Several news stories have noted a disturbing trend in Trump’s cabinet appointments of leaning heavily on recently retired generals. But Tulsi Gabbard not only finds nothing bothersome about this, she actually feels these generals are more committed to America than civilians are. Perhaps that is a point she discussed with Trump in her unusual meeting with him recently. In her words:
These people [generals], arguably, have put far more on the line and are far more deeply personally committed to upholding and protecting our democracy than their critics.
As Josh Marshall observes in his assessment of this:
That is the kernel of an idea that has destroyed many democracies, the idea that career military officers are simply better, more patriotic, more efficient than civilians. That is a deeply dangerous idea that needs to be snuffed out whenever it raises up its head. It is completely at odds with the entire American tradition.
This is just the latest in a series of statements coming from Gabbard starting with many Islamophobic views through her criticism of Obama foreign policy as being “neo-con.” I guess that makes her views just plain “con” then in both senses of the word. By the time Gabbard comes up for re-election, I expect her to be challenged again by a real progressive like Shay Chan Hodges who will expand on her campaign from this year to defeat the fauxgressive militarism of Gabbard.