One of the hallmarks, and strengths, of our military is the obedience to the chain of command and the expectation that orders will be followed. The other is a hedge our founding fathers recognized was essential for a democracy: our military is obedient to a civilian Commander in Chief, the President. Most people I know who have served in uniform are good people and many of them are very intelligent.
If the Commander in Chief declares war and directs our military to achieve his lawful objectives, our military is bound to follow through without question. Generals who have openly questioned the President do not survive. So of course, those who served will accept the rationale to go to battle, whether or not it was flawed or intentionally misleading.
That sort of loyalty to the President explains why Mattis provided cover for Trump's claim that we were sending an "armada" to Korea. When it was discovered a few days later that the armada was heading in the opposite direction, Mattis announced that a planned exercise had been cut short and the ship was headed in that direction, as ordered...
Commanders in Chief can make the best generals and admirals look bad...
delta1 wrote:
