Another outstanding history lesson. I'm pretty sure Stormin Norman is spinning in his grave from watching Diaper Don and Kegseth pretend to be warriors.
Great to hear the chronology and I appreciate the descriptions of the various men and their dominant characteristics. Turns out there aren’t superpowers involved—somehow, through struggle, mistakes, persistence, and evolving understanding America did build up the Military it portrayed as real. Just hoping the underpinnings of it are still there when this nightmare is over.
Solid piece with the priviso that "jackassery" as it relates to this regime's executive office asylum is basically the trademark of Eric Edelman and Eliot Cohen as a weekly feature of their "Shield of the Republic." Highly-recommend to Cold Warriors.
Putz! Make fun of Knox's appearance, but his work as Washington's primary artillary office was critical to our winning the revolutionary war. Your condescending descriptions of our various Secs of War does you no credit and vastly diminishes your credibility.
I have long subscribed to you, but your recent post seem to mirror the MAGA style, but reversed. It is that style I complain about. You have valuable insights to contribute, but insulting and irrelevant descriptions diminish the value of your contributions. I understand and appreciate your frustration with Trump and his followers, but don't let that push you into imitating them.
Insulting me by saying "MAGA has entered the chat" does you no credit. Yours was the first account that I paid to subscribe to. I liked the content and the fact that you posted text rather than videos.
Finally, I should not have given in to my irritation by calling you a putz.
OMG, Bill, I feel better informed, so much better that I just decided I didn't need to eat tonight. Not after this stomach-turning history. I almost don't know where to start except to say a couple teensy things. First, an honest question: when, oh, when, will men realize that the size of their dicks doesn't mean dick in today's world, if it ever did. Seriously. I've often sincerely wondered why men send dick pics in the hopes of enticing a woman to date or continue to date them. I mean. there must be some rode hard and put away sweaty women out there who might be interested in this more or less not all that important to women piece of the male anatomy, but no one I'd like to be girlfriends with. Secondly, given that Gen. Dan Caine appears to be a commander with some real analytical and strategic chops, and Trump by some miracle of grace has given him both power and scope, why are we not howling about the fact that a military man with requisite experience and training is not replaceing Hegseth tomorrow?
I'm game; evidence please. A definitely not MAGA friendly military and political analyist I've been reading for quite awhile, who seems to know what he's doing, respects Caine a great deal as a kind of under the radar of necessity player influential in our decision making vis a vis the war in Ukraine and the nuclear threats made by Putin&Co. As he's written reams of specifics about this, I'm afraid I won't be convinced otherwise by an unsupported opinion. Sorry not sorry. Even if Trump likes him, that doesn't necessarrly mean he's not competent. Many other competent generals have fit that bill.
You don't take a retired three-star... who was denied the fourth... and make him the head of the Joint Staff...
If he'd have been competent, he'd have been promoted to being that fourth star... at a minimum.
So why didn't he get the fourth star? Because his bretehern, who knew him best, said, "yeah, he's not COCOM material. He's not worthy of the elevation."
Which happens. I mean, some people just rise to the level of their incompetence and that's that. Some people don't have the chips. Don't have the connections. Don't have the skills.
That must have been Caine... because no fourth star.
He got picked because he sucks Trump dick.
When it comes time, I have no doubt he'll do whatever Trump says, whether it comports with the tactical situation or not. He'll throw the COCOMs under the bus rather than protect the institution, and he'll do his best to be loyal to his political masters and keep that fourth star.
That presser was the only thng I needed to see. Genera. Caine, did they blow up the shit in Iran? Caine: Duhhh ask the President.
Really?
Charles Brown was a competent Chairman. Milley was a competent Chairman. Dunford was a competent Chairman. Dempsey was EXCEPTIONALLY competent. Probably one of the best Chairmen since Pete Pace. Powell and John Shalikashvili were exceptionally competent (both of them).
Caine is a MAGA boot-licking sycophant. He's the weakest Chairman pick since Wheeler.
What makes Caine incompetent as the Chairman is his experience and skills. He gets picked out of retirement... why? Because boot licking.
A competent guy was in the slot. Plenty of other competent COCOM and four stars with broad experience.
