What is this Quantico Meeting-of-Generals all about?

[MtnMan]

I'm waiting for someone to figure out the cost to us of getting them all to VA and back.

Thinking about something I read today:

"I've got to stop saying 'How stupid can you be?' Too many people are taking it as a challenge."

Getting them back? They ain't going back to their commands, they will be lucky if they get to go home. They will be lucky if they get a military travel voucher in coach.

 

[MtnMan]

"I've got to stop saying 'How stupid can you be?' Too many people are taking it as a challenge."

I want that on a T-shirt.

My favorite shirts I have recently acquired, and get a lot of compliments on, are...

 

[allisolm]

Getting them back? They ain't going back to their commands, they will be lucky if they get to go home. They will be lucky if they get a military travel voucher in coach.

Could be. Could very well be.

 

[MtnMan]

Hmmmm...

Trump Is Vetting Top General Nominees. It Could Be Seen as a Loyalty Test.

President Donald Trump is now meeting with four-star general nominees personally, a notable departure from past practices that raises ethical concerns about the further mingling of political roles within the military's highest ranks.

www.military.com

 

[allisolm]

I want that on a T-shirt.

My favorite recently is

70% OF PEOPLE
ARE STUPID.
I'm obviously with the other 40%.​

 

[kage69]

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic...

 

[Muse]

Hear hear!

"Any violence plays into their hands."

Boycott!

Here's a song I can't get tired of. Doesn't matter how many times I hear it, I can hear it indefinitely on repeat. This is what this guy's saying to do. I'm providing the lyrics which AFAIK were not available anywhere including internet sources until I posted them at Genius a couple days ago.

The Cowlicks - Store No More

The song appeared on their debut album "Hey Hey We're The Cowlicks" in 2009. Cool live version is dated 2007 on Youtube. I don't see the album version to post here but the live version (very cool!) is really good and fun!

I ain't goin' to the store no more,
gonna stay on the farm do my chores
will drink homemade liquor and I won't buy Coors
I ain't goin' to the store no more.

Well the oil dried up and the cars turned to rust
the ice caps melted and the pails turned to dust
banks are never open and the whole world is poor
Nobody's goin' to the store no more.

I ain't goin' to the store no more
gonna stay on the farm do my chores
and take a bath on Sunday and a piss outdoors
I ain't goin' to the store no more.

- guitar break -

Well they gave us a president that wasn't too bright
Just an ignorant cracker justa lookin' for a fight
thumpin' on his bible but he's rotten to the core
Nobody's goin' to the store no more.

I ain't goin' to the store no more,
gonna stay on the farm do my chores
will drink homemade liquor and I won't buy Coors
I ain't goin' to the store no more.

- guitar break -

So with the government collapsed in a military coup,
with the fussin' and a fightin' with red and the blue
cities burned down in the 2nd civil war,
nobody's goin' to the store no more.

I ain't goin' to the store no more
gonna stay on the farm do my chores
and take a bath on Sunday and a piss outdoors
I ain't goin' to the store no more.

- guitar break -

So we found us a paradise an island of hope
spendin' our days with the chickens and the goats
got a couple of acres of potatoes and corn
We're not goin' to the store no more.

I ain't goin' to the store no more
gonna stay on the farm do my chores
and drink homemade liquor and I won't buy Coors
I ain't goin' to the store no more.

I ain't goin' to the store no more
gonna stay on the farm do my chores
there ain't nothin' goin' back to the way it was before
I ain't goin' to the store no more
I ain't goin' to the store no more
I ain't goin' to the store no more

 

[Muse]

Could be. Could very well be.

Question: Is it in Trump's power to fire 1/4 of the generals in the U.S. military with a wave of his hand?

A Google search on that question returns this (in part):

Based on recent reporting from 2024 and 2025, former President Trump has stated his intent to remove generals he considers disloyal or "woke," and his transition team drafted an executive order to facilitate this
. However, dismissing high-ranking military officers is a complex process governed by constitutional authority and military law, not something that can be accomplished instantly "with a wave of his hand"

 

[GodisanAtheist]

IMO at this stage it might simply be a normalizing move. Do it once and make it about nothing to play up the incompetence angle.

