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Why do you keep punching yourself in the face?

Well.

I was planning to write a very different piece for today, but the question begged to be asked as Donald Trump had another disastrous press conference.

That's right. On a day most of us want to not hear from a politician—and don't worry, on Labor Day 2021, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will issue a proclamation and have a cookout somewhere and not bother us otherwise—the soi disant president decided to burden us with another press conference.

The purpose of this exercise escapes me, as he broke no news. He presented no new initiatives. There was literally no reason to call this press gaggle, other than his need to be on camera. I mean, it's not like he was going to fire up the grill and make some burgers for his wife and children. It was a nonsensical display.

However, in his current addlepated state, Trump did make some news. He managed to make his military scandal even worse.
Yes, he's now attempting to turn the military's enlisted men and women against their chain of command. He's the only one protecting them from going to another war. Only he can keep them safe, while their commanding officers are bloodthirsty lunatics who would throw them into Moloch's maw.

Any military above the level of a disorganized militia operates upon the principle of the chain of command. When that chain of command starts to fray, a republic should start to become fearful. In our state, the president is the commander-in-chief, but day-to-day operations are left to the civilian and military command. 

Civilian control of the military is the hallmark of a democracy. Normal political leaders treat the military as a unit, as one monolith, not differentiating between officers and enlisted personnel. They don't set officers against enlisted personnel. That's what demagogues do, to remove a threat to their power. And yesterday, that's what Donald Trump did.

Make no mistake. He thinks that by going after their commanders, he thinks he can win back military support in the November election. Because he has no honor and no principles, and sees life as one large transaction, he believes that by belittling admirals and generals, he'll win the support of "the troops". He's directing his divisive strategy from the civilian realm to the military. And that is dangerous.

But it's also stupid. 

Enlisted soldiers might gripe, but they're trained to within an inch of their lives. They know that on an operation, you have to be able to trust those with whom you serve. There's no room for error, and no room for questioning your chain of command. One of the most important things is to maintain an esprit de corps, a spirit without which no military can function. Yes, again, they may gripe, but I can't imagine that they'll look favorably upon Cadet Bone Spurs talking trash about the men and women who would lead them into battle should one occur. 

Trump denigrating the military command lends credence to the story in the Atlantic. It makes it even more credible that he would defame soldiers, sailors, and airmen as suckers and losers for volunteering to serve their country. If he can castigate the top brass, which is in his social class, as vermin, then you can bet that he laughs at those lower down the chain who don't even get the perks of being a colonel or a general. 

I'm not a militarist. I wish we didn't need a military. But until the human species evolves and beats its swords into plowshares, any democratic state needs a well-trained military, subservient to civilian command, with a disciplined officer corps. By pitting officers against those they lead, Trump is upending that state of affairs. And it's not even going to work. It'll backfire on him. It's worse than a crime; it's a mistake.

I don't know why he keeps punching himself in the face. But keep at it, you orange, combed-over fool. 
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