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No authoritarian leader or aspiring dictator has previously gathered the complete senior officer corps of their military in a single location to belittle them as failures and embarrass them for their unprofessional grooming standards, while degrading whole classes serving in the military branches as inferior and undeserving.

Donald Trump is accustomed to entering events with energetic audiences cheering to music. "I've never entered a room so quiet before," Trump remarked when speaking to the nation's top military commanders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico. "Don't laugh. Unsure if you're allowed to do that." He was attempting to elicit some laughter, an old entertainment technique to rouse a unresponsive audience. "You know what? Just enjoy yourselves."

Trump's syllogism perfectly encapsulated his mindset of feeling victimized and approach of retribution. Should you do not show deference to him, he is deeply wounded. The failure to worship him deserves to be penalized. Any disrespect of his majesty dooms you to destruction.

Military Discipline vs. Political Expectations

The speaker fails to understand that the quiet demeanor of the military leaders during his extraordinary speech to them demonstrated their highest duty. Their discipline showed fidelity to maintain their pledge to the constitution. By their stillness they represented themselves as models for the rest of the officer corps and the troops.

They are not devoted to Trump or any cult of personality, but to his legal position.

They were being used as a backdrop for a political event, but they were resistant to serving as political players.

Basic Lack of Comprehension

Trump's failure to comprehend their steadfastness in the presence of his challenges revealed his incomprehension not only of the armed forces but the executive office under the legal system. When he took offense at their unresponsive silence his criticism disclosed that he saw them merely as his tools.

Trump had arrived on an pressing mission for them to carry out. He was there to inform the military chiefs they were to be his obedient agents for the greatest change of military strategy since the "anti-terrorism campaign" – an unprecedented conflict to be waged against his viewed domestic rivals at home in contravention of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which prohibits the internal use of the American armed forces as a police force.

Background and Executive Actions

Every high-ranking military leaders had been assembled for the unprecedented event at the Marine Corps Base Quantico on the directive of the secretary of defense. They possessed no idea for what momentous occasion they were being called. They dared not speculate that they were being assembled to be a captive crowd for a self-focused ego-driven presentation attempting to rehabilitate his reputation and establish his power.

However the commanders could have obtained more than a clue that they were being assembled for the most recent episode of political theater by reading the executive order Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization, an "organization" that does not exist. Subsequent actions included a security directive citing various incidents as pretexts: "This political violence is not a series of unconnected events and does not emerge organically.

Philosophical Framework

Per the memorandum, a new "government approach" would be enacted against an ideology of "opposition to America, anti-capitalism, and opposition to Christianity; support for the removal of the federal government; extremism on migration, ethnicity, and sex; and hostility towards those who hold conservative values on family, faith, and ethics."

These vapors were not a description of an ideology so much as a hodgepodge of political shibboleths. If there were belief system expressed it was an undeveloped authoritarianism based on a repressive impulse that created an universal enemy called "the opposition".

Military Chief's Performance

The dramatic presentation at Quantico began with the defense secretary moving back and forth on the stage. He acted as a motivational speaker as a drill sergeant with a publication to hawk – and a warm-up act for the headliner.

The ex military reserve major said he had been "considered an extremist"; he was flagged as a possible "security risk" by fellow officers. Despite numerous reports of his drinking issues, he informed journalists in an interview: "I have never had a drinking problem," but then allegedly assured a senator that he would "avoid alcohol while I have this role."

Procedural Changes and Controversial Remarks

While serving as television host, the speaker had been a prominent advocate for forgiving or showing mercy to military personnel accused or found guilty of war crimes. He described them as "warriors" rather than "offenders".

Now, in his address, he announced he was removing "unnecessary elements". He encouraged relaxing rules aimed at preventing prohibited violence within the armed forces. He declared the "overhauling" of the oversight and whistleblower complaint process, which would undermine safeguards and shield aggressive or careless violators from accountability.

He would, he said, implement selective measures of "unisex" or "masculine standard" physical standards for fighting positions, stating: "If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it."

Aggressive Rhetoric and Military Response

The speaker strutted in front of the military leaders, shouting vulgar language – "Fafo", or vulgar expression. "Eliminate identity months, DEI offices, cross-dressing individuals. No more environmental focus. Stop separation, diversion or gender delusions. Remove unnecessary elements. As I've said before and repeat again, we are finished with that shit."

The military leaders sat expressionless at his vulgarity that could be charged under the military legal system as a infraction against improper speech that "neglects to the prejudice of good order and military standards".

Physical Requirements and Personal Observations

According to the defense chief, it was the flabby commanders who required to work out following his example. "It's totally improper to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the globe. It appears unprofessional," he said. "Eliminate facial hair."

Concluding Remarks and Governmental Context

At no point did the defense secretary mention "the Russian Federation" or "Ukraine". He offered not the slightest mention to Russia's huge missile attacks bombarding Ukraine, Russian drones over neighboring countries, the tensions over US uncertainty within the western alliance, or utter anything that might be construed as a strategic thought.

After his menacing speech, the defense secretary stepped aside for Donald Trump. The president displayed his usual contempt for the armed forces by provoking them with an series of political insults to which they remained rigidly unresponsive.

During the course of his rambling remarks, he dropped his new objective for the armed forces against the "enemy from within", with major American cities as the "training grounds … the ones that are governed by the radical-left Democrats … And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. This represents conflict, too. It's a war from within." No response.