Et Tu, McRaven?

Retired Admiral William H. McRaven, former commander of the United States Special Operations Command (as well as other special operations commands), has publicly joined the coup against President Trump. In his October 13, 2019, op-ed published in the New York Times, called for regime change in the United States, warning that "if this president doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, both domestically and abroad, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office — Republican, Democrat or independent — the sooner, the better." (underline added).

    So what got McRaven's panties in a wad? Well, he raises two primary points: (1) President Trump does not want to pursue endless wars in the Middle-East or elsewhere; and (2) the President has not shown sufficient respect and deference to "the intelligence and law enforcement community, the State Department and the press."

    McRavin initially makes an argument as to our ideals, engaging in some historic legerdemain. That is, McRavin argues that our soldiers and marines in World War II willingly served because they wanted to be the World's policemen. He explains:

We were reminded [at the O.S.S. Society dinner] that the Greatest Generation went to war because it believed that we were the good guys — that wherever there was oppression, tyranny or despotism, America would be there. We would be there because freedom mattered. We would be there because the world needed us and if not us, then who?

Well, FDR might have wanted war to satisfy his dream of Empire, but American soldiers went to war because Japan launched a sneak attack on the United States on December 7, 1941, and Nazi Germany, shortly thereafter, declared war against the United States. Once the Nazis and the Japanese were defeated, the public desire for war quickly evaporated and there was a push to "bring the boys back home" by Christmas 1945--ultimately culminating in an effort known as Operation Magic Carpet. Unfortunately, they weren't all home by Christmas. Delays in repatriating American troops after VE and VJ day angered many soldiers, leading to protests and mutinies.

     McRaven's "world's police" argument then moves to what he sees to be the "duties" we owe to the world. He writes:

      We are not the most powerful nation in the world because of our aircraft carriers, our economy, or our seat at the United Nations Security Council. We are the most powerful nation in the world because we try to be the good guys. We are the most powerful nation in the world because our ideals of universal freedom and equality have been backed up by our belief that we were champions of justice, the protectors of the less fortunate.

If this was the measure of state power, than Sweden and Norway would be among the great powers, and China would be nothing. Anyway, McRaven continues:

      But, if we don’t care about our values, if we don’t care about duty and honor, if we don’t help the weak and stand up against oppression and injustice — what will happen to the Kurds, the Iraqis, the Afghans, the Syrians, the Rohingyas, the South Sudanese and the millions of people under the boot of tyranny or left abandoned by their failing states?

      If our promises are meaningless, how will our allies ever trust us? If we can’t have faith in our nation’s principles, why would the men and women of this nation join the military? And if they don’t join, who will protect us? If we are not the champions of the good and the right, then who will follow us? And if no one follows us — where will the world end up?

Echo answers, if we don’t help the weak and stand up against oppression and injustice — what will happen to middle-America, the white middle and working class, and the "deplorables" in fly-over country suffering under the boot of tyranny of the deep state or left abandoned by their failing elites? It seems that to McRaven's viewpoint, ordinary American only exists to fund the elite's military adventures and provide the cannon fodder for the elite's endless wars.

     McRaven's second argument is more revealing, however. After noting some events he attended to remember the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, or honor soldiers injured or killed in our most recent bush wars, McRaven relates: "What struck me was the stark contrast between the words and deeds heralded at those events — and the words and deeds emanating from the White House." He continues:

       For everyone who ever served in uniform, or in the intelligence community, for those diplomats who voice the nation’s principles, for the first responders, for the tellers of truth and the millions of American citizens who were raised believing in American values — you would have seen your reflection in the faces of those we honored last week. 

       But, beneath the outward sense of hope and duty that I witnessed at these two events, there was an underlying current of frustration, humiliation, anger and fear that echoed across the sidelines. The America that they believed in was under attack, not from without, but from within.

     ... They have seen us abandon our allies and have heard the shouts of betrayal from the battlefield. As I stood on the parade field at Fort Bragg, one retired four-star general, grabbed my arm, shook me and shouted, “I don’t like the Democrats, but Trump is destroying the Republic!”

But, apparently, the worst part of it all is that "[t]hese men and women, of all political persuasions, have seen the assaults on our institutions: on the intelligence and law enforcement community, the State Department and the press." Worse, "[t]hey have seen our leaders ... preferring their government narrative to our own."

     Oh no. The President hasn't bowed down to the philosopher kings in our most important institutions which, apparently, are the intelligence and law enforcement community, the State Department and the press (i.e., "the tellers of truth"). Cry "havoc" and let slip the dogs of war.

    And that is actually what McRaven is calling for--a coup or junta. Although I've jumbled the flow of his argument, if you read the article, the flow of his argument is (i) to remind the military of their duty and honor, (ii) that this duty and honor has been tarnished by the President's decision to withdraw troops from the Middle-East, (iii) a warning that Trump is destroying the Republic by his not following the guidance of the federal law-enforcement and intelligence communities, the State Department, and the press (remember these four groups because it becomes important later), and, finally, (iv) that the only way to save the Republic is to get a new person in the White House, the sooner the better (i.e., we can't wait until the next election).  He is signaling to others within the military--or, probably more precisely, the special operations community--that they need to be ready to remove the President. Presumably after the House has passed articles of impeachment.

   Now, back to the four groups. The Last Refuge (aka Conservative Treehouse) recently posted an article entitled, "DOJ-FBI 'Small Group' Promote Defense of Spygate Operations – Former FBI/DOJ Officials Nervous, Hiring Lawyers…" in which the author describes an important insight:

     The activity of the “small group” of coup plotters consists of three generalized subsidiary agencies: (1) DOJ/FBI, (2) CIA/ODNI, and (3) The State Department.

     Within each “small group faction” a years-long review of their narrative constructs shows the groups have specific and unique media outlets for their offensive (’16, ’17) and defensive (’18, ’19) propaganda efforts.

     •The DOJ/FBI faction of the “small group” leaks to narrative engineers at the New York Times and NBC. •The CIA/ODNI faction utilize the Washington Post and ABC; and •the State Dept. faction use CNN and CBS. Each faction uses the same reporters & pundits for their distribution. This pattern, albeit generalized, has been consistent for several years.

     The originating media entity -utilizing the leaks, opinions and agenda of the faction most concerned- starts the process. The secondary media groups come in for support – reporting on the reporting; and then reporting on the reporting of the reporting… and so on. This process provides a concentric distribution effort to bolster the originating premise.

In short, the author has noticed a coordination between the federal law enforcement and intelligence communities, the State Department, and the press--the same 4 groups identified by McRaven as our most important state institutions. Interestingly, McRaven has previously criticized Trump on ... wait for it ... the pages of the Washington Post.

     Frankly, I find it dangerous that a former flag officer that has overseen our special operations forces for decades is publicly calling for the removal of our President.