11:02 AM
I trusted Mattis' judgement on matters.
78. Stg58/Animal Mother December 21, 2018 11:13 AM
That was a new one on me, his involvement with Theranos.
hanh?
Mattis ( and Kissinger ) being on the Theranos board was the first really Red Flag i noticed about him.
trust Mattis' judgment? wtfbbq?
Kissinger helped lose Vietnam and pave the way for the rise of China and pretended that appeasement of China was essential because we couldn't possibly withstand the 'inexorable forces of History' which Russia and China represented.
and Mattis liked that.
84. Nate December 21, 2018 11:23 AM
You want to know why Mattis left? This is why:
help me out here. you know how tarded i am.
didn't you just argue that we shouldn't believe everything we read in the newspapers upthread?
now you want me to believe a UK owned paper? when the UK is up to their eyeballs in the MI6 project to invent muh Russia Collusion?
and after all the other lying that's been going on about Trump and the White House, just from the US press?
funny how you didn't quote this part of the article:
"Instead, DC foreign policy mavens, most of whom espouse neo-flavored beliefs (whether neoliberal or neoconservative) reacted with derision and horror to Trump’s proposed withdrawal from Syria’s terrible fratricide, ongoing for almost eight years. These media and think-tank denizens, once derided as ‘the Blob’ by Obama’s White House, have spoken with one voice, and it’s sharply critical of the president.
Prominent Republicans are among the harshest Trump critics, with Sen. Lindsey Graham leading the charge against the president’s Syria decision"
i note that Miss Lindsey has returned to his normal swishing globalist demeanor.
and i'm not particularly interested in impressing the Swamp denizens.
Nate wrote:Meaning the enemy learned about it the same time he did...
Meaning Trump puts the general who disobeyed orders to dump the trannies and queers in the same category with the enemy. Sounds smart.
Mattis was a politician who sucked up to 0bammy for eight years. Trump needs to dump every flag officer 0bammy kept. There are plenty of majors and colonels running out their twenty in retirement posts who could be field promoted to replace them.
I can't say I am shocked, he has been a massive disappointment.
Stepping down is seen as betrayal by you. And its seen that way... because you are accepting the media's terms on the matter. MATTIS IS STEPPING DOWN HE MUST HATE TRUMP. CRISIS!
This isn't addressed at me, but to be clear, I do not regard Mattis's resignation as a betrayal. I regard it as being a good thing, in light of what he says in his resignation letter. I do not like the way the US military has been handled, for the most part, over the last two years, and I really do not like the globalist language that permeates that letter.
I have not read Sessions's resignation letter, so I cannot speak to that.
If there is some 4D strategery here and Mattis and Sessions are going to be unleashed on the domestic enemies of the Constitution, great, then I will cheerfully recant my incorrect observations. But I can only make observations about what I am able to see.
About the 'surprise' I also call BS. It was widely reported that Trump tried to do this back in March 2018 but Mattis and Pompeo convinced him to stay a while longer. If Mattis was surprised that's his problem.
Mattis looked to be trouble when he was insistent on putting former Obama staffers in senior positions. Not just any Obama staffers, but ones who were critical to supporting and implementing some of the worst policies.
Any time I see an effective and courageous military leader put into a policy position, I figure it's at best 50/50 whether it will work out.
"Jesus Christ... we're retconning Mattis as incompetent now? The guy that just a matter of months ago you yourself credited with preventing war with Russia?"
Retroactive history. For fake italians as well as dirty, stinking commies.
I'd like to point out for the record that Amash voted against the wall.
So much for "we don't make policy, we just enforce it".
What happens to a dog that wants to hold its own leash?
Avalanche wrote:Starting today, transgender individuals may openly join the U.S. military, this despite stiff opposition from President Trump, who tweeted last July that he wouldn't accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity.
This just perfectly captures the decline of America. Not only do we allow degenerate freaks to walk around pretending to be the opposite gender, but we actively encourage it.
The military, whose only measure should be its effectiveness as a fighting force is now being used as an insurance policy for crazy people to get elective surgery which will make them less effective soldiers.
