Trump's relationship with military strained since photo op

[Calminian]

It’s not like they picked a random 100 political opinions though. These have been recent and relevant key leaders.

And plenty of key leaders are fine with what Trump did.

This whole conversation bizarre. Instead of talking about who likes what, why not talk about the act itself? Rioters destroyed a church. Trump walked over to that church and honored it. I'm trying to think of a bigger nothing-burger.

 

[Use of Time]

And plenty of key leaders are fine with what Trump did.

This whole conversation bizarre. Instead of talking about who likes what, why not talk about the act itself? Rioters destroyed a church. Trump walked over to that church and honored it. I'm trying to think of a bigger nothing-burger.

The church is destroyed?

 

[Wingman68]

The church is destroyed?

waste of time.

 

[Calminian]

Here you go again off topic.

Anyway, in the past three presidential elections Trump got less votes than Obama or Hillary. Trump's job approval rating at its highest has never been higher than Obama's at its highest. So I don't understand how you can say Trump is more popular than Obama or Hillary. What are you basing this on?

Finally, it's not as if popularity is the gold standard for job performance or competency.

Same points as above. Why are we obsessed over what people think rather than the act itself? And why do we still live and die over opinion polls that predicted the Hillary electoral landslide? Polls, especially now, have no accountability. There's no election to prove their worth.

I like that President Trump walked to a burned down church to show leadership. Had he not done that, liberals would have criticized him for ignoring it.

 

[church mouse guy]

Here you go again off topic.

Anyway, in the past three presidential elections Trump got less votes than Obama or Hillary. Trump's job approval rating at its highest has never been higher than Obama's at its highest. So I don't understand how you can say Trump is more popular than Obama or Hillary. What are you basing this on?

Finally, it's not as if popularity is the gold standard for job performance or competency.

Talking about with the military. You are off topic.

 

[Rob_BW]

It’s not like they picked a random 100 political opinions though. These have been recent and relevant key leaders.

Recent? Yes. Relevant? The majority of the current crop of generals are or were to busy being politicians to win a war against some goat herders and opium farmers in the Afghan mountains.

Even the satire site Duffel Blog put out a story today about renaming bases after GWOT general, to continue our tradition of naming bases after generals who lost.

(Maybe I'm overly hard on the flag officers espousing political views, but the division commanding general during my first pump in Iraq retired to become a commentator for CNN.)

 

[Use of Time]

Recent? Yes. Relevant? The majority of the current crop of generals are or were to busy being politicians to win a war against some goat herders and opium farmers in the Afghan mountains.

Even the satire site Duffel Blog put out a story today about renaming bases after GWOT general, to continue our tradition of naming bases after generals who lost.

(Maybe I'm overly hard on the flag officers espousing political views, but the division commanding general during my first pump in Iraq retired to become a commentator for CNN.)

That’s pretty harsh considering the situation. I don’t know what you would consider victory and what success could ever realistically be achieved in those quagmires.

 

[Calminian]

I'm still looking for the what rather than the who. Can someone to explain what Trump did wrong, rather than who didn't like it?

 

[Gold Dragon]

Retired generals who denounced Trump could be recalled to active duty and prosecuted, experts say

We need accountability.

Thanks for this. So the highest ranking officer they could find was Dowd, a captain who was a JAG and a colonel Jim Bathurst as well as a couple of unranked veterans, I’m assuming are not officers. So nobody that would really “represent” the military.


Here we have a Military Times article highlighting a letter from hundreds of previous Westpoint graduates to the class of 2020 warning them not to blindly obey orders when it violates their oath to the constitution and not to make the military politicized as some of the current leaders are allowing to happen, making clear reference to the Lafayette square photo op.

Worse, military leaders, who took the same oath you take today, have participated in politically charged events. The principle of civilian control is central to the military profession. But that principle does not imply blind obedience. Politicization of the Armed Forces puts at risk the bond of trust between the American military and American society. Should this trust be ruptured, the damage to the nation would be incalculable. America needs your leadership.

Your commitment to your oath will be tested throughout your career. Your loyalty will be questioned, and some will attempt to use it against you. Loyalty is the most abused attribute of leadership. Weak or self-serving leaders will emphasize loyalty over duty under the guise of “good order and discipline.” Unfortunately, some will make a Faustian bargain and endeavor to please their commanders and advance their own careers rather than take care of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines in combat — which is not just a problem, it is a disgrace. America needs your leadership.

We, a diverse group of West Point graduates, are concerned. We are concerned that fellow graduates serving in senior-level, public positions are failing to uphold their oath of office and their commitment to Duty, Honor, Country. Their actions threaten the credibility of an apolitical military. We ask you to join us in working to right the wrongs and to hold each other accountable to the ideals instilled by our alma mater and affirmed by each of us at graduation.

 

[church mouse guy]

Maybe the military will vote for Biden in November.

 

[Gold Dragon]

Commentary from retired General Joseph Votel

Military Times: An apolitical military is essential to maintaining balance among American institutions

Recent events at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., have been a stark reminder of how easily the public’s trust in its military can be lost, and in so doing, they have renewed the public’s focus on the need for an apolitical military. Concerns about partisanship in our forces traces back to the beginning of our nation, when the founders worried about standing armies eclipsing civilian control of our national defense and using force to stomp on individual freedoms. American citizens must be able to have trust and confidence in our military and its leaders. When this is not the case, like we saw with the abuses at Abu Ghraib or what could happen when using soldiers in domestic situations that may intrude on the rights of our citizens, we must be quick to condemn such lapses and to restore trust and confidence.

 

[Adonia]

Commentary from retired General Joseph Votel

Military Times: An apolitical military is essential to maintaining balance among American institutions

And these Generals need to watch their "P's" and "Q's". They can be recalled to active duty and brought up on charges for criticizing their Commander-in-Chief.

Article 134 of the UCMJ states in part:

“For offenses alleging disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline (clause 1 offenses) and for offenses alleging conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces (clause 2 offenses):

(a) That the accused did or failed to do certain acts; and

(b) That under the circumstances, accused’s conduct was to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces or was of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.”


Plus there is this, Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Section 888.

One active duty Army Judge Advocate General Corps officer said: “As part of the UCMJ, governing military law, you cannot use contemptuous words against certain officials, including the president,” “That is a court-martial offense, and yes, you can be recalled to active duty to be court-martialed.”

 

[church mouse guy]

There doesn't seem to be much possibility that Washington State will ask Trump for help with their mess. They abandoned the area to the communist antifa and they show no signs of concern or of compassion for the people trapped inside of the zone that does not have government protection. It looks like an inside job. Maybe it is the super wealthy in Washington State looking down their noses at the people left without government protection. It should have been stopped from the beginning. But then the Mayor of Indianapolis and the Governor of Indiana waited until a couple of black men were murdered downtown before they imposed a curfew and stopped the Indianapolis riots.