<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/17/trump-politics-military-pentagon-hegseth>
"Of all the reasons Americans have been losing sleep recently – hunger,
canceled flights, Democrats betraying them – the most ominous has to do with an
institution usually absent from discussions about the fate of our democracy:
the military. No need to be starry-eyed about US imperialism and what has long
been criticized as an ever-expanding “national security state”; one can still
appreciate that it is a good thing if generals do not take sides in politics –
just ask anyone from the many countries around the world where they do. But a
pattern is becoming clear: Donald Trump is purging the higher ranks based on
his prejudices and demands for loyalty; the military is being turned into a
partisan instrument and a political prop; more dangerous still, the president
is instilling the logic of impunity that has come to characterize his entire
approach to governance.
Figures deemed too close to Trump critics, such as Gen Mark Milley, have seen
promotions delayed or canceled; those targeted by far-right influencers might
face professional backlash. Trump used Maga-fied soldiers as background to a
Fort Bragg speech, violating longstanding norms against instrumentalizing state
institutions for partisan purposes. Every violation becomes a test of who will
be loyal: critics – the potentially disloyal – will identify themselves.
With every illegal order, such as attacking boats in the Caribbean, he manages
to have those who carry them out compromise themselves morally and potentially
render themselves liable for criminal prosecution, thereby generating an
incentive for members of the military to make sure Trumpists stay in power. At
the same time, prominent pardons – most recently of those trying to steal the
2020 election – establish the promise of impunity. As plenty of observers have
pointed out, under Trump, law will protect the Maga faithful but will not bind
them; those declared the president’s enemies will be bound by the law, but not
be protected by it. It is not an accident that Pete Hegseth’s first 15 minutes
of fame consisted of passionate pleas on
Fox to let those accused of war
crimes go unpunished."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
