James Mattis didn't simply resign, he pulled every fire alarm at the Pentagon on the way out

[babylonsister]

James Mattis didn't simply resign, he pulled every fire alarm at the Pentagon on the way out
Jen Hayden
Daily Kos Staff
Friday December 21, 2018 · 10:49 AM EST


Defense Secretary James Mattis, a former Marine general who has the respect of everyone at the Pentagon, didn’t simply resign and head out for retirement. He did something historic—resigning with a public letter saying he was in stark disagreement with Donald Trump, quite specifically in regards to his views on Russia and China. Never in the history of this nation has a defense secretary resigned in protest over issues of national security and military strategy. Never.

But, Mattis did something else extraordinary, something that should quite seriously set off alarm bells for us all. As Donald Trump was tweeting that Mattis was heading off to retirement, Mattis was ordering his aides to distribute 50 copies of his resignation letter throughout the highest echelons of the Pentagon. The New York Times has the extraordinarily unusual details of Mattis’s resignation.

Officials said Mr. Mattis went to the White House with his resignation letter already written, but nonetheless made a last attempt at persuading the president to reverse his decision about Syria, which Mr. Trump announced on Wednesday over the objections of his senior advisers.

Mr. Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, was rebuffed. Returning to the Pentagon, he asked aides to print out 50 copies of his resignation letter and distribute them around the building.

James Mattis thought pulling out of Syria was such a danger to the United States that he again tried to talk Donald Trump out of it and resigned on the spot when Trump refused, deploying his resignation letter around the Pentagon to make certain our military leaders knew he was resigning because Donald Trump’s view are so dangerous to the security of the United States. That’s the equivalent of pulling every fire alarm in the building on the way out the door. Sen. Lindsey Graham very directly said on national television last night that he believed this was such a serious national security lapse that it “would be paving the way for a second 9/11.”

more...

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/21/1820758/-James-Mattis-didn-t-simply-resign-he-pulled-every-fire-alarm-at-the-Pentagon-on-the-way-out?fbclid=IwAR0TfvH_Wdwv2gi-hVMRDifYYX9ttteVNWS-3BB4VJLpIKpHxQkLiuzj0BM

[samnsara]

1. maybe its time for another general to be in the WH..he could easily primary..

...trump,,unless he really IS kind of a Democrat.

[orangecrush]

11. Agree

[keithbvadu2]

19. Some repubs want to avoid a challenge to Trump.

Some repubs want to avoid a challenge to Trump.

Now that's heavy on the gerrymandering.

South Carolina GOP could scrap 2020 primary to protect Trump

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/south-carolina-gop-could-scrap-2020-primary-to-protect-trump

[Ilsa]

25. I was wondering if Gen. Wes Clark has baggage?

He's 74, and I think he's been with an investment firm.

[RHMerriman]

2. Secretary Mattis is in a unique position as a potential witness before Congress in January...

Secretary Mattis is in a unique position as a potential witness before Congress in January...

Well-respected on both sides of the aisle and absolutely no fucks left to give about DJT.

Semper fidelis

[mountain grammy]

3. He was actually fired by Obama

for promoting military actions against Iran and wouldn't quit when Obama told him to. So, not so well respected. That's why donnie wanted him.

[RHMerriman]

4. He is more respected by Democrats on the Hill than anyone else who has or currently serves in the

He is more respected by Democrats on the Hill than anyone else who has or currently serves in the Cabinet.

[pangaia]

8. That sure ain;t saying much, is it.

[RHMerriman]

14. Well, true, but apparently even Secretary Clinton reached out to him before the election, so

Well, true, but apparently even Secretary Clinton reached out to him before the election, so the reality is Secretary Mattis is an important figure to those who think Trump et al are feckless fools and fellow travelers for multiple foreign puppetmasters.

All kidding aside, when the day comes that Trump is going to face justice, Mattis' voice will be important.

[pangaia]

16. I agree with you.

It just seems all so.. like grading on a curve, or something/

[RHMerriman]

33. Something that should be remembered...

Something that should be remembered...

The three members of Congress who made it clear to Nixon on Aug. 7, 1974, that his presidency was over were all Republicans:

Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz.,
House Minority Leader John Rhodes, R-Ariz., and
Sen. Hugh Scott, R-Pa.

The Trump Administration is going to end, and I'd bet sooner rather than later, but the sooner, and the smoother, the transition occurs is going to require Republican support.

Sec. Mattis is well positioned to be one of the bulwarks of that reality. Rhetoric aside, that should be recognized.

[Ciaphas Cain]

32. A military warmonger?!

His reassignment was non-punitive so I'm not sure how hostile Congress is going to be...

As far as I'm aware he basically just got sent away for being annoying. The impact that has on his credibility may be a bit overstated.

I could fetch a link but it's FP and I dunno if that's allowed

[orangecrush]

10. If he were to primary Trump

His slogan could be....




