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Not a single authoritarian leader or aspiring dictator has ever assembled the complete high-ranking officer corps of their armed forces in a single location to belittle them as incompetent and humiliate them for their unprofessional grooming standards, while insulting whole classes serving in the military branches as lesser and undeserving.

The former president is used to walking into gatherings with enthusiastic crowds applauding to music. "I have never walked into a room so quiet before," Trump stated when speaking to the country's highest-ranking military commanders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico. "Don't laugh. Don't know if you're permitted to do that." He tried to force some amusement, an old entertainment tactic to rouse a unresponsive audience. "You know what? Just have a good time."

His logic perfectly encapsulated his mindset of victimhood and politics of retribution. Should you fail to show deference to him, he is personally wounded. Your failure to worship him must be penalized. Any disrespect of his authority condemns you to ruin.

Military Professionalism vs. Political Demands

The speaker cannot grasp that the silence of the military leaders during his extraordinary address to them showcased their highest duty. Their discipline showed fidelity to uphold their pledge to the nation's founding document. Through their calm they represented themselves as models for the remainder of the officer corps and the service members.

They aren't loyal to any individual or any personal following, but to his constitutional role.

They served as a background for a campaign-like rally, but they were unwilling to serving as political players.

Fundamental Lack of Comprehension

His inability to understand their stolidity in the presence of his provocations showed his lack of understanding not only of the armed forces but the presidency under the legal system. As he took offense at their stoney silence his rebuke made clear that he viewed them merely as his pawns.

The president had come on an pressing task for them to execute. He was there to tell the armed forces leadership they were to be his obedient instruments for the greatest reversal of defense policy since the "anti-terrorism campaign" – a new war to be waged against his viewed domestic rivals at home in contravention of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which prohibits the domestic use of the American armed forces as a law enforcement agency.

Context and Presidential Measures

Every high-ranking generals had been gathered for the historic event at the Marine Corps Base Quantico on the directive of the defense chief. They possessed no idea for what momentous occasion they were being called. They wouldn't theorize that they were being brought to be a captured audience for a self-referential vanity presentation attempting to rehabilitate his image and establish his authority.

However the military leaders could have obtained more than a hint that they were being assembled for the most recent chapter of political theater by reading the presidential directive Designating an activist movement as a terror group, an "entity" that lacks formal structure. Subsequent actions included a security directive citing various events as justifications: "These incidents is not a series of unconnected incidents and does not emerge naturally.

Philosophical Basis

According to the memorandum, a new "government approach" would be implemented against an belief system of "opposition to America, opposition to capitalism, and opposition to Christianity; advocacy of the overthrow of the federal government; extremism on immigration, ethnicity, and gender; and opposition towards those who hold conservative values on family structure, faith, and morality."

These concepts were not a portrayal of an ideology so much as a hodgepodge of political catchphrases. If there were belief system expressed it was an inchoate fascism based on a repressive drive that conjured up an all-purpose enemy called "Antifa".

Defense Secretary's Presentation

The dramatic presentation at Quantico started with the defense secretary moving back and forth on the platform. He was a motivational speaker as a military instructor with a publication to hawk – and a opening performance for the headliner.

The former national guard officer said he had been "considered an extremist"; he was flagged as a possible "insider threat" by colleagues. Regardless of numerous reports of his drinking issues, he told journalists in an interview: "I never had a alcohol issue," but then allegedly promised a senator that he would "avoid alcohol while I have this role."

Procedural Modifications and Controversial Remarks

While serving as television host, the defense secretary had been a prominent advocate for forgiving or showing mercy to service members charged or found guilty of war crimes. He characterized them as "fighters" rather than "offenders".

Now, in his speech, he announced he was removing "the debris". He encouraged loosening rules aimed at stopping forbidden force within the military. He declared the "restructuring" of the oversight and informant complaint process, which would weaken safeguards and shield violent or careless violators from responsibility.

He planned to, he said, implement discriminatory measures of "unisex" or "masculine standard" fitness requirements for combat roles, saying: "Should it result that no females qualify for some military positions, that's acceptable."

Confrontational Rhetoric and Military Response

The defense secretary swaggered in front of the military leaders, shouting obscenities – "Fafo", or explicit language. "Eliminate heritage observances, DEI offices, cross-dressing individuals. No more climate change worship. Stop division, distraction or identity issues. No more unnecessary elements. As I've said before and repeat again, we are finished with that shit."

The military leaders sat without reaction at his crude language that could be considered under the military legal system as a infraction against improper speech that "fails to the detriment of good order and military standards".

Appearance Requirements and Individual Comments

Per the speaker, it was the out-of-shape generals who required to exercise following his example. "It's completely improper to see overweight generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and overseeing operations around the nation and the world. It's a bad look," he said. "Eliminate beardos."

Concluding Remarks and Governmental Context

Not once did the speaker mention "Russia" or "the Ukrainian nation". He made not the smallest mention to Russia's huge missile attacks striking Ukraine, Russian drones over neighboring countries, the strained relations over US wavering within the international coalition, or express anything that might be construed as a strategic thought.

Following his menacing speech, the defense secretary made way for Donald Trump. The president showed his usual disrespect for the armed forces by baiting them with an array of partisan insults to which they remained completely motionless.

In the middle of his rambling remarks, he introduced his new mission for the armed forces against the "internal threat", 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 significant part for some of the individuals in this room. That's a war, too. It's combat from within." No response.