- by William Briggs
- The Guardian
- Issue #2137
New Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lt Gen John Caine. Photo: public domain
The purging of leading US military leaders, recently announced by US President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth signals a shift in American military thinking. It also indicates a contradiction between an administration that promotes a virtual isolationist ‘America first’ alongside Trump’s repeated ‘peace through strength’ arguments.
The elevation of Dan ‘Razin’ Caine to the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is more a political move than anything like a natural fit for such a crucial role.
The ‘America First’ slogan that Trump adopted has its roots in the pre-WW2 US far right movement. It was a conscious move to keep out of Europe, from being forced to take sides in the looming war against fascism and to promote the USA’s capitalism. Trump has been labelled an isolationist as a consequence. It’s an odd sort of isolationism that sees him attempting to ‘cut deals’ as an expression of foreign policy, and to promote American global ambitions
Trump is also fond of the ‘Peace Through Strength’ slogan. Roman Emperor Hadrian was the first to use it. Ronald Reagan, as he was unleashing his ‘Star Wars’ strategy to weaken the USSR, was another devotee. Like Hadrian and like Reagan, Trump recognises the simplicity of the slogan. Dominate and threaten your adversaries. Let them know that you are prepared to destroy them if need be. It is one arm of imperialist strategy. The other is economic power and coercion. It’s a good strategy – at least until your adversary achieves some sort of parity.
The changing of the guard in the upper echelons of the American military is clearly designed to get rid of any Biden-appointees but also to ensure that whatever measures Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Rubio, demand are carried out without argument.
Some observers are portraying the sackings of the six leading military figures as an attack on ‘diversity.’ Hegseth has previously criticised the promotion of women and Afro-Americans to high-ranking positions. Some of his comments, especially those regarding the outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brown, are clearly racist. He rhetorically asked whether Brown got the job because he was black. Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations was another to be sacked. There had been some questions as to her appointment under Biden, and Hegseth quickly seized on these to prove an obscure point about ‘wokeism.’
The accusations of racism, sexism and misogyny can all be argued. This is even more apparent as the new leadership in the White House continues to play to its more reactionary support base, but things are often more complex.
The decks were always going to be cleared. New administrations do that. The outgoing military figures might have been more or less partisan than the new ones. They performed their respective roles to the complete satisfaction of the president and the American war machine. Being black or female did not define them. That has become politicised by both supporters and enemies of Trump. Gender and race, as far as US imperialism and those who promote and execute military threats are less than significant. The Biden years were hardly years of peace, harmony, and goodwill on earth. US imperialism continues to threaten adversaries and promote disharmony and war, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.
Perhaps the most significant casualty of the purge was General Charles Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His replacement is the lower ranking and officially retired general, Dan Caine. None of the heavy-hitters in the American military establishment have much to recommend them, but Caine’s resume is interesting. His last position was as military liaison to the CIA. This followed an ‘illustrious’ career in Special Operations, the main task of which is to organise and control the assassination and covert operations arm of the US military.
There is nothing odd about a shift in personnel when the presidency changes hands. There is, however, at least a pretence that the military hierarchy remains apolitical. Serious doubts are being raised that even that fig leaf of neutrality is being swept aside.
Trump and his inner circle are threatening all the old verities. Much has been written of the threat of destroying, or dismantling, or walking away from institutions. The traditional relationship with NATO is seemingly shaky. Some observers question the commitment of the US to major financial institutions. International law is routinely flouted and ridiculed.
Hegseth, before becoming Secretary for Defence, responded to a question about his attitude towards the Geneva Convention in relation to the US military. His response was chilling. “An America First national security policy is not going to hand its prerogatives over to international bodies that make decisions about how our men and women make decisions on the battlefield.”
Hegseth is an extremist; a far-right appointee of a far-right president. He represents a real and present danger to the world, and the people everywhere. It is a sign of the times that such as he can occupy powerful positions, can affect and dictate terms for the peace of the world. But despite the rhetoric, despite the threats of brutality emanating from Washington, there are precious few reasonable voices being raised.
US Democrat Senator, Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, objected to the firings of Brown and Franchetti because, he said, Trump and Hegseth weren’t focusing on offered this analysis of the new appointment. “Steps to ensure our military remains the most lethal in the world,” and urged Republican Senators to prioritise “readiness and lethality.” In other words, Kaine too wants ‘peace through strength.’ He just disagrees on how to get there.