"Mad Dog 2020"!

[flying rabbit]

13. Snort!

Brilliant!

[orangecrush]

22. ...

[Bob Loblaw]

15. Reply of the day

Well played orangecrush.

[orangecrush]

21. Thanks!

[mitch96]

20. Took me a minuet...

I'm thinking...... nice....... he will run and bust up the "Rs" so the "Ds" will unite and win....
Now I'm thinking MD2020...... Duh... where's the warm gutter....
m

[orangecrush]

23. Yes, MD2020

Has rather nasty memories for me...

[mitch96]

39. "Has rather nasty memories for me..."

Congrats!!!
I would totally black out with MD2020.. Only happened once or twice to realize this shit's nasty... Hence the MD2020 and a warm gutter....... nasty nasty...
m

[Fuzzpope]

24. LOL

We have a winner!!!

[orangecrush]

26. ...

[Kali]

27. !

[Kurt V.]

36. you win.

[UpInArms]

38. DUzy!

[Kaleva]

31. He was transfered.

Fired is when on gets shit canned right out of the military or is ordered to resign or retire or is relieved due to "loss of confidence in his or her ability to command." Such as what happended to Joseph P. Aucoin, former commander of the 7th Fleet.

President Obama, as far as I can find, never stated that Mattis was relieved due to loss of confidence in ability to command.

[secondwind]

35. Actually, he was relocated to another arena. Because he had been

coming down a little too hard on civilians.

[orangecrush]

9. Great point.

[politicaljunkie41910]

5. My guess is that there are a helluva lot more people at the Pentagon than Trumps handpicked flunkies

at the White House. I think those people at the Pentagon respect Mattis and certainly don't appreciate the way that Trump is selling out this country and 'his' Generals. If I had to bet on it, I'd bet that those men and women at the Pentagon are watching him like a hawk and they are just waiting until they have the goods on Trump (may have it already) to pounce and reveal everything they have on Trump and his entire corrupt family. The men and women of our military have integrity; it's a requirement because you have to have integrity to be a leader, and everyone who is a military man or woman knows that he or she will be in a leadership role one day, even if it's leading a squad, a platoon, a Company, a Battalion. You're taught to be a leader from Day 1 and with that authority comes great responsibility. Your word is your bond. Trump and his minions learn how to lie and cheat people from Day 1. They see how he treats small businessmen and women who worked for him, and provided goods or services to him and were then forced to take 50 cents on the dollar instead of their contracted amount. His kids then learned it from their father. They too have no integrity.

[erronis]

6. No doubt that the brass/civilian leadership and probably most of the rank and file

know that dump is a clown and a traitor.

But how will they react to orders to do something that they feel is against the interests of the country?

Honest question. I don't know.

(I've worked with the JCS and many other groups across the government.)

[politicaljunkie41910]

18. Well then you know that you don't have to obey an unlawful order.

So if Dump gives you an order that you feel goes against the interests of your country, you have a right to disobey that order. I'd take my chances with a court martial before I'd obey a Dump order that goes against the interests of my country. Particularly when I know that the man is a liar and has no integrity.

[RHMerriman]

17. All very true...

All very true...

There have been oddballs among the flag and general officers over the years - Walker, Boykin, Flynn, etc. - but they all flame out at a certain level.

The vast majority of the professional officer corps of the US armed forces are competent, rational, educated, conservative (in the best lower case "c" sense), generally apolitical, and care deeply enough about their country and fellow Americans to have handed over what amounts to a check made to "cash" in terms of their lives to their commanders... they are not political hacks or wannabee stormtroopers.

[orangecrush]

7. Damn straight.

[Flaleftist]

12. Then go ahead and call him a fucking traitor.

Anything less is still kind of pussyfooting.

[912gdm]

28. In a more authoritarian type of government, those acts by Mattis would be a a death penalty.

At least we arnt there yet.

[Crowman2009]

29. So I have to pick between the warmongering asshole & the Russian fist puppet?

Fuck em' both! "Lapdog" Mattis was an idiot for taking that job in the first place thinking he could control Drumpy Dumpy. He should probably go work for Erik Prince's Blackwater and get his death jollies there.

[Crowman2009]

30. Not to mention that Mattis was not the voice of reason in the first place.

Take a look at all the war crimes he took part in whilst commanding Marines in Iraq: https://splinternews.com/hey-remember-how-james-mattis-was-accused-of-doing-war-1831256095

[Hekate]

34. KnR

[duforsure]

37. Mattis knows what trump's capable of doing

Anything, including allowing us to be attacked for diversions , and to use it to gain more power with by bypassing Congress for absolute power.

[warmfeet]

40. And yet,

we cannot impeach this asshole.

Hmm? Why the hell not?

Seems to me the cause is growing exponentially.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

41. mushroom clouds for Christmas