As The Telegraph reported yesterday:
Pete Hegseth fired the most senior US army officer one month into the war with Iran.
The sacking is the latest succession of senior individuals who have been dismissed by the US defence secretary after claims that they clashed with his vision for the military.
Gen Randy George, the US army chief of staff, was asked to retire immediately from his role.
Why was that? Why was a man who, by all accounts, has been successful in restoring rates of recruitment into the US Army and in achieving cohesion previously missing, dismissed by the US defence secretary at this precise moment?
And why is he being replaced by the general who has acted as Hesgeth's senior military advisor?
Could it be that Trump and Hesgeth are planning to issue an order that they knew General George would either question or resist on the grounds of its illegality, which right he has in US law?
And could it be that they wanted a more compliant general in place before they issued the order to reduce Iran to the Stone Age, which Trump has announced to be his intent?
When those who, it is thought, might act in accordance with their conscience, or even the law, are removed from power, we all need to worry.
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I agree. It’s an incredibly worrying development, both in relation to the Iran conflict and what might be coming, but also for the American people. Trump and Hesgeth want to be able to use the army to crush domestic dissent. But it must be OK because we’re sending the King over!
What we are seeing is the Washington consensus in action ‘eternal war for eternal peace’ as coined by I think Gore Vidal. Once used to undermine emerging communist or socialist states, the new regime in the U.S. is less discerning and uses it against friend and foe alike. If the U.S. wants it, it takes it. It is how the U.S. was formed in the first place – let us not forget that – it is part of its history – theft with menaces – and death. In many ways I welcome the loss of pretence anymore.
What will undo Trump & his goons is their lack of modesty – be sure of that. But the U.S. will never be the same again. In our eyes or history. After this, it will be like a grumpy teenage bully unable to be accountable for its actions. And we must treat it as such and withdraw our affection and loosen ties I’m afraid. We must start by loosening financial ties and basically stop them accessing our infrastructure for a start. But this will be far from easy. It is necessary though I feel.
I agree
Let’s celebrate the courage and integrity of military people who refuse to do what they know is wrong.
Channel 4 screened the film “A Few Good Men” again last night. I missed most of it but caught the dramatic finale which takes place in the courtroom showdown between Navy lawyer Lt Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and Col Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson). It is a story about doing the right thing and defying illegal or immoral orders and makes a powerful statement about what “honour” is.
Its a film for the times and I suspect C4 showed it for precisely that reason. Good for them.
It is one of my favourite films
I might watch it
It is probably time to resurrect Seven Days in May as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_in_May
From Heather Cox Richardson – a contributing factor for Randy George’s firing was that Hesgeth wanted two female and two black military officers removed from a list of promotions and George refused. Two other Army leaders were also removed: General David Hodne, leader of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Major General William Green, head of the Army’s Chaplain Corps. Hegseth has reworked the Chaplain Corps recently to limit the range of religious instruction available to military personnel.
….Or he could re-organise the U.S army chaplaincy to do what Putin’s Russian Orthodox church does which is basically how you get a Russia that fights as it does in Chechnya and Ukraine – anything goes, no lines to cross, everything justifiable in the name of war.
Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace is Gore Vidal’s book. If only someone with his wisdom and insight was not only with us now, but wouldn’t cower to Trump.
I read the Iranian PM’s message to the Americans. What sanity. And yet, a friend of mine who also read it said ‘Well he is bound to say that’ ‘US and Israel must continue their quest as the Iranians slaughter their people’ I just said interesting to their reply, by hiding my inner despair. I could have challenged them – and maybe I should have – been it would have been a big family fall out I could not afford it.
This is not new, but a continuation of a policy which began last year. Trump fired the most senior military legal officers within days of taking office. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/02/24/people-are-very-scared-trump-administration-purge-of-jag-officers-raises-legal-ethical-fears.html
More followed later – the head of the navy in the autumn
That person is a psycopath.
When I was young and innocent I wondered how Hitler could have come to power. Where did he find enough thugs, lunatics and psychopaths to back him to rise so high? I am now beginning to understand.