this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2024

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TokenBoomer@lemmy.world

Trump’s First Executive Order May Be a Military Purge (newrepublic.com)

submitted 3 months ago by TokenBoomer@lemmy.world to c/progressivepolitics@lemmy.world

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The order could place the military under the president’s total command, like never before.

all 26 comments

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[–] TheKracken@lemmy.world 40 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Do you want a military coup? Because that's how you get a military coup.

[–] Blahaj_Blast@lemmy.blahaj.zone 49 points 3 months ago (1 children)

At this point? Fuck it. Why not? Do it.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 26 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

At this point I'd wager a US military leadership coup + 4 years of marshal law would result in better governance than anyone in the Republican party leading. After 4 more years of an unrestricted Trump, not so sure.

[–] surph_ninja@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

Kind of already happened last round. There’s reports Mark Milley staged somewhat of a soft coup with the joint chiefs, and then they withheld troop numbers from him when he ordered a withdrawal from Afghanistan.

[–] thefluffiest@feddit.nl 31 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I’m downvoting any and all articles that mention something that ‘could’ or ‘may be’. Wake me up for anything factual and/or actionable.

Join me in eradicating this type of junk

[–] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 26 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Good thing everyone still has guns. Sounds like someone might be needing to raise a militia or two against a new king some time soon ..

[–] humble_pete_digger@lemm.ee 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Are u gonna do it?
Best case scenario you are looking at is a civil war with about equal chances. The sooner the better.

Best chance - official action by Biden.

[–] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 11 points 3 months ago

Haha I'm Australian mate, my only hope is that our authoritarian potato doesn't get any ideas.

[+] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io -9 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Okay as a Middle Eastern guy Trump taking a sledgehammer to the US military will probably be the only good thing to come out of this.

[–] Mjpasta710@midwest.social 18 points 3 months ago (2 children)

If successful, they're going to purge the military of non loyalists who believe the constitution is more than a doormat. The goal is to violate posse comitatus it seems.

I wouldn't cheer this on.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, it's not going to work that way. The Joint Chiefs are already holding meetings on how to handle illegal orders from Trump, and those would go out the window.

Facists always pick people for loyalty first and competence a distant second. This is ultimately self-defeating, but they can do a lot of damage before things take their course.

[–] Mjpasta710@midwest.social 6 points 3 months ago

they can do a lot of damage before things take their course.

That's what I'm concerned about.

The supreme court and Congress are basically the only things to slow him down. They both did his bidding as a citizen.

What makes you think they'll resist meaningfully with the mandate of the people behind him?

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io -2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I mean yes I call that "taking a sledgehammer to the US military".

[–] Mjpasta710@midwest.social 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

the only good thing to come out of this.

Are you hoping for a situation that involves maximum death? The guy who promised retaliation against voters, and elected officials - is trying to remove all the stops that has kept the military in check. This doesn't end the drone strikes, mid-east oil grab deals, arms deals, or world policing for most countries.

It turns the police and military into a group under his control, without people present to stop his ridiculous impulses.

As a guy who isn't on their lists for appearances, I'm slightly puzzled.

Please explain, how you think that a more murderous and ideologically aligned military will be good for you or anyone.

There are lots of intelligent strategists in the group you seem to write off.

There's every chance you'll be on their list of targets.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Please explain, how you think that a more murderous and ideologically aligned military will be good for you or anyone.

I was more referring to how Trump will likely prioritize loyality to him over merit, which will result in the US military becoming a less effective fighting force overall, as usually happens with fascist regimes. It's a slightly contrarian silver lining more than anything.

[–] Mjpasta710@midwest.social 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah. So the ones who don't fall in line will get kicked out. The military is a place about compliance. There are ways to segment the rules and compartmentalize for folks like that.

History seems to suggest a slightly different story for this.

Once given the command; people will mostly fall in line, almost fully once consequences get serious.

There doesn't need to be massive brilliant strategists to cause massive damage and maximum death. Minimizing death and surgical strikes are where skill and intelligence are needed.

