Guest Post by Kurt Schlichter
I didn’t want it to come to this, but I am compelled by my loyal adherence to the rules and norms and cultural regulations put into effect by our glorious, competent, and not-at-all-inexplicably-smug ruling caste to characterize President * as a cowardly draft dodger of cowardice.
I think it is stupid, but I am bound to these New Rules. As are you.
Say it with me: President * is a cowardly draft dodger.
You should also know that Asterisk is also not an Army Ranger, which became a fake issue when a bunch of liberal media hacks, led by some toad-like reporter who looks like Ron Jeremy’s less attractive fraternal twin, recently began talking out their Schumers about who is and is not a Ranger with regard to Tom Cotton. It is indisputable that * is nothing, having – as the New Rules compel me to characterize it – cheated his way out of Vietnam.
I sure think these New Rules are dumb, but what can you do? In fact, I have always hated the whole chickenhawk thing, the idea that, rather than military service being a character resume plus, its absence is a minus and some sort of character flaw. Only about 30% of people can qualify physically and otherwise for service, so right off you are consigning about 70% of folks to some sort of second-hand moral status. That’s stupid. Further, the idea that an American citizen who did not serve has some sort of disqualification from opining on military issues is utterly unAmerican.
Now, there are times when playing the military service card is an appropriate flex, and on those occasions, I will certainly play my undistinguished, but existent, hand. When your patriotism is questioned, voluntary military service is a pretty good bit of evidence of patriotism, and it is by no means unfair to deploy it to counter lies to the contrary. You get those a lot now that the people calling the United States a hellish dictatorship built on white supremacy and general badness three months ago are collectively wetting themselves over the peril posed by Viking-costumed “insurrectionists.”
It’s always amusing to observe that the only thing the lefty patriots du jour on social media who usually 1619 all over America but, when convenient, rally ‘round the flag, ever served were pumpkin spice lattes at the Common Grounds coffee house.
The other proper occasion for using your military service is when expertise is involved. If you were in the military, you know and have done stuff other people have not, and that credential is properly offered to demonstrate your competence to offer a useful observation or opinion on relevant topics. It’s not determinative, but when I talk about civil support operations it’s relevant that I served in them, commanded large formations in them, planned them from platoon to above division level, and wrote both law review and military journal articles on them. I might just have more useful things to say about them than @BidenFan69.
Maybe.
The big secret about military stuff is that not all of us are war heroes like Audie Buttigieg and Saigon Dick Blumenthal. I ran a heavily armed carwash in one war, and did civil affairs on another deployment. If you want to know about nuclear-biological-chemical defense, or starting up mushroom canning factories so locals have jobs to distract them from killing each other, those are two of the perspectives I can probably help with. Navy stuff, somewhat less so, though having commanded (including acting) at every level below a division probably gives me some leadership insights. You should take my, and every vet’s, views for what they are worth and decide issues for yourself.
But my preferred rule – military service should be offered only to dispute personal attacks on one’s patriotism and as a credential demonstrating expertise – has been repealed. The New Rule is that if, via legal procedures in conformance with existing regulations, you did not serve in Vietnam, you are a coward and a draft dodger. I oppose this New Rule, but this New Rule was been enacted in January 2016, and I am sadly bound by it.
President * is a cowardly draft dodger. Sorry, not my rule. It’s *’s fans’ rule. And they can live with it.
This was demonstrated with the whole “Cadet Bone Spurs” thing about Donald Trump. The “cadet” part relates to him having gone to military school, which I guess the New Rules decree is something to be ashamed of now. As with shifting attitude toward the National Guard troops from violent threats to the literal safety of oppressed people to heroic defenders of the country from Thor-wannabes to tiresome eyesores to be consigned to a Congressional parking garage, you need constant updates on whether military stuff is good or bad at any given moment.
Anyway, the “Bone Spurs” part was the medical diagnosis that kept Trump from draft eligibility. For some reason, this diagnosis strikes people who have never had to do a long ruck march over rough terrain with half their body weight on their backs as hilarious.
Now, I have some military personnel experience too – you get a lot of experience in 27 years – and back in 2016, when I was Trump Skeptical (I was never Never Trump, in large part because I eschewed bow ties and virginity), I was provided his Selective Service records and asked to review them with an eye to digging up dirt. I found none. It was all in order. Trump got four student deferments as an undergrad. Then the Army – not anyone else – decided he as not physically fit for military service. No shock – go to a MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station), tell the doc you have bone spurs on your paws, and see how fast you get transferred back to Fort Living Room.
And here’s another thing, and maybe I’m a bit technical, but Trump was never drafted. So, it’s kind of hard to “dodge the draft” when you weren’t drafted. Draft dodgers typically got their induction notices and split to Manitoba. That was draft dodging – and St. Jimmy Carter pardoned them all, so it’s weird that draft dodging is now bad again. Regardless, the New Rules are the New Rules and I am helpless to alter them. * is just as much of a draft dodger as the Bad Orange Man.