Later you do it again and when everyone's guard is down you hit them with the "your vows are now to the President of the United States, not the constitution" and purge accordingly.

That said, this admin isn't exactly firing on all cylinders when it comes to executing their take-over so it might all go down like a lead balloon.

 

[esquared]

The odds of Hegseth having an accident on some visit probably just went up by like 500%.

https://bsky.app/profile/washingtonpost.com%2Fpost%2F3lzr3ezhfk727

From the article

"“They don’t need a talk from Secretary Hegseth on the warrior ethos,” a defense official said."

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[UNCjigga]

The only conspiracy theory that makes any shred of sense…is that Hegseth wants to bring them all home before the shutdown—and if there’s a government shutdown, they’ll use this as leverage against Democrats (i.e. “every day we’re shutdown these Generals can’t get back to their command posts and the Dems are making us weaker”. It’s so stupid it might be true.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

The only conspiracy theory that makes any shred of sense…is that Hegseth wants to bring them all home before the shutdown—and if there’s a government shutdown, they’ll use this as leverage against Democrats (i.e. “every day we’re shutdown these Generals can’t get back to their command posts and the Dems are making us weaker”. It’s so stupid it might be true.

- Dems are so divided and weak right now I figure they'll cave unprompted on the shutdown, so I'd be amazed if this was the reason.

And ofc if the US is in clear and present danger because we can't fly Generals back to their posts from a meeting Hegseth knowingly called before a potential shutdown we have much much bigger issues.

 

[IronWing]

The uniformed services don't shutdown. Some DOD civilian employees may get sent home but certainly not the brass.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I think the cause for great worry is displayed in UNCjigga's post #2

I was thinking the same thing before I came back to this thread a minute ago.

Based on his unhinged statements more recently, I would not put it beyond Trump to attempt and seize power by force if it doesn't look as though either the 26 or 28 election is going his way.

Start collecting beer-bottles, rags and gasoline, because righteous citizens may have to attack our own troops.

After Trump's first term, did you even imagine he would do as much as he's done to damage the country since end of January this year?

 

[cytg111]

Some anti trans and beard shaving guide and how to look good on posters.

They are all blabbering idiots.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

1. He has some trivial thing to say and does not understand the risks.
2. He wishes to endanger the lives of the generals and admirals.
3. He will stage a purge, perhaps involving a loyalty oath or something similar that requires personal presence.
4. He will tell the commanders that henceforth their assignment will be to oppress American citizens (“homeland defense”). This could be combined with the third scenario: those who refuse will be fired on.

Fixed point 4 for you

 

[allisolm]

I'm sure our military commanders are in need of a lecture on ethos from someone who resigned from the military because of his white nationalist tattoo.

 

[NWRMidnight]

The only conspiracy theory that makes any shred of sense…is that Hegseth wants to bring them all home before the shutdown—and if there’s a government shutdown, they’ll use this as leverage against Democrats (i.e. “every day we’re shutdown these Generals can’t get back to their command posts and the Dems are making us weaker”. It’s so stupid it might be true.

Every unit across the globe has a second officer who is more than capable of commanding the unit while the Generals are in North Virginia. It's not like they are out of communication with these Generals either. It's a questionablle move to have them all come meet in one location, specially with the secrecy of what the meeting is all about, but it really doens't make us weaker. The only way it would do that is if all communications where cut off, and those left in charge are incompetant. Even if all hell broke out across the globe, the Generals would be in a safe secure location commanding their Units from afar.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

John Frankenheimer had directed "The Manchurian Candidate", which had more of a link to the real JFK murder than he could've possibly known. If he didn't know the mastermind behind the JFK killing, he knew the mastermind's brother -- a screenwriter and war-veteran who went by the pen-name of Philip Atlee for an entire series of books, winning the Edgar Allen Poe Prize. The Mastermind had been assigned by a man named Frank Wisner, Sr., to mid-wife the Manchurian book (by Richard Condon) into the movie. Later, somebody -- Probably James Jesus Angleton -- dropped Lee Harvey Oswald right into his lap, per a memo to file dated February 4, 1961.

