Generals Should Not Have to Break the Rules to Prevent Nuclear War

[rangerrebew]

 
Generals Should Not Have to Break the Rules to Prevent Nuclear War
Rather than criticizing Milley, we need to change the policy that put him in an impossible spot.
 
By Tom Z. Collina
Policy Director, Ploughshares Fund
September 16, 2021
 

Just after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Gen. Mark Milley faced an impossible choice: should he allow President Trump to retain sole authority to start nuclear war, or should he intervene to block such an order?

Convinced that Trump had suffered “serious mental decline in the aftermath of the election,” Gen. Milley decided to intervene, ordering his staff to come to him if they received a strike order from the president.

"No matter what you are told, you do the procedure. You do the process. And I'm part of that procedure," Milley told the officers, according to Peril, a new book by journalist Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. “You never know what a president's trigger point is.”

But Gen. Milley—though chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president’s chief military advisor—is not formally part of that procedure. As former Defense Secretary Bill Perry and I explore in our book The Button, policy established during the Cold War puts decisions about the use of nuclear weapons are solely in the hands of the civilian president, not Congress and above all not the military. All the president needs to do is call the Pentagon’s War Room—using the nuclear “football” or some other means—then identify himself and give the order to launch. The president may choose to consult with senior advisors such as Gen. Milley but is not required to.

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/09/generals-should-not-have-break-rules-prevent-nuclear-war/185398/

[rangerrebew]

Neither the sh*t for brains that wrote this or Gen. Milley seem to be aware that Gen. Milley would not have to obey illegal orders, and to launch a nuclear strike at this point, with no war with China, would be clearly illegal.  To do so would require the approval of congress, something Trump clearly wouldn't get.  I think back to Viet Nam and Lt. Wm. Calley who was convicted of carrying out an action for which he didn't have orders, wiping out a village.  Everyone was concerned about Trump launching nukes but I worry Military command could do the same and what is to stop that?  The same thing they should have considered with Trump, the other joint chiefs would not have to carry out an order by Milley to launch nukes as it would be an illegal order.  So what he told the Chinese was clearly outside his authority since he could have just refused the order to begin with should he have gotten it.

[GtHawk]

Not break rules, but treason is OK?

[DB]

Neither the sh*t for brains that wrote this or Gen. Milley seem to be aware that Gen. Milley would not have to obey illegal orders, and to launch a nuclear strike at this point, with no war with China, would be clearly illegal.  To do so would require the approval of congress, something Trump clearly wouldn't get.  I think back to Viet Nam and Lt. Wm. Calley who was convicted of carrying out an action for which he didn't have orders, wiping out a village.  Everyone was concerned about Trump launching nukes but I worry Military command could do the same and what is to stop that?  The same thing they should have considered with Trump, the other joint chiefs would not have to carry out an order by Milley to launch nukes as it would be an illegal order.  So what he told the Chinese was clearly outside his authority since he could have just refused the order to begin with should he have gotten it.

My understanding is legally Milley isn't in the chain of command between the President and the military. Period. So Milley could neither order a nuclear strike or block a nuclear strike order. He simply went rogue.

[skeeter]

And just like that it becomes accepted history that Trump wanted to start a nuclear war. Out of friggen whole cloth. Simply amazing.

[EdinVA]

He did not HAVE to, he CHOSE to...

[GtHawk]

My understanding is legally Milley isn't in the chain of command between the President and the military. Period. So Milley could neither order a nuclear strike or block a nuclear strike order. He simply went rouge.

At first glance I thought you simply misspelled rogue, and then maybe it was much more clever than a misspelling since he was talking to Red China undercutting a President in a treasonous manor.

[DB]

At first glance I thought you simply misspelled rogue, and then maybe it was much more clever than a misspelling since he was talking to Red China undercutting a President in a treasonous manor.

No... I misspelled it... Entirely my fault... Thanks for the correction.

[Cyber Liberty]

No... I misspelled it... Entirely my fault... Thanks for the correction.

How I remember it:



vs.

[GtHawk]

No... I misspelled it... Entirely my fault... Thanks for the correction.

