Former generals worry that Trump's border mission uses troops as a political tool

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post



By Greg Jaffe and Dan Lamothe November 2 at 11:32 PM

President Trump’s decision to send as many as 15,000 troops to the southern border has drawn sharp and unusual criticism from former military leaders, who have called the deployment “wasteful” and raised worries that the president might be using the military as a political tool to influence the midterm elections just days away.

“The military has all of a sudden been placed in a highly politicized environment regarding immigration,” retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said of the surge of troops to the border.

The blunt criticism of the mission to block what Trump contends is a threatening caravan of migrants encouraged by Democrats reflects the strain that his unusual presidency has put on one of America’s most important norms: the tradition of an apolitical military.

Other presidents have deployed forces to the border. But the timing of this deployment and the questionable need for it, with the caravan at least a month away from the border with Mexico and diminishing in size, have led many former military officers to deliver their harshest criticisms yet of Trump.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-election-eve-border-mission-puts-the-military-in-partisan-crosshairs/2018/11/02/880dd048-deb5-11e8-85df-7a6b4d25cfbb_story.html

[Chickensoup]

1. Well no need to worry, he is already doing it.

He already given a rule of engagement against unarmed civilians. A rock should
Be met by gun fire. Is that a a crime or what.

[marble falls]

9. A war crime/crime against humanity, actually. I'm for sending him to the Hague as soon as we can.

[TNNurse]

2. That is exactly what he is doing.

[Maxheader]

3. Hopefully the troops have enough common sense

to understand its a politico grandstand.

[liberal N proud]

4. What was their first clue?

[Autumn]

5. The current fucking generals don't seem to have a problem with it.

[saidsimplesimon]

6. Silence a form of protest?

Which ones are telling the media they think this is a splendid idea? I believe the majority of leadership in the military are better educated and more intelligent than that creepy guy with bad hair.

[Autumn]

7. I don't think it's a silent protest.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

10. Then perhaps you need to get your "thinker" in for repair.

Upper echelon military personnel are not known for speaking out to the press or leaking. It is conduct unbecoming and unprofessional. Silent protest is sometimes the only way to get the point across. Having served in both the military and civilian sectors of our government, I can tell you that a life time of conditioning to be apolitical is not an easy mentality to break.

There are other ways to protest as well, but silence sometimes does speak volumes.

[Autumn]

11. My "thinker" is just fine, I still don't think nor do I believe its a silent protest.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

12. Didn't mean to offend.

Sorry if that came out wrong. But I still have friends in DoD, and that is exactly what some of them are thinking. No one wants to further enrage the rage-a-holic in the WH.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. The current generals know enough to follow orders from the top.

As long as the orders are lawful, you implement them. Move troops to the border and march around? No problem. Shoot at unarmed people? I'd hope the generals would stand up to that sort of order.

[marble falls]

8. The real tool they need to worry about is cheetolini.

[ck4829]

14. Kick