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Home Front: Politix |
Buttigieg's Hollow Military Bragging |
2020-01-23 |
[Nat Review - yeah...I know] Imagine you heard that someone got a "direct diploma" from Harvard but didn't actually have to do four years of papers and tests. The term "veteran" wields a strange talismanic power in American politics today; the military is almost the only institution in American life that has maintained very high favorability ratings over the past 30 years. Invocation of the sacred words "military service" invariably grants a presumed license to make ad hominem arguments: "Oh yeah? What do you know about it? Did you serve?" A military past, regardless of how extensive it was, tends to be seen as a shining jewel on the résumé of a politician. Democrats especially seem to think this way: A party that suspects, with excellent cause, that people have noticed its doubtfulness about the merits of the American experiment is if anything even more eager to find veterans to convey its message. The party hopes that having served in the military will immunize a candidate against doubts about a given candidate's patriotism. This theory reached a loony apotheosis when the 2004 Democratic party nominated for the presidency a veteran who had become famous for characterizing the U.S. military as a gang of war criminals and thrown away his medals in disgust. "We saw Vietnam ravaged equally by American bombs and search and destroy missions, as well as by Viet Cong terrorism," Kerry said, characterizing the military as racist and calling a vicious Communist regime that would later cause millions to flee South Vietnam "the threat we were supposedly saving them from." No way anyone could have any misgivings about this guy's patriotism! Or so Democrats think. Democrats are odd. |
Posted by:Frank G |
#25 I think my Dad spent more time training before he was deployed than this guy spent in active service after going straight from the street to deployment. |
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2020-01-23 16:24 |
#24 I followed Insty's blog roll link to da Burg almost 20 years ago those are now the only two sites I check on regularly. YMMV |
Posted by: AlanC 2020-01-23 13:28 |
#23 MM, you can criticize to your heart's content, I usually disagree, but all sites have their bad moments. Glenn has been a RB supporter and used to read here and refer links |
Posted by: Frank G 2020-01-23 11:02 |
#22 So, he was a trophy secretary? |
Posted by: swksvolFF 2020-01-23 10:38 |
#21 ^Actually, a lot of posts you comment on came here via Instapundit, MM. |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2020-01-23 10:33 |
#20 #18, you can't discuss it without giving Frank a tummy ache. So I leave it there. |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 10:11 |
#19 "He writes well..." Fucking wake up. |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 10:07 |
#18 #12 I actually enjoy Instapundit. What am I missing about it? |
Posted by: Crusader 2020-01-23 10:00 |
#17 Ref #5: I didn't know there was such a loophole as "direct commissioning." How does that work? Why does it exist? From Wiki: Buttigieg joined the U.S. Navy Reserve through the direct commission officer (DCO) program and was sworn in as an ensign in naval intelligence in September 2009.[49] In 2014, he took a seven-month leave during his mayoral term to deploy to Afghanistan.[50][51][52] While there, Buttigieg was part of a unit assigned to identify and disrupt terrorist finance networks. Part of this was done at Bagram Air Base, but he also worked as an armed driver for his commander on more than 100 trips into Kabul. Buttigieg has jokingly referred to this role as "military Uber", because he had to watch out for ambushes and explosive devices along the roads and ensure that the vehicle was guarded.[53] In order to better communicate with the local Afghans, he learned some Dari (a dialect of the Persian language). Buttigieg was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal[5] and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award[citation needed] and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2017.[54][55] |
Posted by: Besoeker 2020-01-23 09:52 |
#16 Williamson wanted to get that sweet sweet lefty money. When that didn't happen, he was no tough guy taking a punch, he was a worm hoping to go back to NeverTrump Central, which is precisely where he currently is... |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 09:31 |
#15 David Axegrinder Kyle Miserable-o-kami Andrew Whiney-bitch... |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 09:25 |
#14 Increasingly I just read Rantburg. |
Posted by: Lex 2020-01-23 09:13 |
#13 Butt gig |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 09:11 |
#12 People I don't read (not a comprehensive list): Instapundit PJ Media NRO We Be Boring (War is Boring) Loren Thompson Propaglandular Mischanics Robert hardly Michael Yawn You getting the idea here? |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 09:04 |
#11 Sorry. Actually not sorry. I Don't read NRO links and Williamson is a turd. The fact that a turd can write well doesn't change the fact it's a turd. Jen... George Will... etc. |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 08:57 |
#10 But Buttfug wasn't a doctor. Or for that matter a padre or a lawyer. He just had an undergraduate degree. Curiouser and curiouser. |
Posted by: Lex 2020-01-23 08:57 |
#9 #5 - doctors, lawyers, priests, who btw, have no command authority. |
Posted by: Procopius2K 2020-01-23 08:51 |
#8 *being defenestrated |
Posted by: Lex 2020-01-23 08:47 |
#7 ^ yeah-- that side of him is really obnoxious. Seems he's get a heavy crush on wealthy people (he used to be a society reporter (IIUC for some kind of Thurston-and-Lovey publication like Town and Country), but he writes well and can take a punch without whining. He didn't cry about being defenestration from The Atlantic-- that earned him a lot of respect in my book.VMMV. Oh, add Conrad Black to the list. Best and most interesting writer of them all. |
Posted by: Lex 2020-01-23 08:46 |
#6 Kevin (It's great when white people in Kentucky OD on oxy) Willaimson? Really? |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 08:39 |
#5 I didn't know there was such a loophole as "direct commissioning." How does that work? Why does it exist? |
Posted by: Lex 2020-01-23 08:17 |
#4 ^ agreed |
Posted by: Frank G 2020-01-23 08:12 |
#3 Kyle Smith is one of the few National Review contributors (along w VDH, Andy McCarthy and on a good day, Kevin Williamson) worth reading. Smith us a sharp-eyed cultural critic, he's honest and humble, and he can turn a phrase without being stupid and vulgar like Lucianne's no-talent whelp. This article by Smith is devastating. Especially his astute catch about Buttfug's end-run around the commissioning process, skipping either ROTC or the service academies and the field training and other arduous hurdles that our officer candidates have to endure. Buttfug is another Fauxcahontas: Bending Bear. |
Posted by: Lex 2020-01-23 08:01 |
#2 Many join because it's the best available job. ...or avoid the draft. |
Posted by: Besoeker 2020-01-23 07:47 |
#1 The lefty electorate is loaded with people who fervently hope the military ranks have a lot of "frag the officers" types. |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-01-23 07:32 |