The wall is a band-aid. We effectively kept Mexicans and Central and South Americans out of the country without a wall for almost 2 centuries. We didn't need it because we were not a sick nation.
The military has illegal aliens in it. Congress has foreign nationals in it. Illegal aliens vote in our elections. We celebrate degeneracy. We blame ourselves for other peoples' flaws. Tolerance of the intolerable is our highest virtue.
The rot is everywhere and these things are just symptoms of much deeper problems. None of these things would even be on the table for discussion in a healthy and functional society.
I'm withholding judgment for now, but it really rubs me the wrong way that a soldier would think it appropriate to so publically undermine the civilian government he chose to serve. If he resigned because his views are divergent from Trump he should have quietly walked away like so many good men have managed to do before him.
But no. He chose to get political and heighten the civil tensions he must know are threatening to tear this country apart.
I don't think the resignation of Mattis is comparable to Sessions.
Mattis's resignation was, as far as I can tell, a surprise. It's debatable whether or not he was doing a good job. He's always been a Democrat, but according to the military guys and vets, he was also a great general. His views clearly didn't align very well with Trump's, and certainly not with Trump's voting base, but when his position was military and not political, his views were less important. This is pretty much what he says in his letter. I'm not willing to hang him for it; in fact, I credit him for recognizing that he's not suited for the position of top dog, and would be happy to leave it at that, as long as he doesn't spend the rest of his career badmouthing the administration and writing retarded books like some other ex-officials.
Sessions was a completely different story. His recusal was a very public humiliation to both himself and the Trump administration. He was well-known as "snoozy sessions" except amongst a few of the hardcore Q true-believers. Rumors had been circulating for months upon months of his dismissal. What's far more likely to have happened with Sessions is that he was under a lot of pressure to "resign", but either resisted it at first or was given some leeway to make a clean exit (i.e. wait until after the midterms), because Trump does repay favors and Sessions did him a big one by supporting his campaign.
Sessions was a terrible fit and a subpar AG by any standard. Mattis was, by all accounts, a pretty average SecDef who just didn't want any radical reforms; the usual sort of milquetoast executive who thinks that a broken system can be fixed by lots of cash/debt and a few token policy changes. It's possible that he was a sellout, but it's also possible that he's just deluded, like so many liberals. They know that the system is failing but are unwilling or unable to find out why, so when they're in charge, they pursue useless or counterproductive solutions.
96. Stg58/Animal Mother December 21, 2018 12:31 PM
I'd like to point out for the record that Amash voted against the wall.
"Amash is a first US born generation Arab-American son of a Palestinian Christian father and a Syrian Christian mother."
and i'm supposed to be surprised because ...?
Just pointing it out because I hate libertarians.
Tl;DrL version:
"Like you, I believe that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Unfortunately, I also believe the armed forces of the United States should be the policeman of the world and so I am stepping down so you can have a SecDef with views more aligned with yours."
ace wrote:But no. He chose to get political and heighten the civil tensions he must know are threatening to tear this country apart.
Which is a reason to wonder if it is a ruse of some sort.
I read his resignation letter and what stands out to me is how it defines what Trump is. Trump is not in support in the alliances, not in support of foreign entanglements. Re-read the letter and see what it says Trump is and what Trump supports. Don't read the letter as what Mattis is. Read it as what Trump is and what direction he will be taking us.
Its possible that Mattis really was a sorta-secret Globalist all this time and he's finally had enough of the Nationalism and decided to sperge out as he quit his post... OR he's a soldier who is doing what he was told.
Mattis was the right candidate for the time. Now that Trump has the Senate in hand, he should be able to push through whatever SecDef candidate he wants. And that letter tells you exactly what kind of SecDef we will be getting. I believe this is planned.
That is the conclusion I draw from the facts that I can see.
A few observations, so please correct me if I'm wrong
1) The media is going nuts over Mad Dog resigning: if the media hates it, it is a good thing and lends credence to the notion that he is a Swamp Creature (or at least way to cozy & in good standing w/them)
2) He oversaw a DoD that was criminally obfuscating trillions of $$$ in accounting shenanigans: this alone makes me seriously question his post-military honor
3) He allowed the military to refuse implementation of Trump's policy on Trannies, etc : isnt this essentially insubordination on his part and all of the generals who didnt get on board?
