Kelly not the Answer, Just More Problem
Within the chatterbox that comprises Twitter, cable shows and liberal sites not so enlightened as this one, everyone is hoping that General Kelly will be the person to finally impose some sort of sane order on the Drumpf-ateria at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Democrats are hoping that he will be the principled straight-arrow who nearly resigned in protest over l’Affaire Comey… nearly. Republicans are hoping he’ll be the ramrod Marine General who will impose order and discipline on a White House in turmoil so they can get back to screwing the poor, fleecing the middle class, and rewarding their rich friends.
Those poor deluded fools.
Kelly enlisted in the Marine Corps when his Vietnam draft number came up. Having risen through the ranks from buck private to four-star General, he is the epitome of the American Self-Made Man, circa 1951, when Chesty Puller became the last Marine promoted to brigadier general in a combat zone, until Kelly in Iraq. When asked about the size of the Iraqi Army, he sounded very much like the fictional Marine Colonel Jessup of the movie A Few Good Men when he growled, “Hell these are Marines. Men like them held Guadalcanal and took Iwo Jima. Baghdad ain’t shit.”
As commander of the United States Southern Command, which covers everything in this hemisphere south of the border, he was in charge of whoever the real Colonel Jessup was at Guantanamo. He defended abusive practices there, and pooh-poohed its value to terrorists as a propaganda tool: “Bombing the living shit out of ISIS in Iraq and Afghanistan, Syria, that would maybe irritate them more than the fact we have Guantanamo open.”
“I have never been prouder,” he said to Congress, “…than I am of the young military professionals who stand duty day and night at Guantánamo, serving … in one of the toughest and most unforgiving military missions on the planet.”
…I don’t force feed prisoners breakfast, too!
Also as SOUTHCOM, Kelly became intimately acquainted with drug interdiction operations, and reached the conclusion that Mexicans could actually be smuggling terrorists, maybe, someday, somehow, for some reason – hey, it’s possible! Therefore…
I just need a wall to be on, first.
So that’s who we’re dealing with: a lifetime, old school, blood and guts Marine who would be wonderful for storming the castle, but not so good once you’re inside.
Despite his various staff jobs on the way up, including, of course, in the Pentagon, he has no background in making things work in Washington. He has no experience with political administration, so don’t expect the stalled Fuck-The-Poors legislative agenda to suddenly get on track. Even his Department of Homeland Security gig was dedicated to fulfilling the military wishes of Generalissimo Drumpf, executing his illegal ICE raids, and implementing his illegal immigration bans.
Kelly would no doubt tell you that he was merely following orders, as he was trained to do, but that won’t hold up for a couple of reasons. First, he is no longer IN the military, but, second, even if he were, he is only supposed to follow lawful orders. And very few of the orders Dat Guy issues, very little of what he does, stand within the circle of “lawful.” Mostly, it’s just awful.
And over at DHS, Kelly saw very little reason to be the stand-up guy everyone wants to pretend he is and defy the awful orders. To the contrary, he’s all about sealing the borders, by any means necessary, whether there’s an actual need or not. He’s not going to be the man of principle “everyone” thinks he is. He’s already sacrificed those principles. Everyone and everything Drumpf touches turns to shit. Some willingly.
King Midass
Kelly isn’t going to reign in the Mad Generalissimo’s worst impulses. He’s going to weaponize them. That’s what banana republics do.
Maybe he can explain how Drump Smoothing Putin’s behind.
1Make’s America Great Again.
Banana Republicans. I like it. Good to see you Primo. Don’t be a stranger.
2I wish I didn’t think you were right. Trump is pretty much unstoppable, and I can’t see General Kelly as the one who will beat those odds. I”m not encouraged by this morning’s tweetstorm, either.
3I have a problem with the militarization of the White House on a few different levels. Am I alone in that thought?
4That Other Jean, Donnie can be stopped. What makes him appear to be unstoppable are the mealy mouthed oatmeal for guts squishes like Jeff Flake (AZ), Lindsey Graham (SC) and Dean Heller (NV). There are others of course, but those 3 typify the snacilbupeR Senators who grumble, whine a little and then do nothing to rein in the Orange Foolius. Then there is the House side of snacilbupeR st00pid. Oy vey, the st00pid there, it burns.
Congress should stop Donnie, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one or lay a nickel on the Las Vegas line.
However. 2018 is our opportunity to rid ourselves of Donnie and deliver a smack down to a large number of the mooching for pay and benefits non-performing snacilbupeR in Congress.
Primo, Kelly is one military mustang that reinforces the rule rather than being the exception that proves the rule about military mustangs. For those unfamiliar with military mustangs, there are a number of civilian equivalents starting with the Peter Principle and ending with anyone sufficiently st00pid as to become ensnared in the Drumpf disaster.
5Well with enough military generals, they may push Rump aside and rule, congress be dayamn.
6I’m reminded of Gen Schwartzkopf, ret’d, who declined a repub offer to run for prez when he said that he was used to giving orders and having them carried out. IMHO, I think it is too early to try to get rid of trump and pence simply because not enough of the repub voters have suffered. I do not mean inconvenienced but actual pain in body and/or pocket book. Next, without some meaningful restraints on the power wielded by the 1% as rep’d by the koch’s, nothing is likely to change over the long haul.
7If he was a man of integrity, Kelly wouldn’t be a member of the Trump Administration in the first place. Most certainly, he would never have agreed to be Drumpf’s Enforcer. Chaos Patent Zero is the source of all that is wrong with this country and it won’t end until he is gone and the greedy, cruel Rethuglicans are subjugated.
8Thank you, Primo, that needed to be said. I’ve lived around the military almost my entire life, both in the family and in the communities where I’ve lived. It’s better they stay in the military and leave governing to those who at least know what “mercy and fairness” mean, rather that doing their “duty” regardless of the character of who is giving the orders or who may get hurt.
9I must admit, Marines made pretty good gate guards for those of us in the Navy. (ducking)
10Too bad the Cubans didn’t kill Nicholson. I don’t want him or need him on any wall, including the living room wall if the tv is hung up there. I have never liked Nicholson and I will never like him. Worst actor ever not named William Shatner. Check that -worst actor ever not named Shatner or Cruise.
11Never once thought Kelly was supposed to train the Barking Yam at anything. Frankly he was hired to keep the mustangs broke and in the corral. I bet he is pretty good at that.
Surprised to hear that Bannon has a military background. He sure doesn’t look it or behave like it. I bet Kelly views him as a subaltern and will probably that him like one. Ditto that ninny Stephen whathisname. Kelly Ann had best keep way out of Kelly’s path. Thing 1, Thing 2 and the Kushners would do well to avoid the man. Mealy mouth is something this guy clearly does not like.
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