So where did he say there should be no ROEs at all?
From your link. No “stupid rules of engagement” or “politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement.”
Which was Luttrell’s point in his book. Not that there should be no ROEs but that the ones they were fighting under often made no sense except for optics.
Hegseth: “We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don’t fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement.”
“The ones that are run by the radical left Democrats… what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, they’re very unsafe places. And we’re going to straighten them out one by one. And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room,” [Trump] said in a speech to military leaders. “That’s a war too. It’s a war from within.”
“We should use some of the dangerous cities as training grounds” for the military, Trump said. He added that he’s given an order to create military “quick reaction forces” to “help quell civil disturbances.” Deploying the military for civilian law enforcement would violate the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
“Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading and we lost our way. We became the ‘Woke Department,’” Hegseth said. “But not anymore.”
He also said that the Defense Department will undertake a “full review” of bullying and hazing rules to “empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second-guessing,” arguing that the definition of hazing has been “weaponized” to undercut commanders.
Over the last couple decades, I always assumed a civil war (if it happened) would start from radical right militias attacking the government of the left and radical left who were in power (and everyone) because the radical right felt oppressed. And that it would most likely be put down by the US military called in to “help quell civil disturbances.”
I didn’t expect that it would start as the radical right attacking the left and everyone else with the military.
I knew it would be the government against the people. Concentration of power accelerates and the US has been using conservative ideology to concentrate power within the government and economy for decades. We speak a good game of individualism all while disenfranchising most of the individuals. Those with power will do nearly anything to get more, and do anything not to lose what they have.
The right wing militia types have always focused on kicking down, gaining power from terrorizing those weaker than themselves. These groups haven’t had real power beyond local terror and influencing the willing until Trump brought them onboard the Republican hate train.
A note to this post. It is only the Republicans that can save us without bloodshed. A rupture in the Republican party could shift power back to a constitutional rule of law country. If they wait a few more months (12?) they won’t have a chance and American blood will flow at the hands of Americans.
On Kegstands all hands on deck meeting. This screams loyalty test time. Get a face to face with all military leaders just to find the most loyal and the ones in that group that are so loyal they will lead troops in the slaughter of American citizens. Also, find the least loyal and the ones in that group that would lead troops against this authoritarian regime in defense of the Constitution.
Unfortunately, this makes me feel like maybe Hegseth just read that book that you were referencing and does not really know anything else. Analogous to Trump seeming to make policy or intelligence decisions based on what he saw on Fox News.
MAGA types will buy them for souvenirs. They will pay $1 each for coins that might cost the mint $0.15. In this case, the profit goes to the US gov’t instead of to Trump. So I’m okay with that.
My second thought was … Trump will buy a bunch, put them in acrylic display cases that include an etching of his signature. He will sell them for $50 each. Somebody in China will make the cases for 50 cents each.
Also, the mint will make 90% pure proof coins that have $35 of pure silver. Trump will buy them in bulk from the mint for $50 each (normal retail is $90). Then, he will put them in different cases with gold film highlights and sell them for $250.