I fear you underestimate the size and effectiveness of the technology the US military has been amassing on the taxpayer dime.

A mostly crippled russian military in Ukraine is still steamrolling and pushing people around blusteringly.

Yet they struck Kyiv, ~2 hours ago as of this post, to limited effect.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/blasts-heard-ukraines-kyiv-reuters-witnesses-report-2024-11-13/

putin's country has arguably experienced a massive 'brain drain'.

So in effect, your opinion seems to be... "I think this will weaken the US military capability."; "I prefer more suffering to less suffering because screw other people, even innocents. "

You're putting yourself in the same intellectual bucket as those who wish ill upon you.

What are you in favor of sadist?

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah I'm not saying Trump being in control is a good thing. Like I said: It's a slightly contrarian silver lining more than a serious take.

[–] Mjpasta710@midwest.social 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I fear you underestimate the intensity of the heat you welcome upon us all.

I wouldn't wish this result on anyone.

This will set all of humanity back. Do you think we all deserve to marry 9 year old girls as property?

What's your logic for holding this hate?

Do you want people to say "screw you as well"?

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm not hating anyone or wishing anything upon anyone. What I'm saying is this: The US military will likely be a less effective fighting force in 2028. I'm not saying I'm happy Trump has control of the military that's fucked up.

[–] Mjpasta710@midwest.social 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Ok. You said contrarian silver lining. That's what I was responding to. I don't see the implementation and expansion of Schedule F to have the effect you expect.

Every interpretation of contrarian says you are against the popular opinion. Expanded: You are seeing a positive to this negative against popular opinion.

It's hard to interpret your reasoning based on history and the factors surrounding the current military itself as positive or not hateful to a large group. The group could possibly include yourself.

Brief explanation on my perspective. Your initial comment is more easily interpreted as "Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face". Significant amounts of military technology has been historically developed and prototyped by external corporations. A military brain drain will only impact the leaders. As noted the strikes will be blunted and not surgical. More deaths, not less.

The third reich lasted roughly 12 years.

The nazi military tried to separate themselves from the SS historically. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/timeline-of-the-german-military-and-the-nazi-regime

IBM and other major US corporations provided products to the Nazis for quite a while.

Are you familiar with Project Paperclip?

The nazi regime discovered new scientific advances that have been used to great effect since.

So that's where history paints a different tale.

Do you think you have enough hiding spaces to avoid a world police for ~12 years? Are you light skinned and willing to ~~pretend, I mean~~ profess you love jesus?

Trump has repeatedly stated that he will be a dictator on day one, even when given outs. He promised multiple times that he had voting under control in the future and his voters will not need to vote again. He's promising major retribution against enemies and massive deportations. Does anyone expect that to be done in 1 day?

He's named a person currently under investigation for interactions involving underage women and drugs, for Attorney General. He has trouble admitting to wrongs, what makes you think he will abdicate any power on day 2, day 239, or day 1461?

What makes you think that the military will act any differently from the first several years of the nazis or their final years?

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Every interpretation of contrarian says you are against the popular opinion.

Non-native speaker here so wait a second, doesn't contrarian mean against the popular opinion for the sake of it, not because you reasoned that the popular opinion is wrong? That's what I intended when I said contrarian at least. Anyway let me rephrase: Trump's appointments will (I hope at least) hamper long-term US goals in the region, which viewed completely on its own is a good thing because, well... I probably don't need to explain that part. That single good thing, of course, doesn't outweigh the host of problems created by a Trump-controlled military, including the death and destruction he'll inflict along the way, but it's something I guess.

[–] Mjpasta710@midwest.social 2 points 3 months ago

Contrarian means against the popular opinion. The word doesn't define motive, only the position.

I'm less optimistic on this overall. It took a long time to weaken other war driven countries.

The US has been in conflict (starting or managing) for almost its entire existence.

As noted, being less skilled doesn't slow the murder - I fully expect that the murder will increase and be less precise.

[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

No, it'll be the worst possible version of itself.

All potential jokes about "yeah like it could get worse lol" would be proven shortsighted if this goes down.