New details emerge on Hegseth’s unusual mass gathering of top brass

New details emerge on Hegseth’s unusual mass gathering of top brass

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered all military top brass to show up for a meeting at Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday.  The generals and admirals aren’t used to traveling on short notice for a reason they don’t understand.  They don’t mind issuing orders like that to the people under their command, but probably don’t like taking orders.

For decades, presidential administrations have given the military vague rules of engagement and soft objectives.  Reagan was the last president who really cared about America.  Every other president has been managing the decline.

Diversity, inclusion and equity guidelines have reduced the military’s ability to project power around the world.  Presidents have treated it like a captive audience for cultural experiments.  For example, trans people should not be in the military.  That’s not bigotry, trans people health care requirements that aren’t compatible with forward deployment.  Also, women should not serve on submarines.  That isn’t sexism, it’s the biological reality that men and women in close proximity will mate.  Pregnancy reduces military effectiveness.

Pete Hegseth’s big meeting is unprecedented.  All we know for certain is that Hegseth is shaking up the generals and admirals, and that they need to be shaken.  People find it unsettling that Hegseth would take such a big step to improve the military, while other find it unsettling that no other defense secretary cared enough to try.