Like I said it works either way and I am no one to be correcting anyone else, I'm smart enough to know that which makes me genius level compared to a democrat

[skeeter]

At first glance I thought you simply misspelled rogue, and then maybe it was much more clever than a misspelling since he was talking to Red China undercutting a President in a treasonous manor.

I thought maybe milley was coming out as a cross dresser.

[GtHawk]

I thought maybe milley was coming out as a cross dresser.

In a way he has, as someone who has dressed in a uniform that he's not fit to wear.....anymore.

[240B]

So ... this particular brand of political spin is, GEN. MILLEY PREVENTED NUCLEAR WAR!!
The problem with this twisting of treason is that there never was a 'nuclear war' to prevent.
In fact, Milley made the entire world a much more dangerous place by even discussing the "idea" with China that Trump was preparing to attack them.
He (Milley) could have easily ignited the nuclear war he claims he was 'preventing'. 
What Milley did was one of the most globally dangerous 'nuclear incidents' to ever happen in history.

[Cyber Liberty]

So ... this particular brand of political spin is, GEN. MILLEY PREVENTED NUCLEAR WAR!!
The problem with this twisting of treason is that there never was a 'nuclear war' to prevent.
In fact, Milley made the entire world a much more dangerous place by even discussing the "idea" with China that Trump was preparing to attack them.
He (Milley) could have easily ignited the nuclear war he claims he was 'preventing'. 
What Milley did was one of the most globally dangerous 'nuclear incidents' to ever happen in history.

You speak truth!

Imagine the discussion at the CCP:

"Wait, what?   The US is preparing to nuke us?  Damn!  We would save millions of Chinese lives by striking first!"

Wars have been caused by such loose talk.

Korea:  A low-level Diplomat says the US would not go to war to keep North Korea from conquering South Korea.

Iraq:  A low-level Diplomat says the US would not go to war to keep Iraq from conquering Kuwait.

There are more examples.  Now we have the CJST telling a country that's armed to the teeth with nukes a nuclear war is imminent and they'd better shoot first.

[Hoodat]

So 'treason' has been downgraded to 'breaking a rule'?

[240B]

All true. Milley's demented egocentric brain, encouraged by Pelosi, decided that HE could speak for America with China concerning going to war with them even to the point of him (Milley) saying, NO! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! In all of his so called 'backchannel' calls to China, he felt that HE was representing the 'real' America, which is something Democrats often say. That is to say, he felt that HE was speaking as the President of the United States. If anyone ever did that to Obama or Clinton, they would be buried under the prison right now. But, to backstab a Republican by outright treason is considered heroic today.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Who the hell gave generals the power to start or stop any war?

These cretins best get back in their lane or this whole house of cards collapses.

[240B]

Who the hell gave generals the power to start or stop any war?

These cretins best get back in their lane or this whole house of cards collapses.

Nobody ever gave generals that kind of authority. Milley took/usurped the authority on himself.
He was desperate to protect "his people" meaning the Chinese, from his fantasy of evil American aggression on the people he cares most about (Chinese) from evil Trump.

Milley has demonstrated beyond any doubt that he would gladly allow Americans and American forces die, before he would ALLOW them to attack China. It is a wonder that China has not yet attack Taiwan with people like Milley cheering for them. And when China does go to war, from all the evidence Milley will join their side.

[Smokin Joe]

So ... this particular brand of political spin is, GEN. MILLEY PREVENTED NUCLEAR WAR!!
The problem with this twisting of treason is that there never was a 'nuclear war' to prevent.
In fact, Milley made the entire world a much more dangerous place by even discussing the "idea" with China that Trump was preparing to attack them.
He (Milley) could have easily ignited the nuclear war he claims he was 'preventing'. 
What Milley did was one of the most globally dangerous 'nuclear incidents' to ever happen in history.

THIS! EXACTLY!

That man is no hero, but the Media and the Democrats he colluded with (Pelosi, Schumer) are desperately trying to make it appear that way because they are neck-deep in this too.  They should all be tried for Treason.