Amply justified critiques of Pete Hegseth and the serial reasons why he should not be entrusted with the Department of Defense have had no effect on Trump’s Amen Chorus in the U.S.
I have noticed an unfortunate path for US politicians and administrators to be sourced from the ENTERTAINMENT industry, ever since Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger pioneered this transition. As Fox News declared recently when sued over their lack of factuality in reporting, Fox is a provider of ENTERTAINMENT, not a reporting mechanism for mundane (and factual) news.
After leaving the military and signing on with Fox, Hegseth became an entertainer, not an investigative journalist. Have you noticed how entrancing, captivating and hard to look away from the latest iteration of the Trump administration has become? Kind of like a successful made for cable video series!
Make of this what you will- Personally, I view it as akin to a magician waving one hand in your face while the other picks your pocket.
Good questions, few answers. If we excluded all the wankers, sexually ambiguous men, and drunks from holding office, DC would be a null set or a parking lot. In any case, all of these departments are team sports and team Hegseth will either have game, or not. As for experience; tenure and "experience" are arguably deficits, not assets, in Washington. Yes, the DOD/arms industry circle jerk is a formidable challenge, but nothing compared to the problems in the Intelligence Community which provides the rationale for all those bogus threats and expensive toys. Nevertheless, I am marginally optimistic, or as Leonard Cohen once famously said; "It's the cracks that let in the light."
The machine is bigger than its nominal head. It has many loyal servants and it and they are not easily undermined or turned from their path. Hegseth is unlikely to make any significant impact. How can you tell? The full-on behind-the-scenes scuttling of his nomination hasn't happened, so insiders are apparently not too concerned.
Personally I think of the many apparently irreproachably upright and respectable Secretaries of Defense and reflect on their actions in office--all the regime change, civilian murder, arms dumping, sweetheart deal making and proxy war facilitating and think "character" matters not a whit.
I have noticed an unfortunate path for US politicians and administrators to be sourced from the ENTERTAINMENT industry, ever since Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger pioneered this transition. As Fox News declared recently when sued over their lack of factuality in reporting, Fox is a provider of ENTERTAINMENT, not a reporting mechanism for mundane (and factual) news.
After leaving the military and signing on with Fox, Hegseth became an entertainer, not an investigative journalist. Have you noticed how entrancing, captivating and hard to look away from the latest iteration of the Trump administration has become? Kind of like a successful made for cable video series!
Make of this what you will- Personally, I view it as akin to a magician waving one hand in your face while the other picks your pocket.
Good questions, few answers. If we excluded all the wankers, sexually ambiguous men, and drunks from holding office, DC would be a null set or a parking lot. In any case, all of these departments are team sports and team Hegseth will either have game, or not. As for experience; tenure and "experience" are arguably deficits, not assets, in Washington. Yes, the DOD/arms industry circle jerk is a formidable challenge, but nothing compared to the problems in the Intelligence Community which provides the rationale for all those bogus threats and expensive toys. Nevertheless, I am marginally optimistic, or as Leonard Cohen once famously said; "It's the cracks that let in the light."
What makes you think that Trump is really in charge, or be allowed to make any significant decisions besides toekn changes on the margins?
Presidents, Senators, and Congress critters come and go, but the Deep State abides.
US Foreign policy, "World Domination or BUST", has not changed since WWII.
And the millions dead as a consequence lay squarely on the American conscience......wherever it is the country keeps that.
The machine is bigger than its nominal head. It has many loyal servants and it and they are not easily undermined or turned from their path. Hegseth is unlikely to make any significant impact. How can you tell? The full-on behind-the-scenes scuttling of his nomination hasn't happened, so insiders are apparently not too concerned.
Personally I think of the many apparently irreproachably upright and respectable Secretaries of Defense and reflect on their actions in office--all the regime change, civilian murder, arms dumping, sweetheart deal making and proxy war facilitating and think "character" matters not a whit.
Addendum, Andrew.
https://www.newenglishreview.org/articles/my-man-of-the-year/