4) He & Nat Security Council have stalled Trump on removing troops from Syria before... and now quits bc he disagrees with the final decision of the C-in-C, instead of just implementing policy as he's supposed to.
So yes, I agree, Trump does deserve a better Sec of D
Well, that's Kurt Schlichter's fantasy down the tubes. But really, no one can be surprised. Mattis had a Herculean task in cleaning out the American military: for the most part, merely making it servicable again after a string of Obama-era disasters was the best he could do. He hasn't moved on issues involving social cohesion (shemales, gays, and women), nor has he gotten the MAGA vision.
He wasn't the worst SecDef ever, but he wasn't getting it done. And in Trumpland, that means discard and draw. Especially with a more pliable Senate next year.
Trump didn't tell Mattis he was going to do it. Mattis, as we suspected, learned about this from some briefing or report or worse yet from seeing it on FoxNews. Meaning the enemy learned about it the same time he did... or something close to that. It is unlikely that this is the first time something like this happened... and the last time it happened he probably told POTUS if it happened again he was out.
It makes perfect sense that this is why Mattis left. Most likely, Trump wanted to decisively commence the withdrawal of troops from Syria so that his orders couldn't be undermined. This move also signals that Trump's willingness to placate the neocons is fading.
Mattis' resignation has nothing to do with a lack of military competence - it's all about his unwillingness to follow Trump's strategic vision of de-escalation in the Middle East.
i fondly remember the days when Republicans all over the place ( up to and including Rush ) were declaiming how much integrity Comey had and how he was a Gud Guy and how he was gonna do Gud Thingz Any Day Now.
i don't know why this reminds me of anything.
"Trump is not in support in the alliances, not in support of foreign entanglements"
@Rebel Skate
Fake News. He's in favor of alliances where they benefit us.
In fact, just before his withdrawal announcement, he had a talk with Erdogan. The gist of it is that he's punting northeastern Syria to the Turks.
Another guess: Mattis has a soft spot for the Kurds. Which America always screw in the end.
Looks like Mattis was signaling that there are 73 other countries who can tag in to Syria.
And if not a single one of them wants to pick up the lead, that’s a far more valuable lesson than all the wisdom the Pentagon might muster.
Another guess: Mattis has a soft spot for the Kurds. Which America always screw in the end.
Tom Kratman does not have a soft spot for the Kurds.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
@7
"
Correct me if I wrong,but didn't he said that trannies weren't as lethal as average male soldiers and that they were of no utility for the military?"
But when Trump issued the "No Trannies" order, and the 2- and 3-starts voiced their displeasure, did Mattis fire each and every one of them? No.
That's all you need to know.
Cleaning out the flag officer ranks should have been set as the priority IMMEDIATELY.
Especially that female USAF general who ordered all of the male ROTC cadets to walk around campus in red pumps.
She should have been charged with malfeasance in office, and stood trial at a court martial proceeding.
@14
"Or like assuming biologists are trustworthy because physicists get amazingly accurate results!"
I hate to tell you this, but most of the physics community has their heads up their asses, too.
For example, they are doing a LOT of things at CERN, but until another Large Hadron Collider is built so that results can be checked by other researchers, at an entirely different facility, using similar equipment, it's not science.
It's NOT science until there is independent verification.
More troop withdrawals: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/politics/afghanistan-troop-withdrawal.html
@21 "he didn't have the authority to simply end it (though interestingly enough Trump does and yet no one is blaming him for letting it continue)."
So, CinC President Trump said: "NO trannies." The heads of the services said, "we ain't gonna do that; we're keeping our trannies!" And SecDef Mattis did NOT stab them in the eye with his finger -- or even just order them to carry out that order?
What "higher" authority did Mattis NEED than to say: "CinC says no trannies, therefore, NO trannies?!
@29 "Isn't it possible Mad Dog was following the GE instructions to the letter acting out the bumbling, incompetent fool? In the case of Mattis, it may take a few months for clarity. I suspect we have not heard the last of the 'Mad Dog.'"
