The Generals Will Not Save Us
We Can Only Save Ourselves
Howdy,
Let’s get this out of the way: Jeffrey Goldberg’s latest article on The Orange G*d King should be required reading.
This week, I asked Kelly about their exchange. He told me that when Trump raised the subject of “German generals,” Kelly responded by asking, “‘Do you mean Bismarck’s generals?’” He went on: “I mean, I knew he didn’t know who Bismarck was, or about the Franco-Prussian War. I said, ‘Do you mean the kaiser’s generals? Surely you can’t mean Hitler’s generals? And he said, ‘Yeah, yeah, Hitler’s generals.’ I explained to him that Rommel had to commit suicide after taking part in a plot against Hitler.” Kelly told me Trump was not acquainted with Rommel.
Most of the article is a rehash of some of Trump’s greatest hits on the military. There are some other nuggets, but much to Goldberg’s credit, he also provides quotes that contradict these anecdotes.
So, let’s just stick with General John Kelly’s quote above. General Kelly, Trump’s former Chief of Staff, is a Gold Star Father who has consistently spoken out against Trump’s abhorrent comments about the military. From “suckers and losers” to “Hitler’s generals,” I’m proud that we have former four stars who are willing to buck Samuel Huntington’s overrated thesis in ‘The Soldier and the State.’
But I hate to tell you something: it won’t change a thing. I’m sorry—The Generals will not save us. Nor should you want them to. It’s a little perplexing that so many are begging retired general officers to speak out against Trump, considering so many have done so already.
Even the most clueless voter has probably seen this:
Just last night, I had dinner at a bar, and one of the patrons—for a reason that still mystifies me—started talking politics with me. Now, I loathe this type of shit. I think it reeks of horrible manners and poor civic hygiene. Nevertheless, this woman had the audacity to tell me that I should look past Trump’s comments on McCain because Trump was a — wait for it, wait for it—patriot.
Americans may say they respect the military, and sure, they’ll put stickers on their cars and say all the right things—but do they really? Put another way, how many Democrats disparaged President Biden when he blamed our Afghan allies—who American soldiers spent decades training—for losing a war that his own military couldn’t win?
I can count at least three veterans who took their lives because of Biden’s cowardly retreat. In short, everyone loves the military when it’s politically convenient for them. However, they’re quick to provide cover for their party when they act atrociously. Is Biden’s conduct worse than Trump’s—no. But that’s the lowest bar in the history of the world to overcome.
Further, why the hell should we want retired military officers’ political opinions? Trump will simply bring out all of “his Generals” and mitigate the damage done.
Further, most of these generals should be roundly criticized for their abhorrent performance during the war on terrorism. We lost two wars under this generation of general officers, so why should anyone care what they think about politics when they shit the bed in Iraq and Afghanistan?
I like The Atlantic. I read it religiously, but they tend to go a little wobbly at the knees over general officers.
Kudos to General Milley for an incredible career and for standing up to Trump. But here’s some other stuff that General Milley did during his tenure.
Most of these generals had some great tactical successes but lost a war that started with an attack on the homeland. Have any of them done a tour talking to Afghan veterans who are awash in Moral Injury—nope. Most haven’t come out and criticized President Biden for abandoning our Afghan allies, so the idea that they should all come out in unison for a cross-country tour seems far-fetched.
Further, they don’t owe you shit. Sorry. General John Kelly, whose son died in Afghanistan, doesn’t need to do “his duty” and spend the last two weeks barnstorming the country, telling everyone about the dangers of Trump. All of these men, most of whom I don’t like, served for 30+ years for a public so checked out that they couldn’t find Iraq or Afghanistan on a map.
Now, they owe the country more? Why? For what reason? To protect American democracy? Haven’t they all been doing that for their entire careers?
At the end of the day, the Generals will not save us. Hell, a lot of them like Trump. And we shouldn’t want retired general officers tilting the election, it sets a bad precedent that some overly ambitious general will take advantage of.
I hate to tell you, but we can only save ourselves. And if we don’t, blaming the generals will only keep us from looking ourselves in the mirror—something we’ve needed to do for decades.
Good luck, America.
And we shouldn’t want retired general officers tilting the election, it sets a bad precedent that some overly ambitious general will take advantage of.
Excellent point. But the crisis is now, and two damn more weeks of campaigning is not too much to ask. We can deal with the overly ambitious general you foresee when THAT crisis arises.
You are correct.