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I think this article misses the mark in at least a couple ways. First, the author assumes he knows Mattis and that Mattis is a simple man who would resign over a single issue (Syria), when the more likely reality is, Mattis has a stack of reasons neck-deep, and Syria was just the final straw. Second, the article tries to paint it as Mattis' failure to "navigate politics," where in reality the SECDEF just owes his best military advice to the President in keeping with his oath of office, even when (maybe especially when) he disagrees with the president's position.
The education of James Mattis
Posted from thehill.com
James Mattis
Donald Trump
SECDEF
Office of the President (POTUS)
Posted 6 y ago
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I think a lot of people misunderstand the role of the cabinet including perhaps the current POTUS. It isn't their job to just agree, it is their job to give best advice in their area of expertise. There is a huge danger in having "yes people" around you. You miss things that are important to know.
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Col Joseph Lenertz
Absolutely. That's where I was going. Thinking that the cabinet exists to wait until the president says something and then say "yes boss" is just folly. It DOES require a president to be comfortable with the notion that there are always smarter people in their own field of study than you, and I'm not sure this president is comfortable with that.
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One of those times I have to be a contrarian. Mattis and Kelly were the only two cabinet selections that I wholeheartedly agreed with and they met my expectations. They did the principled action, when they felt they no longer matched the Commander in Chief in policy. When they were AD four star Generals, their subordinates would not have lasted long if they continuously disagreed. How many top level military leaders were fired under the last president? As a General Manager, a few decades ago, I always listened to my subordinates, then made decisions that were best for the mission. Just as in the past, decisions have consequences, good and bad. I do know it never goes well to be involved in foreign civil wars or never ending wars.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
I think that Trump and Mattis worked together to start correcting some of the problems that have been the results of being in continuous brush fire wars for 17 years and it was clear from the Trump campaign that he planned to disengage from a number of these conflicts. My biggest disappointment with Trump has been that he hasn't pursued those goals as quick as I think he could have done. What the main line Republicans and Establishment people have done was to moderate that goal to the point of wanting to start up new ones. I hope this is a new trend where we look at involvement in foreign conflicts from the point of view of vested American Interest and reverses us from the path of being the world policeman in a world that doesn't want to be policed.
I have a lot of admiration for Mattis, but he is on the wrong side of this one.
I have a lot of admiration for Mattis, but he is on the wrong side of this one.
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Great post, but absolutely a terrible article, LOL. Mattis had been told the military was his “puppy” and that he would be allowed to run it. That the POTUS would listen to him.
Civilians do not understand what the term “Honor, integrity and fortitude” means. He is displaying them because what is happening is actually hurting our militaries projection of power. That same projection of power is the one that also keeps the wolves at bay from our Nation.
Praying for our Country. I hate to see you go GEN Mattis.
Civilians do not understand what the term “Honor, integrity and fortitude” means. He is displaying them because what is happening is actually hurting our militaries projection of power. That same projection of power is the one that also keeps the wolves at bay from our Nation.
Praying for our Country. I hate to see you go GEN Mattis.
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