I hope this is true. I hope he and Adm Rogers 'left' so they can provide a steadying hand, along with Gen Kelly, in the possible martial law being declared if things go to hell in Jan. Oh! PLEASE let the Marines handle antifa and BLM! What a lovely thing that would be!
Dirk Manly wrote:@7
"
Correct me if I wrong,but didn't he said that trannies weren't as lethal as average male soldiers and that they were of no utility for the military?"
But when Trump issued the "No Trannies" order, and the 2- and 3-starts voiced their displeasure, did Mattis fire each and every one of them? No.
That's all you need to know.
Cleaning out the flag officer ranks should have been set as the priority IMMEDIATELY.
Especially that female USAF general who ordered all of the male ROTC cadets to walk around campus in red pumps.
She should have been charged with malfeasance in office, and stood trial at a court martial proceeding.
Seconds after being officially sworn in to the Presidency, all of Obama's Executive Orders revoked, all Obama and Clinton people in the Executive Branch fired, and all Flag Officers loyal to Democrats fired or forced to retire.
That's how I would have rolled. Have not been convinced otherwise by any factors since Trump's election.
@120, some of that is normal for any new administration, and all of it is within the president's authority. As I recall, Trump actually did less of that sort of thing than is normal.
He was a great battalion commander. But that's what he was suited to, not much higher.
Mattis cucked so hard
And did you also read Session's resignation letter and assume it was completely representative of why he was stepping down?
While it is charming and even honorable that Nate continues to defend his homie, I am not from 'Bama so I can provide a more detached assessment of Sessions' tenure as AG.
Useless as tits on a boar. The biggest disappointment of the Trump administration so far, 2 years of not dealing effectively with the Swamp form the position that needed to be the point person on it. Sessions may be a decent man, I don't know him well enough to say he isn't, but at a time when we needed a Swamp Drainin' Sonuvabitch as AG, we got... Sessions instead.
As to Mattis, read his resignation letter. Either he lied his caboose off, or else he has horrible strategic ideas and was eager to sacrifice the lives of American fighting men in order to prop up our Globalist enemies who hate us and our nation. It's one or the other, take your pick.
And don't give me this business about it being a ruse to throw the Globalists off his track so he can join the secret military tribunals. The Globalists know their own. Like Vox, I'll be more than glad to recant if I see tribunals sending swamp creatures off to Gitmo, but I'm not holding my breath.
All this Q-bert/4D chess stuff is starting to have the whiff of a Downfall parody to it. Steiner isn't going to stabilize the front by counterattacking with the 93rd Sealed Indictments Division.
What we have instead with the resignation of Sessions and Mattis is another opportunity for Trump to get Lieutenants in place who will aggressively pursue his agenda of wall building, swamp draining, and troop returning.
Sessions and Mattis may be fine men who prior to being in the Trump administration did their duty as best they knew how, but let's not lament their removal from office. They were not getting the job done. And Nate, I understand what you mean about not tearing people down when they leave office. But there is the other side of that coin - go too easy on them and people think it's okay not to deliver results while they're in office.
Too much of that complacency in government. We need men with a sense of urgency and accountability.
And fer cryin' out loud:
...there is already massive negative pressure driving good men away from service in this administration. Mueller is a threat to those that want to help.
Mueller is a threat because Sessions laid down on the job. Mueller is Sessions' fault, so let's not get too happy with the "don't criticize ex-officials" business. If Sessions hadn't been so damned useless, Mueller wouldn't be a threat to anybody.
He's a globalist Member of CFR. Among other things..
https://americanfreepress.net/gen-james-mattis-a-liberal-trojan-horse-in-the-trump-administration/
Mattis is a globalist. Doesn't matter what "good" he did. He is a swamp creature
With a few exceptions in God's Providence, such as Joan of Arc (for France),
no nation should ever allow a person who is successful in this world
and widely praised
but who cannot, despite how easy it should be for such a person, find a good wife to have children with
to have a position of responsibility for the nation.
Think about it.
Good riddance, little "Mad Dog". Enjoy your retirement, little "Mad Dog", but good riddance. You had lots of fun while better men than you, faced with a brutal murderous enemy, struggled with your unpatriotic "Rules of Engagement".
