Rallying The Troops
By 
The good news is that there was no loyalty oath. The bad news is that it was more of the Don and Pete show.
For those of us who fancy we know something about strategy, calling in all the commanding generals and admirals from around the world signals something serious. Even the expected release of the National Security Strategy seems inadequate for such an event, although big changes are expected with this administration.
So thoughts went to the imposition of a loyalty oath, or a showy purge of the admirals who refused to fire on unarmed civilians in the Caribbean until Stephen Miller could find some to do his will.
The trivial was always a possibility with this crew, and they did not disappoint. Pete Hegseth told the generals to do more pushups and paraded his bigotry against the usual subjects. He told those who would commit warcrimes that they have an uncluttered way forward. It was his usual bluster, the bluster of someone incompetent to do anything but beat others up and too cowardly to do that himself.
Donald Trump joined the party, never having seen a gathering that he didn’t want to stand before. Particularly that these strong men, perhaps with tears in their eyes, had to sit and listen.
His speech was what we’ve heard over and over again, delivered in the weak voice of those headed down the path of mental decline. He begged the audience to clap, but generals don’t do that for political events. This was a sign that the generals are far from endorsing Trump’s desire for an internal coup. The opposite of the loyalty oath some of us had feared.
Trump has looked and sounded bad and worse since his five-day disappearance. The generals could see that too. The group assembled know each other well and will undoubtedly discuss today’s events. They won’t consider a military coup to wrest the government from these childish incompetents, but they won’t sign loyalty oaths either.
The meeting was an insult to the officers. Called urgently to Washington to be lectured on personal grooming by a drunk wife-abuser and a campaign rally by an increasingly demented president. Some of them are MAGA, maybe 20%. But the others are serious, educated people with lifetimes of experience in their fields. It will be harder for the administration to get loyalty oaths when and if they think of that.
The administration’s incompetence was on full display. It’s true that fascist regimes are often incompetent, but the level achieved today would seem to be a base for massive failure.