Former Pentagon Leaders Warn of a Dangerous Era

[Boats]

Former Pentagon Leaders Warn of a Dangerous Era
By: The New York Times - 09-06-22
Re: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/06/u...ry-letter.html

WASHINGTON — The challenge to a peaceful transfer of power after President Donald J. Trump
lost the 2020 election has worsened “an extremely adverse environment” for the U.S. military,
according to an open letter signed by several top generals and former defense secretaries.

The letter does not mention Mr. Trump by name. But in 16 points on the principles that are
supposed to define civil-military relations, the signatories issued a thinly veiled indictment
of Mr. Trump and the legions of his followers who called on the military to support his
false claims that the election was stolen from him.

“Military officers swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution, not an oath of fealty
to an individual or to an office,” the bipartisan group wrote, adding later, “It is the responsibility
of senior military and civilian leaders to ensure that any order they receive from the president
is legal.”

Two former defense secretaries who served under Mr. Trump, Jim Mattis and Mark T. Esper,
were among those who signed the letter, which was published Tuesday on War on the Rocks,
an online platform for analysis of national security and foreign affairs issues.

The letter reads like an American high school civics lesson. But in the six years since
Mr. Trump entered the White House, the theme of the military’s duty to obey only legal
orders has come up frequently. Mr. Trump’s tenure was a turbulent period for the Pentagon
in which the president ordered American troops to the southwest border in a standoff
against immigrants, riled up a crowd that stormed the Capitol and asked the military to
deploy against protesters seeking racial justice.

Mr. Trump also asked his chief of staff, John F. Kelly, a retired Marine general, why he could
not have military leaders who were loyal to him, like the “German generals in World War II,”
according to “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” by Peter Baker and Susan
Glasser. (Mr. Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times;
Ms. Glasser is a staff writer for The New Yorker.)

Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the
George W. Bush and Obama administrations, said today’s political discourse was
peppered with commentary that showed a lack of understanding of the role of the military.

The letter “is not pointed at Trump, but when you hear him talk about Hitler’s generals, well,
that’s not who we are,” Admiral Mullen, one of the signatories, said in an interview.

The letter originated during a discussion between Peter Feaver, a Duke University professor,
and retired Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under
President Barack Obama.

In an interview, Mr. Feaver said the continuing fallout included the demands on cable television
— including on Fox News shows — for the resignation of Gen. Mark A. Milley, the current
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Those cable personalities are not using this list as their standard,” Mr. Feaver said, in a reference
to civil-military standards the letter sets out. (The letter also includes that “the military has an
obligation to assist civilian leaders in both the executive and legislative branches in the development
of wise and ethical directives but must implement them provided that the directives are legal,”
with emphasis on the last phrase.)

General Milley, Mr. Feaver said, “should be evaluated like an Olympic diver. He was asked to do
something extremely difficult — something much harder than anyone on this list was asked to do.”

In the summer of 2020, for instance, Mr. Trump summoned General Milley to join him in a walk
across a park near the White House where civilians protesting police brutality and racism had
just been tear-gassed, so that the president could pose for a photo while holding a Bible.

The general apologized later, infuriating the president. General Milley also angered Mr. Trump by
asking other senior generals to review routine procedures for launching nuclear weapons during
the last days of the Trump administration.

“General Milley was navigating civil-military relations at the point when the processes of the
Trump administration was breaking down,” Mr. Feaver said. “If he takes a little splash here
or there, it’s the best someone can do under those circumstances.”

[About this writer: Helene Cooper is a Pentagon correspondent. She was previously an editor,
diplomatic correspondent and White House correspondent, and was part of the team awarded
the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting]
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Personal note:
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It goes to show you this country is imploding and lack unity.

For this actioin many will suffer - Good or Bad - These actions are unnessary and will have impact on the
U.S. coast to coast. Who right and whose left? Our internal and ongoing breakdown - which is unlawful -
and is showing the world our internal issues are self-destructing or lets imploding from the top down.
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I give a shit whose a Dem or a Rep - we are American's and to take out our
image to the world is being shown to the world everyday - must be worrisome.
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Once we were United - (that word no longer exist) now we are divided and very un-American in
many ways. We either pull together or suffer the ramifications of our own self-destruction.
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These are my words - my thoughts - my grief - while I watch - what we once
had - imploding into a non-democratic society which is a disgrace and nacceptable.
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Our Institution is falling from the top down. Our government officials can't fix the issues -
knowing that we've shot ourselves in the foot
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By these God awful - habit's of late. If our Constitution fails it will be their fault not ours.
They guide those radical operators and turn them loose and then give them a "get out of
jail card". There's something wrong with these the ideals of late and I'm pissed that it's
gone this far.
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So much for our American values and our Constitution which seems to
mean little to a multitude of personal coast to coast as well as turning
our legal appratus into another civil war scenario. Is Trump worth all that
much - if true - then God forbid. We are doomed based on our current
internal upheavels. OK Burn down the White House - Shit can the Superior
Court - and Congress - Tear up the Constitution! The end results will be
another Civil War coast to coast.
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What we once were - We Are No More.
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So-called leaders like Trump are a nightmare to society. He runs his
operations like a Moffia Boss - his way or your eliminated. He has no
soul - no honor - he's a shister - bragger and so self-interested in
himself - that people around him mean very little to him.
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His patriotic values are nil. Hell he dodged the draft - that tells me alot about
him right there. He' a crook and operates like the days of Al Capone. He
borrows money then files bankruptcy and still gains. Don't any of
you do your homework! The guys a crook - unstable - self-interest
only - his way - or the highway.

I could write more about him for days but by then he will have me disappear
and no more negative postings.
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But you guy's know - you're not stupid - but your easily led and that
bother's me. What have we gained? What will we loose is in the process?
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It's your call you have rights - regardless of the outcome you will have
to live with homever you put in office. You are but one number of which
will be discarded after whomever gets in office. Promise's made by all
parties are soon forgotten and shelved.
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Disappointment sets in - and now you know what you got in office. It's a
one way operation - his way only - your's will be shelved once he's in.
You buy into his reteroric of which never come to fruition - now you know!
His gains are your losses believe me the system is corrupt and getting worse.
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This is but a summary of what I could unload - but most will say he doesn't
know jack shit or anything. That's ok & I understand; But you will loose
in the long run - it's never going to be what you are promised it doesn't work
that way.
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What's the fix? You guys know - think about it - is this really what you want!
How does it benefit the whole country? What no answer - don't worry he
won't have one either.
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Biden is too old - he should not get re-elected - in his day he wouldv'e
been great but now the mind and body are aging and abetting decision
making progress. He did his four and should pull the plug. I thank him
for his service to our country but its time to rest and enjoy what little
life that still remains,
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WHAT COMES NEXT GOD ONLY KNOWS - the people sure don't many
are led like ship and get all lathered up about his ramblings. It's not
over yet Donald - the worm could turn any day soon! You gotta alot
of dirt to dig through and how much are lies - well the courts will
know - God Willing!
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