What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Sheilbh]

Yes - they are professionals serving civilian leaders.

I think, I could be wrong, but I think the whole "warrior ethos" thing started in the IDF and was something then adopted by the US military.

[grumbler]

Roman soldiers met Gallic warriors repeatedly between 58 and 50 BCE.  Warriors do not fare well against soldiers.

[crazy canuck]

The Warriors barely survived New York.

[Sophie Scholl]

Soldiers do a job, Warriors only come out to play.

[Savonarola]

The Department of defence is now the department of war.

Back to 1947.  One of the problems the US had in the Entre-Deux-Guerres period was "War funding" or "The war budget" had such a negative connotation that the US was woefully unprepared at the beginning of the Second World War.  "Defense spending" was much more palatable, and one of the reasons it was changed to Department of Defense.

Trump missed a golden opportunity. He should've named it the department of peace.

 

Of course Trump would never do that; for all the talk of him being "Orwellian" he's actually the polar opposite.  Calling it "The War Department" again is much more honest, but also likely to cause problems.

[The Minsky Moment]

(The Secretary of) War
Huh, yeah!
What is he good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it again!
(The Secretary of) War
Good God y'all!
What is he good for?
Absolutely nothing

Hegseth, went and lied
For his cabinet job, he is unqualified
Leaking all our secrets on the Signal Chat
Whenever he speaks, we smell a rat

(The Secretary of) War
Huh, yeah!
What is he good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it again!
(The Secretary of) War
Good God y'all!
What is he good for?
Absolutely nothing

[grumbler]

Back to 1947.  One of the problems the US had in the Entre-Deux-Guerres period was "War funding" or "The war budget" had such a negative connotation that the US was woefully unprepared at the beginning of the Second World War.  "Defense spending" was much more palatable, and one of the reasons it was changed to Department of Defense.

Actually, the reason to name it the Department of Defense was because the War Department and Department of the Navy were being combined as equals, and to name the result the War Department would have seemed to subordinate the Navy to the Army. DoD was neutral.

[DGuller]

Ironically, even though Trump didn't mean it, this was the one time he made something less Orwellian.  Department of War is a more accurate description of US military than Department of Defense.

[The Minsky Moment]

If you really want an accurate depiction of what the department mostly does in terms of time and effort, it would probably be something like Secretary of Massive Bureaucratic Paperwork and Employee Benefits Management.  More Dilbert than GI Joe.

Thank God, we don't really do that much warring.

[Norgy]

Roman soldiers met Gallic warriors repeatedly between 58 and 50 BCE.  Warriors do not fare well against soldiers.

You'd know, wouldn't you? Remember that time at Alessia? 

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Well, America doesn't have "soldiers" but "warfighters"

That shit goes back to Dubya, and it was cringe-inducing having to deal with it at Raytheon.  Yet another thing from the Bush era that Trump is cranking up to 11.

[Syt]

The Warriors barely survived New York.

Soldiers do a job, Warriors only come out to play.

 

[Tonitrus]

We had the whole "warrior ethos" thing in the USAF as well.  It is entirely stupid.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Roman soldiers met Gallic warriors repeatedly between 58 and 50 BCE.  Warriors do not fare well against soldiers.

You'd know, wouldn't you? Remember that time at Alessia? 

There is no Alesia! (Asterix. The one where they go get the shield of Vercingetorix. At Gergovia. Nothing to do with Alesia)

[Sheilbh]

Ironically, even though Trump didn't mean it, this was the one time he made something less Orwellian.  Department of War is a more accurate description of US military than Department of Defense.

I don't entirely disagree - and it would be nice if there was similar accuracy/honesty that the Department of Defense has been very active over the last 25 years and yet I don't know the last time the US was actually at war. If we're acknowledging "kinetic military force" (or whatever the euphemism is now) is actually war, maybe Congress could re-assert control over their most important job too.

I mean...not this Congress, obviously