Instead, the Ochre Ogre picks someone he thinks has a badass name, because he wants "warfighters" versus competent stewards of the massive apparatus.
If Caine was competent, he'd have told the President he was the wrong guy, and not come out of retirement.
But oh no... please let me lick boot and get graft.
And honestly, don't care if you find my explanation satisfying or not. I knew Pace, Milley, Dunford, and Mullen. I know the type of guy who gets picked.
He's at best on par with Myers... who was a dingbat in my view. (Worked with him as well).
Caine is a boot licker who is just happy to have received that fourth star and is deluding himself that he can do the job.
I can see that. Maybe I'm just trying to hold on to some shred of hope that someone (anyone?) among the career military officer corps has proved savvy enough to, let's say, ignore that his elevation to high command has more to do with being known as Razin Caine (which tickles Donnie's dick) than anything he has done in battle. Or, perhaps, that he hopes, as other ex military generals have, to serve as a balancing force in a White House gone bonkers. Helps me sleep at night. My dad was a battalion commander of artillery when they asked him to attend OCS in order to secure an appointment as a Brigadier. He refused, believing this would end up being detrimental to us kids, who had already sacrificed a lot for his career. I have always held him in high regard for the humanity and gravity of that decision. So I have a tendency to respect those who have ascended to a high rank, I guess. Although Dad ascended the ranks via action on the field, not Via West Point or toadying. He would not have toadied to anyone, god bless that good man.
I spent a lot of years in the military and all of the idiots that acted like Kegsbreath were deep in the closet. They liked to play macho man to prove how manly and straight they were. It never fooled anyone. And Stormin' Norman was a dick, according to the friends of mine that had to work with him, but at least he was competent.
This clown car brigade is so exposing us to another major terrorist attack. Alienating our enemies and eliminating our true leaders, I can’t see another Stormin’ Norman moment in our future. Not with Hegseth and Raisin Caine at the helm. Thank you for the history lesson.
Beautiful written to the point. Knowing this is
important as knowing we are not the greatest country in the world.
We only have some of the ingredients. Thanks for this.
Excellent account and analysis. Thank you.
Another outstanding history lesson. I'm pretty sure Stormin Norman is spinning in his grave from watching Diaper Don and Kegseth pretend to be warriors.
Great to hear the chronology and I appreciate the descriptions of the various men and their dominant characteristics. Turns out there aren’t superpowers involved—somehow, through struggle, mistakes, persistence, and evolving understanding America did build up the Military it portrayed as real. Just hoping the underpinnings of it are still there when this nightmare is over.
Solid piece with the priviso that "jackassery" as it relates to this regime's executive office asylum is basically the trademark of Eric Edelman and Eliot Cohen as a weekly feature of their "Shield of the Republic." Highly-recommend to Cold Warriors.
Putz! Make fun of Knox's appearance, but his work as Washington's primary artillary office was critical to our winning the revolutionary war. Your condescending descriptions of our various Secs of War does you no credit and vastly diminishes your credibility.
lol. Really? Whatever. MAGA has entered the chat.
I have long subscribed to you, but your recent post seem to mirror the MAGA style, but reversed. It is that style I complain about. You have valuable insights to contribute, but insulting and irrelevant descriptions diminish the value of your contributions. I understand and appreciate your frustration with Trump and his followers, but don't let that push you into imitating them.
Insulting me by saying "MAGA has entered the chat" does you no credit. Yours was the first account that I paid to subscribe to. I liked the content and the fact that you posted text rather than videos.
Finally, I should not have given in to my irritation by calling you a putz.
OMG, Bill, I feel better informed, so much better that I just decided I didn't need to eat tonight. Not after this stomach-turning history. I almost don't know where to start except to say a couple teensy things. First, an honest question: when, oh, when, will men realize that the size of their dicks doesn't mean dick in today's world, if it ever did. Seriously. I've often sincerely wondered why men send dick pics in the hopes of enticing a woman to date or continue to date them. I mean. there must be some rode hard and put away sweaty women out there who might be interested in this more or less not all that important to women piece of the male anatomy, but no one I'd like to be girlfriends with. Secondly, given that Gen. Dan Caine appears to be a commander with some real analytical and strategic chops, and Trump by some miracle of grace has given him both power and scope, why are we not howling about the fact that a military man with requisite experience and training is not replaceing Hegseth tomorrow?
