Excellent. As a vet, the silence from (retired or discharged) service members is appalling, Adam Kinzinger (for one) excepted.
Yes. Military must be apolitical, until we remember our oaths to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against ALL enemies. It is time to remember and resist.
Special disgust for military and veteran trump supporters. You are liars and traitors.
"politicization of the armed forces is not policy—it is a professional boundary. Removing officers for loyalty tests or deploying troops for partisan display corrupts the chain of command. On that line, silence is abdication." Couldn't have said it better.
With the full support of the six Christian Nationalists on the Supreme Court and GOP Congressional members the Felon is making the United States an authoritarian theocracy, with the Felon as leader and the American oligarchs running the Country.
agree with your take on this. Silence may have been the preferred polite way in the past under a sane administration, but this abhorrent regime requires a whole new style of speaking out to save our military as a profession. As a retired officer I see this perverted use of the military as a moral abomination and a national disgrace!
Yes! The retired military are also citizens and have the same obligations as all citizens in a democracy. Being obeisant to criminal/unConstitutional orders and actions threatens the country through undermining the Constitution and the rule of law -- distinctly going against the oaths taken by the military and other governments officials. And, yes, the enemy within must be countered as effectively as an enemy without, or we and our democracy perish at the hands of that enemy.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if a group of retired officers submitted a friend-of-the-court brief when this goes to the Supreme Court. Not as partisans but as patriots who are smart enough to know the difference and brave enough not to be silenced by inapplicable reasoning and false arguments.
O’Neill is correct that setting boundaries require unified action. However, Trump’s purges of military leadership have likely resulted in a divided military leadership. However, I am sure that there remain many military leaders who are appalled at Trump‘s abuses of power and disregard for constitutional norms. Trump‘s purges are certainly not the nature or level as those of Josef Stalin, and that therefore many rank in file and officers remain loyal to their oaths to the constitution and not to dear leader. Consequently is my sincere hope that the silence is not prevalent between the former generals and current officers and rank-and-file soldiers, sailors, etc., who remain loyal to the constitution, and to their obligation to refuse an illegal order based upon the Nuremberg rule. Instead, perhaps the silence is broken in complete secrecy.. One can only hope!
Excellent. As a vet, the silence from (retired or discharged) service members is appalling, Adam Kinzinger (for one) excepted.
Yes. Military must be apolitical, until we remember our oaths to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against ALL enemies. It is time to remember and resist.
Special disgust for military and veteran trump supporters. You are liars and traitors.
"politicization of the armed forces is not policy—it is a professional boundary. Removing officers for loyalty tests or deploying troops for partisan display corrupts the chain of command. On that line, silence is abdication." Couldn't have said it better.
With the full support of the six Christian Nationalists on the Supreme Court and GOP Congressional members the Felon is making the United States an authoritarian theocracy, with the Felon as leader and the American oligarchs running the Country.
agree with your take on this. Silence may have been the preferred polite way in the past under a sane administration, but this abhorrent regime requires a whole new style of speaking out to save our military as a profession. As a retired officer I see this perverted use of the military as a moral abomination and a national disgrace!
I've wondered the same...where are they? Sworn to protect the country not the president...then do it!
Yes! The retired military are also citizens and have the same obligations as all citizens in a democracy. Being obeisant to criminal/unConstitutional orders and actions threatens the country through undermining the Constitution and the rule of law -- distinctly going against the oaths taken by the military and other governments officials. And, yes, the enemy within must be countered as effectively as an enemy without, or we and our democracy perish at the hands of that enemy.
If it was possible to remove politics from just about everything we’d have a lot fewer problems.
Thank you Professor O'Neill.
As Nick says, "Couldn't have said it better."
Wouldn't it be wonderful if a group of retired officers submitted a friend-of-the-court brief when this goes to the Supreme Court. Not as partisans but as patriots who are smart enough to know the difference and brave enough not to be silenced by inapplicable reasoning and false arguments.
O’Neill is correct that setting boundaries require unified action. However, Trump’s purges of military leadership have likely resulted in a divided military leadership. However, I am sure that there remain many military leaders who are appalled at Trump‘s abuses of power and disregard for constitutional norms. Trump‘s purges are certainly not the nature or level as those of Josef Stalin, and that therefore many rank in file and officers remain loyal to their oaths to the constitution and not to dear leader. Consequently is my sincere hope that the silence is not prevalent between the former generals and current officers and rank-and-file soldiers, sailors, etc., who remain loyal to the constitution, and to their obligation to refuse an illegal order based upon the Nuremberg rule. Instead, perhaps the silence is broken in complete secrecy.. One can only hope!