So it's interesting, that Frankenheimer also directed this film, which employed Rod Serling as a screenwriter. "Seven Days in May"

Of course this movie can have a variation on the plot, more in line with Hitler's manipulation of the German general staff.

There is "historical docu-drama" and and there is fiction. But the fiction provides a cultural insight into our history and its issues. As to the docu-drama, Oliver Stone's "JFK" and "Nixon" have a reasonable degree of historical accuracy, even as names like "Col. L. Fletcher Prouty" have been changed to "Mr. X" and "Maj. Gen. Edward Geary Lansdale" is "General Y". "NIxon" was based on the famous White House tapes.

 

[BoomerD]

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic...

I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

But what are they supposed to do when the President is one of those enemies...

 

[kage69]

I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

But what are they supposed to do when the President is one of those enemies...

It is a point of order, stick with true faith and allegiance. To paraphrase Milley, the oath is sworn to the Constitution, not a president - an illegitimate one in this case. An insurrectionist openly flaunting the idea of running for a 3rd term.

Trump wasn't even supposed to be in the 2024 race, as per the 14th Amendment. He's a dementia riddled pedo who colludes with Russians while working to make dead and destitute Americans, not to mention pissing on our allies and aiding our adversaries.

This orange wannabe despot has openly expressed a desire for generals "like Hitler had." He is such a threat to this country I wouldn't be surprised at all if he gets a von Stauffenberg. And to that I say may all of Trump's furniture be cheap gaudy shit; no oak.

 

[sandorski]

Whatever the reason, it's creepy. We really need Russia to implode soon. I think the US military is going to be in turmoil for awhile, if it's some sort of top level restructuring. If it's about Russia/War, Bagram might be wanted suddenly to engage in a conflict that might be WWIII like. Maybe just against Iran, that could help Ukraine. Maybe to affect/contain China, which has been helping build a NG pipeline from Khazakstan(sp/IIRC).

 

[Moonbeam]

I have to wonder if there is not a subconscious fear in the administration of a military coup what with the nonstop outrageous goings-on of the first 8+ months.

Evil exists where there is a will to do harm rather than good, and that requires a lack of capacity to feel moral shame or quilt. What a produce that state but the use of violence ridicule and force to extinguish a capacity to be human, to feel empathy.

For this reason evil will seek to control the capacity to use force and that is done via wielding power and authority. That is the only thing evil fears, what destroyed their humanity in the first place, the thing that can create a reckoning.

This is the subconscious fear you mention.

But you have not understood that there is another force at work and it is that we create what we fear.

Isn’t the military full of people who are willing to die for their country and are also empowered to do so by force? Let’s hope we have the best military in the world and they are rewarded for defending it.

 

[uallas5]

Everyone keeps quoting the oath for Enlisted personnel, which isn't the oath any of these commanders attested to. This is the officer's oath:

"I ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

Notice there is no mention of obeying the President. It truly is an oath to the Constitution and ONLY the Constitution, not the President, or the flag, or anything else.

 

[VRAMdemon]

The only conspiracy theory that makes any shred of sense…is that Hegseth wants to bring them all home before the shutdown—and if there’s a government shutdown, they’ll use this as leverage against Democrats (i.e. “every day we’re shutdown these Generals can’t get back to their command posts and the Dems are making us weaker”. It’s so stupid it might be true.

Maybe something like this or a planned invasion of Venezuela?

800+ generals and admirals have to drop whatever they are doing around the world, fly to Virginia, and then listen to this idiot yap for 1/2 hour and then head back to their jobs. Definitely no government waste there. Hegseth fancies himself an inspirational leader with non-existent leadership skills. This is what happens when you have substance abuse issues.