(also, if you are a highly praised soldier but you have never been wounded in action ....
give back every single one of your medals, rather than even once choosing to appear in public so bedecked).
and before you write your memoirs. little Mad Dog, think about this:
you prospered and were promoted
you know it in your heart
in the George Bush era and the Obama era
and those two clowns clearly had little concern for the brave soldiers who were getting shot at
while they partied at the White House
remember those ROEs you never complained about, you little bureaucrat? because you were afraid of the politicians?
Good riddance little mad dog
Ok that's a little creepy
Stg58/Animal Mother
if you were talking about me fuck off
if you weren't, disregard
This post by Vox may have had its run, but, I wanted to offer a link to the Quodverum site and Wickers posting about the Mattis resignation. It reads, to me, as accurate and timely opinion as to the deep chess being played by Trump and Mattis. As Wicker says there, "you decide."
https://quodverum.com/2018/12/355/james-mattis-to-resign-as-secretary-of-defense.html
"If Sessions hadn't been so damned useless, Mueller wouldn't be a threat to anybody."
But, but, but Nate said Sessions was going to take them all to the woodshed any day now ya know cause Sessions from Alabammy an such?
@18 Nate - "...there is already massive negative pressure driving good men away from service in this administration."
One of the reasons I joined the Navy because I thought it was a rock of order, discipline, and masculine virtue. In my time in I saw homosexuals first become allowed, then granted the same benefits as heterosexual couples, and finally saw women being put on submarines (which is untenable for many reasons too numerous to detail here).
I could bear the cumbersome bureaucracies. I could tolerate long watches and many sleepless nights. But after coming to understand that we were just essentially just a make work program that served the whims of bureaucrats and corporate cronies, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had planned to make the Navy my career, but instead I left after just one term.
I notice a handful of post regarding the musings of one Thomas Wictor, who I use to follow on twitter. At best the man is bat shit crazy with a talent for spinning a yarn, or, alternatively he is a deep state shill pretending to support Trump while actively undermining Trumps stated goals regarding foreign policy. His cult following was a scary bunch of yes men with little agency who could be convinced of anything by random pictures and videos which Wictor used to weave his tale. I never saw the man answer any serious question contradicting his narrative or a following sane enough to grasp the point.
@44
"For God's sake, are we going to always crucify our best prematurely? If it turns out Mattis is a 'black hat' I will accept my misjudgment of the man. Are any of you nay sayers ready to do the same if he is a hero in the mold of General Flynn?"
As a member of the army for 28 years now, I am absolutely appalled that he did not fire each and every flag officer who refused to go along with the tranny ban.
That he utterly failed to boot those admirals and generals out on their ass within 24 hours is absolutely inexcusable.
Remember, when Benghazi was still going down, Obama's SECDEF fired the Commanding General in Italy because he insisted on organizing a rescue force (which, once they were loaded up, could have had boots and equipment on the ground via parachute within 2 hours.
If Generals can be fired for taking actions to save American lives, and that of an ambassador at that (who, by the way, rates a 19 gun salute, whereas even a 4-star whose isn't the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff only gets 17 guns), then any general can damn well be fired for refusing to follow an order to discharge a group of personnel who are known to be exceptionally prominent morale and discipline problems, high suicide rates (including murder-suicide, and "fuck-it-I-don't-care-if-my-method-of-suicide-kills-fellow-servicemembers-too"), as well as being documented disease vectors, and a single member consuming more medical expenses in one month than a typical platoon does in a year.
The fact that Mattis did not IMMEDIATELY take action against them leads me to suspect that some of the stories floating around about him were... concocted.
@47
"I would start with the DRC. There is an Ebola epidemic there that is threatening to break out. Nuking it may be the only way to stop it."
Maybe it will spread throughout all of Subsaharan Africa. And then the Boers will be in full control of SA again -- but through no effort on their own part.
@54
"Imagine if F117’s were getting shot down by the S300. I don’t know if that’s actually possible, or simply hot air, but that would wreck our perceived power around the world. "
Yes, it's possible.
The F117 has the radar cross-section of a pigeon.