MAGA Caine is not competent
I'm game; evidence please. A definitely not MAGA friendly military and political analyist I've been reading for quite awhile, who seems to know what he's doing, respects Caine a great deal as a kind of under the radar of necessity player influential in our decision making vis a vis the war in Ukraine and the nuclear threats made by Putin&Co. As he's written reams of specifics about this, I'm afraid I won't be convinced otherwise by an unsupported opinion. Sorry not sorry. Even if Trump likes him, that doesn't necessarrly mean he's not competent. Many other competent generals have fit that bill.
You don't take a retired three-star... who was denied the fourth... and make him the head of the Joint Staff...
If he'd have been competent, he'd have been promoted to being that fourth star... at a minimum.
So why didn't he get the fourth star? Because his bretehern, who knew him best, said, "yeah, he's not COCOM material. He's not worthy of the elevation."
Which happens. I mean, some people just rise to the level of their incompetence and that's that. Some people don't have the chips. Don't have the connections. Don't have the skills.
That must have been Caine... because no fourth star.
He got picked because he sucks Trump dick.
When it comes time, I have no doubt he'll do whatever Trump says, whether it comports with the tactical situation or not. He'll throw the COCOMs under the bus rather than protect the institution, and he'll do his best to be loyal to his political masters and keep that fourth star.
That presser was the only thng I needed to see. Genera. Caine, did they blow up the shit in Iran? Caine: Duhhh ask the President.
Really?
Charles Brown was a competent Chairman. Milley was a competent Chairman. Dunford was a competent Chairman. Dempsey was EXCEPTIONALLY competent. Probably one of the best Chairmen since Pete Pace. Powell and John Shalikashvili were exceptionally competent (both of them).
Caine is a MAGA boot-licking sycophant. He's the weakest Chairman pick since Wheeler.
What makes Caine incompetent as the Chairman is his experience and skills. He gets picked out of retirement... why? Because boot licking.
A competent guy was in the slot. Plenty of other competent COCOM and four stars with broad experience.
Instead, the Ochre Ogre picks someone he thinks has a badass name, because he wants "warfighters" versus competent stewards of the massive apparatus.
If Caine was competent, he'd have told the President he was the wrong guy, and not come out of retirement.
But oh no... please let me lick boot and get graft.
And honestly, don't care if you find my explanation satisfying or not. I knew Pace, Milley, Dunford, and Mullen. I know the type of guy who gets picked.
He's at best on par with Myers... who was a dingbat in my view. (Worked with him as well).
Caine is a boot licker who is just happy to have received that fourth star and is deluding himself that he can do the job.
I can see that. Maybe I'm just trying to hold on to some shred of hope that someone (anyone?) among the career military officer corps has proved savvy enough to, let's say, ignore that his elevation to high command has more to do with being known as Razin Caine (which tickles Donnie's dick) than anything he has done in battle. Or, perhaps, that he hopes, as other ex military generals have, to serve as a balancing force in a White House gone bonkers. Helps me sleep at night. My dad was a battalion commander of artillery when they asked him to attend OCS in order to secure an appointment as a Brigadier. He refused, believing this would end up being detrimental to us kids, who had already sacrificed a lot for his career. I have always held him in high regard for the humanity and gravity of that decision. So I have a tendency to respect those who have ascended to a high rank, I guess. Although Dad ascended the ranks via action on the field, not Via West Point or toadying. He would not have toadied to anyone, god bless that good man.
Field and flag grades are totally different.
You win? Over my head.
I spent a lot of years in the military and all of the idiots that acted like Kegsbreath were deep in the closet. They liked to play macho man to prove how manly and straight they were. It never fooled anyone. And Stormin' Norman was a dick, according to the friends of mine that had to work with him, but at least he was competent.
All COCOMS seem like dicks to their juniors. lol.
This clown car brigade is so exposing us to another major terrorist attack. Alienating our enemies and eliminating our true leaders, I can’t see another Stormin’ Norman moment in our future. Not with Hegseth and Raisin Caine at the helm. Thank you for the history lesson.