The Asterisk-In-Chief got five student deferments as an undergrad. Then the Army apparently decided that he had a history of asthma and that was that. Putting aside that he’s more known for gaffes and wandering about aimlessly than coughing fits, President * was disqualified, just as a huge percentage of potential recruits are. And like Trump, he was never drafted, making it hard in any but the most meta way to fairly consider him a “draft dodger.” But none of that matters because of the New Rules.
The New Rules decree that * is a cowardly draft dodger unfit to hold the office of president, so there you are. Sorry.
Again, I think this is stupid. This is not a rule I support. I think it’s stupid, bordering on an outright lie. But I was outvoted by our glorious ruling class, which changed the rule when it became useful to apply it to Trump. And, to the extent observing that exactly the same rule must be applied to * as it was to Trump constitutes “whataboutism,” well, yeah. What they call “whataboutism” is a moral necessity. For too long we’ve allowed ourselves to be Muh Prinicipled into supine surrender in the face of double standards, and that must end.
They enacted these stupid, dishonest, and obnoxious New Rules, and we should obey them. If they want to change the rule, great – that’s a terrific idea. They just have to first clearly and sincerely exonerate Donald Trump from liability under the New Rule. Until then, sorry folks.
President Asterisk is a cowardly draft dodger.
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I volunteered to serve in the USMC. My father was a career army officer so it was the natural thing for me to do. Frankly, I never thought twice about it. I just signed up. I good friend told he was joining up so I did. My friend never got around to it but I am not sorry I did. I agree one hundred percent with Kurt. I am proud of my service but I am no hero. Neither are most people who enlist or become officers, though the vast majority are patriotic Americans who want to give something back to the country. Never for one minute have I ever felt that I am “more patriotic” than somebody who didn’t get around to spending a few years in the military. It was an experience I value and it has helped define my life, but that is me. Military service is not a litmus test of patriotism and anybody who uses it that way is an ass. I ran into quite a few liberal jerks in the military (not one was worth a damn, by the way) and plenty of head cases. As for civilians commenting on military affairs, the USS Carl Vinson is named for a Georgia congressman who was one of our great military experts but he was never a Napoleon. Lincoln was more astute and a better strategist than almost all of his generals – his military “service” was pretty laughable. Trump did more for his country creating jobs than he would have typing in Vietnam, which is where he probably would have ended up. As for Biden, just think about having that imposter, pervert, and liar in a fighting hole with you. Enough said.
More reasons I like reading your stuff, SS. We have similar experience. Like you, I volunteered (enlisted) into the Marine Corps. My father was a highly-decorated career army officer (Silver Star, DFC, Bronze Star /V, Purple Heart, 54 Air Medals /V etc) and a real hero. I ended up just another Jarhead with a Combat Action Ribbon, a DD-214 and a deep conviction that there isn’t one damned grain of sand in the Middle East worth fighting over.
After the debacle of the last 20 years, I have soured on military service for my sons. My family has fought in almost every war since the Revolution. Literally. Our scattered dead lie buried from Carolina to Mexico to Virginia, and over seas from Bataan to France. What I once held about family honor and a Horry’s sacred duty to tribe and kith and kin, I no longer believe.
“If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin,
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer,
Bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,–
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori...”
Wilfred Owen
Thank you for you and your family’s service.
Thank you for your service.
Asterisk is a horse’s ass….always has been and always will be. Granted he never served but he is now the President and he should think like a Company Commander and send all the National Guardsmen and women home and end this charade before the lives of the soldiers get worse. That would be thinking like he really cared about the troops and not from news story view point.
Also GEN Milley should think about doing this too and telling all the classless clowns who are now empowered in the administration that he is thinking about them ending the 90 days of TDY in the national clown region.
If you fought hard enough to volunteer, the service accommodated you, depending on your MOS. My argument was if I could work as a dentist as a civilian, I could certainly fulfill my obligation in the military with the same MOS. Bone spurs, asthma, dicky heart, whatever, the service could always find a spot for you, there are a lot of support troops required to keep a man (/woman) on the front lines.
For some giggles look at YT videos from the major media about Biden. He’s getting hammered with down votes Hilarious.
I got heel spurs on both feet in 1986 (I was 32 at the time) and I can guarantee you that unless they give you a permanent desk-job the second you join, that particular affliction disqualifies you from the military. You are not walking far and you aren’t getting there fast. Period.
“Most popular president ever” they claim.
Yet they can’t delete the down votes fast enough.
I prefer “*Biden” to “President *” as the title “President” infers a title the man did not earn.
Also, even without serving, Biden is a Blue Falcon of the highest order.
I mentioned elsewhere a few weeks ago … cloward-piven these leftists to death … use their own rules and regulations and agenda against them at every turn.
They’ve been doing it to US for decades … turnabout is fair play.
Semper Fi – 1966-68
Thank you for your service.
No need to down play it, I hate that bastard soooo much that you could call him a lying, cheating, thieving scum bag and I would buy it.
Even with that dog face of his? C’mon man.