Hegseth's Gaffe - 3/25/2025

OK, I'm back for just a second here to make an observation.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accidentally including Atlantic Editor Jeffrey Goldberg on a text stream. I'm not going to sugar coat it, it's a fuck up. Please read that last sentence back one more time before I continue. It's a fuck up. Now that that's out of the way, a couple of things. First, the texts I saw weren't actual war plans, you know, order of battle, jumping off point and time, logistics, etc. Second, what I saw was absolutely consistent with what the Trump Administration has been saying publicly about the Red Sea and the Houthis. What I saw didn't put anyone at any greater risk than they already faced absent these accidentally leaked messages, and in a way it's refreshing to accidentally find out the Administration is consistent in private with what it says in public.

Former Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin

Contrast Pete's gaffe with his predecessor, Lloyd Austin. I do have empathy for Secretary Austin having had, maybe he still has, prostate cancer. I'm not discounting that, nor do I fail to recognize the personal nature of dealing with cancer, something many people feel very private about, wanting discretion until they have a good handle on their own situation before it becomes the topic of calls and well wishes, even. I get all of that. But Secretary Austin was incapacitated for health reasons and didn't tell the boss. The read it again line this time is: "was incapacitated for health reasons and didn't tell the boss." Now, maybe he had an even better excuse, desire for privacy aside. I mean, Joe Biden is and was an intellectual vegetable most of the time. Even if he had been told, he'd likely have remained unaware. But even so, the chain of command below Austin needed to know and his assistant ought to have stepped up in an "acting" capacity.

I never felt Austin ought to be fired for failing to disclose his incapacitation. For some other stuff, yes, but not for that. Neither do I need to see Hegseth gone. Was this a major league screw up? Absolutely. The breach needs to be addressed so it isn't repeated, but anyone calling for Hegseth's job who didn't call for Austin's? They might just be a little biased. That's all I'm saying.

I'm glad I was able to get that off my chest without blowing my stack. I've struggle to express myself lately, and that's why I've stayed away from this blog. I simply can't tolerate or deal civilly with Trump Deranged people anymore, no matter who they are. I don't want my blog to be one redundant and offensive "go fuck yourself". And that's where I am headed if I comment on all the things happening around us.