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Not a single authoritarian leader or aspiring dictator has ever gathered the entire high-ranking military leadership of their military in a single location to belittle them as failures and humiliate them for their unprofessional personal appearance, while insulting whole classes serving in the military branches as lesser and undeserving.

Donald Trump is accustomed to walking into gatherings with energetic crowds applauding to music. "I've never entered a room so quiet before," Trump remarked when addressing the country's top military commanders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico. "No laughing. Unsure if you're permitted to do that." He was attempting to elicit some amusement, an old performance technique to rouse a unresponsive audience. "Listen up, Just enjoy yourselves."

Trump's syllogism perfectly encapsulated his psychology of victimhood and approach of revenge. If you fail to show deference to him, he is personally wounded. Your failure to worship him deserves to be punished. Your slight of his majesty dooms you to ruin.

Military Discipline vs. Political Demands

The speaker cannot grasp that the quiet demeanor of the commanders during his extraordinary address to them demonstrated their highest responsibility. Their composure showed fidelity to uphold their pledge to the constitution. Through their calm they represented themselves as models for the remainder of the military leadership and the troops.

They are not loyal to any individual or any cult of personality, but to his constitutional position.

They were being used as a background for a political rally, but they were resistant to acting as partisan players.

Basic Lack of Comprehension

Trump's inability to understand their steadfastness in the presence of his challenges revealed his lack of understanding not only of the military but the presidency under the law. As he became offended at their stoney silence his criticism made clear that he viewed them merely as his tools.

The president had come on an pressing mission for them to execute. He was there to inform the military chiefs they were to be his obedient instruments for the greatest reversal of military strategy since the "war on terror" – a new war to be waged against his viewed domestic rivals at home in contravention of the federal law of 1878, which forbids the domestic deployment of the US military as a law enforcement agency.

Background and Presidential Measures

All the senior military leaders had been gathered for the unprecedented event at the Marine Corps Base Quantico on the directive of the secretary of defense. They had no inkling for what significant purpose they were being called. They wouldn't theorize that they were being brought to be a captured crowd for a self-referential ego-driven presentation attempting to rehabilitate his image and assert his authority.

However the military leaders could have obtained more than a hint that they were being assembled for the latest chapter of political drama by reviewing the presidential directive Designating an activist movement as a Domestic Terrorist Organization, an "organization" that does not exist. Subsequent actions included a security directive citing various incidents as justifications: "These incidents is not a series of unconnected incidents and doesn't originate naturally.

Philosophical Basis

According to the directive, a new "national strategy" would be enacted against an belief system of "anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the removal of the federal government; radical views on immigration, ethnicity, and sex; and opposition towards those who hold conservative values on family structure, faith, and morality."

These concepts were not a portrayal of an ideology so much as a mixture of political catchphrases. Should any belief system expressed it was an inchoate fascism based on a repressive impulse that created an all-purpose opponent called "Antifa".

Military Chief's Performance

The theatrical presentation at Quantico began with the defense secretary moving rapidly on the platform. He acted as a inspirational presenter as a drill sergeant with a publication to promote – and a warm-up act for the main speaker.

The former military reserve major said he had been "considered an radical"; he was identified as a possible "insider threat" by fellow officers. Regardless of numerous accounts of his drinking issues, he informed journalists in an interview: "I have never had a drinking problem," but then allegedly promised a legislator that he would "avoid alcohol while I have this role."

Policy Modifications and Controversial Statements

As a media host, the speaker had been a leading supporter for pardoning or granting clemency to service members accused or convicted of war crimes. He described them as "fighters" rather than "offenders".

Now, in his speech, he declared he was clearing away "unnecessary elements". He promoted loosening rules aimed at stopping prohibited force within the military. He announced the "overhauling" of the inspector general and whistleblower complaint process, which would undermine legal protections and protect aggressive or reckless offenders from accountability.

He would, he said, impose discriminatory measures of "unisex" or "masculine standard" fitness requirements for fighting positions, saying: "Should it result that no women meet standards for some military positions, that's acceptable."

Confrontational Language and Military Reaction

The speaker swaggered in front of the commanders, barking vulgar language – "Acronym for explicit phrase", or vulgar expression. "Eliminate heritage observances, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. End environmental focus. No more separation, diversion or gender delusions. No more debris. As I stated before and will say again, we are finished with that nonsense."

The generals sat without reaction at his crude language that could be considered under the Uniform Military Code of Justice as a infraction against improper speech that "neglects to the prejudice of good order and military standards".

Physical Standards and Personal Observations

Per the speaker, it was the flabby generals who needed to exercise following his example. "It's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and overseeing operations around the nation and the world. It's a bad look," he said. "Eliminate beardos."

Concluding Remarks and Governmental Background

At no point did the defense secretary mention "Russia" or "the Ukrainian nation". He offered not the slightest mention to Russia's huge missile attacks striking Ukraine, Russian unmanned aircraft over European nations, the tensions over US uncertainty within the international coalition, or utter anything that might be interpreted as a military consideration.

After his threatening speech, the defense secretary made way for the president. The president showed his customary disrespect for the armed forces by provoking them with an array of partisan barbs to which they remained rigidly unresponsive.

During the course of his stream of consciousness, he introduced his new objective for the military against the "enemy from within", with large American cities as the "training grounds … the ones that are governed by the radical-left Democrats … And this is going to be a major role for some of the individuals in this room. That's a war, too. It's combat from within." No response.