I prefer the Burt Lancaster version of a coup (see video at the end of the post). It is interesting that the same people in government who attacked Trump for not respecting norms and procedures, have demonstrated over and over again that they would stop at nothing, absolutely nothing, in their war against Orange Man Bad. General Milley is not only a buffoon but a dangerous buffoon who does not understand civilian control of the military, something that was presumably drummed into him when he was an ROTC cadet. I know it was drummed into me when I was an ROTC cadet in 1975 during my very first ROTC class.
From here on in, all presidents are going to be looking over their shoulders, concerned that their top generals may be conspiring against them. Milley, in his paranoia as to President Trump and/or his desire to curry favor with the incoming Biden administration, has toppled the apolitical nature of the military and made it a political actor. We are following the path of Rome in the decades leading up to the fall of the Republic.
Milley, in his paranoia as to President Trump and/or his desire to curry favor with the incoming Biden administration, has toppled the apolitical nature of the military and made it a political actor. We are following the path of Rome in the decades leading up to the fall of the Republic.
See his performance during the DC riots last year. The pretentious ass does this while pretending he’s doing the opposite. Trump was wretched about picking good personnel. Milley may have been his worst appointment.
It is interesting that the same people in government who attacked Trump for not respecting norms and procedures, have demonstrated over and over again that they would stop at nothing, absolutely nothing, in their war against Orange Man Bad.
The bad behavior of figures in this administration is beginning to irritate the likes of Alexander Vindman, Richard Lowry, and Dan McLaughlin; now for our amusement we get to see who are the more thoroughgoing frauds and grifters in the ‘muh norms’ camp.
Unless something drastic happens soon to change the path we are on, these are the last days of the Republic. Because if Milley’s treason is not a line in the sand for those who still love this country, then it likely is too late to save the greatest country the world has ever known. Where is the outrage followed by action? He must be court martialed.
Great minds–I used the same post title.
Tom Cotton is taking a more wait-and-see approach, and he’s no one’s fool. I expect the worst, but am reserving judgment. Woodward is not a flawless journalist, to put it mildly. Not Sy Hersh bad, but he has had problems.
I hope it is not true Dale, but I suspect that Woodward’s source was Milley who was dumb enough to think this painted him in a good light.
Yeah, that would not exactly shock me if such were the case.
And here’s the thing–for no small section of the nation, it would make him a hero of the age.
This may be overblown. Still, it illustrates how the swamp rolls and why they did what they did to Trump beginning in 2015. But, that wasn’t fear of WWIII over the stolen elections. They fear him because he is their greatest threat.
I may be off-base on this. The unelected power structure in the beltway may be analogous to the Praetorian Guards in the latter stages of the Roman Imperium.
Once again I find myself unable to speak because the words I wish to say would violate all of the blog’s rules.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9994381/Milley-confirms-DID-calls-China-says-held-coordination-DoD.html
It appears Milley is attempting a limited hangout. I’ll leave it to you lawyers to parse this.
It appears that there were two calls, one in October 2020 and the other in January 2021.
He looks to be in the clear for the October one, as the then-Defense Secretary was advised beforehand and a group of other people participated in that call.
The January one looks to be way more problematic. The Acting Secretary of Defense was out of the loop, and it’s not clear who he was speaking to in the civilian sphere, apart from Pelosi. There’s a strong whiff of post-hoc BS about January. And he does a pee-poor job of refuting the claim that he functionally had control over the nuclear football.
The fact the administration is backing him to the partisan hilt before there’s a word of testimony stinks to high heaven, too. They are defending him on “Orange Man Bad” grounds, not legal ones.
Plus, honestly–how reassuring did the Chinese find his January call? If anything, he Chairman of the Joint Chiefs sounding like Han Solo speaking over the Death Star’s comm system made a catastrophic miscalculation more likely.
“Uh, everything’s under control. Situation normal… Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh… everything’s perfectly all right now. We’re fine. We’re all fine here now, thank you. How are you?”
The whole thing has a Keystone Kops feel about it If I were on the Chinese General Staff I would take this as evidence that the Yankees are clearly disorganized with fifth raters at the top. I am surprised that the Biden administration isn’t taking this opportunity to toss Milley to the wolves and blame him for the Afghanistan debacle also.
I am surprised that the Biden administration isn’t taking this opportunity to toss Milley to the wolves and blame him for the Afghanistan debacle also.
Cannot imagine what sort of Byzantine office politics are afoot. The media will cover for the administration unless factions within with a conduit to one set of outlets is making use of dirt to get back at another faction. Note, though, that an abiding feature of the culture of the Democratic Party is ICNBW narcissism, something you see at all levels. Milley’s their boy. Cannot acknowledge he did anything in error, much less contemptible.
At this point I think it is firmly established that the president is not actually the leader of the US; the deep state is. Certainly it is easy to see this with Biden, since no one believes that he is actually directing anything. But even when it comes to President Trump who did have his own agenda, we can see that deep state elements actively resisted him. Not only that when what they did comes to light, it as phrased as the President “going rogue,” and not the people under his authority.
Watching Carlson last night my husband turned to me and said, ” Seven Days in May”. IF the allegations are true, he needs to be court martialed. Even if the outcome is not what some of us would like, at least General (for now) Milley didn’t get a pass. That would be the end of the armed forces as we who took the oath to defend the Constitution know it.
PS Bet more Milley abuses come out. It was not just the phone calls. The leakers, whistleblowers are getting braver..
He will not be court-martialed because the federal prosecutocracy is a lawfare outfit in service to the Democratic Party. Most federal judges are on board with that.
Art Deco, Court martial is presided over by a military judge not a federal one for violations of military law as in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
Art Deco, Court martial is presided over by a military judge not a federal one for violations of military law as in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
You got a look at how effective courts-martial are in the Nidal Hassan case.
Something occurred in my addled mind. We can assume Milly had something to do with the recent Afghanistan debacle.
How does this crazy idea – that Trump would start WWIII over the stolen election – compare to the stupidest thing anybody ever saw – the broken bug out from Afghanistan?
Can’t comment on courts martial. I never was in one. Believe it or not.
With or without: Milly now sits [his oversized arse] on the same list as Benedict Arnold and George Armstrong Custer.
T. Shaw, I’m sorry, but I think that’s a gross insult to Custer, who was a narcissist, and at Little Big Horn he managed to lose his entire command. But that was nothing compared to the actions of Arnold and Milley. As Don has recounted here before, for all his faults, Custer was a brilliant commander. Milley couldn’t carry his laundry.
I served five years during the Vietnam era so I am acquainted with incompetence. When I first heard this story, I immediately thought of Burt Lancaster. Milley is not a pimple on the behind of Lancaster’s character. In the film, the plot, far fetched but logical, made sense. In this instance Milley must have left Gen. Li wondering what kind of nut job he was speaking with and whether the real danger was from a rogue US military. If things continue on this path for this administration for another three plus years, one can see little but a continued escalation of crisis’ that will serve no one well.