When your radar picks up a pigeon flying faster than 50 knots, it's an F-117. And you target it.
@61
"Hillary's war talk with regards to Syria sometimes made me wonder just how twisted the elites are and just what their true plans were."
Death and destruction for anyone not from their clique.
wahr01 wrote:Last competent general was MacArthur - fired for wanting to use tactical nukes on the chinese military forces sticking their nose into the korean war and call the bluff of a still nascent (at the time) soviet nuclear strike capacity.
Just thinking about how things would be different if they'd done that instead of firing him is "Wow!" -- we probably wouldn't have gotten into the Vietnam war, and the Chinese would've been bloodied: either it would have expanded into war with China (which would drastically alter our relations now, as well as either nixing "Nixon goes to China" or making it even more stunning than it was), or it would have cowed China.
wahr01 wrote:@73
The courts have no constitutional authority to tell the executive branch how to run the military.
That is a judicial order that can be ignored.
More than that: it can be shown (rather easily) how women undermine both operational-capabilities and readiness, and how post-ops are very sensitive to logistics (ie screwed if they don't get their hormones) -- so such an order could very well be considered to be giving aid and comfort to the enemy by undermining the US's armed forces.
Ryan G wrote:@18 Nate - "...there is already massive negative pressure driving good men away from service in this administration."
One of the reasons I joined the Navy because I thought it was a rock of order, discipline, and masculine virtue. In my time in I saw homosexuals first become allowed, then granted the same benefits as heterosexual couples, and finally saw women being put on submarines (which is untenable for many reasons too numerous to detail here).
I could bear the cumbersome bureaucracies. I could tolerate long watches and many sleepless nights. But after coming to understand that we were just essentially just a make work program that served the whims of bureaucrats and corporate cronies, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had planned to make the Navy my career, but instead I left after just one term.
I have some experience with the Army, and completely understand where you're coming from.
@63
"I doubt Mattis is to blame for trannies in the military but if he's so much more competent than roughly two decades of his predecessors he must be aware of that."
Mattis IS to blame for not immediately firing every General and Admiral who objected to the "No Trannies" decision from Trump. That he CAVED on such an obvious issue showed that while he may be good on carrying out policy coming from on high, he's not that good at being part of the team that makes it, and backs up their words.
Have you ever sat in a briefing where the tranny policy is being explained to enlisted personnel, and seen the look on the women's faces when it gets to the part about how M-to-F trannies WILL sleep in the women's quarters and WILL use the women's shower facilities, etc... and that all it takes for them to do so is to wear female garments and uniforms? Whatever their own "personal" plan is -- which does NOT even have to include hormones, let alone surgery. The look of horror on the female troops' faces as they process all of that and figure out what it means unforgettable.
@83
"To rise to power and standing within the territory of the beast is to be at one with the beast. Honorable truth tellers are culled long before they come to national prominence . Bet on it. "
The big cull with regards to politics is at the Bird -> 1 star promotion. Below that ranks, politics doesn't have much effect on officer promotions as much as competence.
Trump should look among the ranks of Colonels and Commander (Navy),
@84
"Trump is the SitCom President.. and the name of the show is Uncle Bumblefuck. The whole show is about he means well but bumbles around and screws up. And in every episode he eventually finds his footing and fixes it all and everything turns out great in the end."
If was a dumb idea, and it worked, you might want to reassess your evaluation as to whether it was a dumb idea.
@111
"Another guess: Mattis has a soft spot for the Kurds. Which America always screw in the end. "
Always? This and OIF are the only two times in their long history of fighting for a separate state for themselves that we have even had any influence on the situation.
Now the Brits and the French, on the other hand ... they're the ones who drew the lines in the Mideast as part of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in wrapping up WW1. And those lines, for the most part, are rather arbitrary (that's why so many of them are straight lines -- in a region where geological features are of outsize importance because there are so few of them).
"
Tom Kratman does not have a soft spot for the Kurds."
They're just as distrustably back-stabbing as any other tribe in the region.
@128
"(also, if you are a highly praised soldier but you have never been wounded in action ....
give back every single one of your medals, rather than even once choosing to appear in public so bedecked)."
A lot of great leaders have deliberately exposed themselves to fire and come out of it without a scratch. Mostly senior NCOs and Lieutenants, but can be as high as majors.
It's a common thing. For some reason, other than in springing and ambush, guys with weapons tend to focus exclusively on other men with weapons, and seem to be almost completely oblivious to the officers and non-coms running around hitting the reset button on privates who have frozen up in combat.
(*) (not for medals, but just to go around from troop to troop, pointing out targets and kicking them in the ass to say, "FIRE YOUR DAMNED WEAPON)
Dirk: I agree almost completely with your latest string of comments (although, for reasons based on personal knowledge, I have to say you are wrong about the Kurds, they - and the Yazidis - are more like Armenians than like their neighbors - which is a compliment - but personal knowledge is fallible) and yes, lots of brave people spend a lifetime in the military, and try to get near the real action, and never get wounded.
Thanks for posting your comments.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-22/endless-war-has-been-normalized-and-everyone-crazy
"Endless War Has Been Normalized And Everyone Is Crazy..."
https://twitter.com/caitoz/status/1075513846234664963
https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/society-is-made-of-narrative-realizing-this-is-awakening-from-the-matrix-787c7e2539ae
Okay, let's keep US troops in the Middle East. But since ISIS is defeated, let's have the US military work to protect Syria from Israeli aggression. And let's have the US military aid Syria to regain Golan Heights that was stolen by Israel. And let's send US troops into West Bank to protect Palestinians from Zionist-settler-imperialists.
Yes, 'isolationism' sure sucks. US must be World Police. It must protect weaker nations from stronger ones. Since Israel periodically attacks Syria but not vice versa, US must protect Syria from Israel. And since Zionists continue to occupy West Bank and steal land, the righteous thing for US military is to protect Palestinians from further invasion and land theft.
Everyone wins! Neocons and Deep State get to keep the US military in the Middle East, and we get to watch the US military carry out noble duties on behalf of much beleaguered peoples.
@149
". And let's have the US military aid Syria to regain Golan Heights that was stolen by Israel. And let's send US troops into West Bank to protect Palestinians from Zionist-settler-imperialists. "
Those areas were used as assembly areas in preparation for invading Israel's land.
According to one of the U.N. treaties, if a country is invaded by another, and the invaded country captures the assembly areas, then the invaded country is LEGALLY allowed to retain the captured assembly areas.
The Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights were all used as assembly areas for starting wars of invasion against Isreal. Therefore, when Israeli troops captured those assembly areas, each in the course of the same as those assembly areas were used to launch those invasions, Israel is fully within its rights to incorporate that land into the rest of the country, and to do with it whatever it sees fit.
And I'm not even a big supporter of the existence of Israel, having listen to Benjamin Freedman's 1961 speech at the Willar Hotel.
@141: The look of horror on the female troops' faces as they process all of that and figure out what it means unforgettable.
Maybe it is designed to get women out of the armed forces because they don't belong there.
However, given that this happened under Mattis' watch, I wonder:
Soldiers don 'pregnancy simulators
CAMP ZAMA, Japan – The Army is ordering its hardened combat veterans to wear fake breasts and empathy bellies so they can better understand how pregnant soldiers feel during physical training.
https://www.stripes.com/news/army/soldiers-don-fake-belly-breasts-to-better-understand-pregnant-troops-exercise-concerns-1.168786?fbclid=IwAR0TEIhVGVn6CcwYVwdZrX99meB60eMyM6MkqfRDzwIk7znNuoqfi_qQQto
I would refuse to follow it as an illegal order. It goes AGAINST the good order of the army, and specifically violates the 2nd General Order that we all learned in Basic Training -- "I will obey my special orders AND PERFORM ALL MY DUTIES IN A MILITARY MANNER."
A male soldier dressed in a woman's maternity get-up (to accomodate the belly) is NOT performing his duties in a military manner -- in fact, the opposite -- he's making a laughing stock of the entire service.
If the Army is going to use "your appearance is important, as the public sees you as representative of ALL soldiers" then it's just as important when some SJW officer decides that I or any other man should dress up like a deranged cross-dresser.
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