Pentagon stunned after Trump picks Pete Hegseth for defence secretary
Pentagon stunned after Trump picks Pete Hegseth for defence secretary
National guard veteran and Fox News presenter has been a critic of military and has minimal managerial experience
Summary
Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth, a Fox News presenter with minimal managerial experience, as defense secretary has stunned the Pentagon.
Hegseth has been a vocal critic of the military, calling for a purge of generals and questioning the appointment of Gen. Charles Brown as chair of the joint chiefs of staff.
Hegseth’s nomination is seen as a boost for the far right in Israel, as he has shown support for territorial expansion and suggested the construction of a new temple on the Temple Mount.
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Hegseth’s nomination is seen as a boost for the far right in Israel, as he has shown support for territorial expansion and suggested the construction of a new temple on the Temple Mount.
Let me know, protest abstainers, when it sinks in how fucked palestinians are.
Yea, anyone who didn't know that Trump's immediate policy would be to glass Gaza is a fucking idiot. He was extremely transparent about it.
"I will never vote for genocide" Yeah, and you didn't help stop it either.
Was such a stupid stance. By abstaining, they effectively voted for a swifter genocide. And it was obvious.
His son in law Jared kushner is a practicing orthodox jew, and his daughter Ivanka literally converted to Judaism for him. They are both practicing orthodox jews, check Kushners wiki.
This is the daughter trump adores. Anyone supporting Palestine who voted trump or didn't vote is an idiot.
Orthodox Jews, while being more likely than the other major branches of Judaism to be conservative and support expansionist and oppressive Zionism, do not inherently hold that belief. There are sects of ultra-orthodox Jews that are hardline anti-Zionists. Don't make the mistake of conflating religious belief with support for Israel in general or Israel's genocide specifically.
Kushner and Ivanka probably do, but because they're just shitty people, not automatically because they're religious.
Kushner and Ivanka probably do
Wasn't Jared already talking about how he couldn't wait to get his hands on some of that beachfront property even before the election?
Oh I agree completely. There's many orthodox jews in and out of Israel that are very critical of Netanyahu, Israel foreign policy, etc.
That wasn't my point though. My point was that, his family as evidence, it should be simply obvious to everyone that trump will either be moderately supportive or very supportive of Israel, keyword being supportive. I doubt he'll give a shit about the blight of the Palestinians.
On the subject of kushner and Ivanka being devoutly religious, I'm very suspect. I believe these two to be spoiled and coddled their entire lives, I think they love money, power, and luxury, and that's the extent of their world. Why they follow the tradition, I have no idea. Maybe they're so narcissistic they latch onto the whole "gods chosen people" nonsense. Maybe it's just following tradition of kushners family. Regardless, I don't think there's any substance to these people other than greed, that includes trump.
I sure hope you meant plight of the Palestinians…
Oops
check Kushners wiki.
It is bad enough they will ruin the world, I would rather not have to learn the lore.
Can't call them idiots though
They just pulled the only lever they had
"I thought 'finish the job' meant peace!"
They are just looking for a solution that is permanent, final if you will.
When there will be no more Palestine, there will be no more war. You got your peace right there
There is peace if one side is dead.
They were always astroturfers
Someone from an Arab group was saying on the radio that they basically didn't care if it meant more deaths in Gaza if they encouraged their members not to vote for Harris, they would blame the Democrats... That's some twisted logic if I've ever seen it.
The same strategy is Hamas's primary MO. If Israelis die, it's good for Hamas. If Gazans die, it's good for Hamas. On one hand, Israel should get a hell of a lot more blame than the Democrats. On the other, you can see how this powers Hamas strategy.
I remember just after all this kicked off last October there was an interview with an ex hamas guy (who is now an anti-extremism researcher) about what their plan was with all of this.
He mentioned how their plan had always been to force a reaction from Israel and then use social media to build support among specifically both the Muslim diaspora and progressive non-muslims in Europe/NA.
The worse it gets in Gaza, the better it is for Hamas. Their support in Gaza goes up, and they gain additional support abroad, while Israel loses support. Win/win/win
Exactly, and same for Israel in respect of settlers.
There's a good reason Netanyahu chose to install hamas and usurp and kill Arafat.
States/ Nations are usually willing to sacrifice a fair number of their people for the benefit of those in power - I'm sure the benefits trickle down though.
No. This isn't a thing you need to "both sides". There is nuance.
It's bad for Netanyahu if settlers die. It's good for him if Israeli people are threatened. His appeal is that he'll protect them (including through killing others). If he fails to do that too often, he loses.
Hamas is fine with people on their side dying. Israel is not. Israel is accomplishing their goals through genocide.
That’s a pretty extraordinary claim, do you happen to remember any information about the group or radio show?
How's you're French these days?
He's one of the founding members of the AAPAC and that's an interview on the National broadcaster's radio in Canada.
Bad, but I found this. It may be a translation issue, but it seems significantly less spiteful and more regretful than I how read your description.
I do get it, it’s like getting a limb caught in a bear trap and not chewing through it. Sure, we’d all hope we would do it and know that it’s the best chance of survival, but it’s not easy to do. I’m not confused, just sad, worried and tbh, a little angry at the democrats. They could have made this an easier choice for us, and they might have won. I’m also angry at people who didn’t vote for Harris, but I really can’t understand how difficult it is for people like Abed Hammoud, so I’m going to save my anger more for the people who voted for trump
tbh, a little angry at the democrats. They could have made this an easier choice for us
It was as easy as can be, mate. It's not the Democrats' fault more than half or country are so fucking stupid.
It was not as easy as it could be, come on. Nobody wants to vote with Dick Cheney. They swung hard to the right and muddled it for people. It would be great if people were able to keep their eyes on the ball, but they couldn’t. Politicians should be generally aware of their potential supporters’ priorities, and there’s been a clear misstep here.
I'm paraphrasing but what he says on the radio is "I know things might be the same or worse with Trump, but we're taking a chance because a change in leadership is our only hope and if it's Trump that gets elected then it will be the Democrats' fault."
They're bound for Paradise
The new temple will be the seat of the world government headed by the Antichrist. That's why far-right evangelicals want to rebuild it. You'd think he'd be able to just do it himself after conquering the world. And of course, the outcome of the final battle between God and Satan is actually uncertain.
Gods and devils always need people's help to accomplish their goals. It's just a coincidence that it would be the same if people were doing things on their own with no gods or devils at all.
Are any Palestinians even still going to be alive come January?
The State Department said on Tuesday that it did not plan to decrease weapons aid to Israel, as a 30-day deadline set by the Biden administration passed without the country substantially improving the humanitarian situation in war-devastated Gaza.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/12/us/politics/israel-weapons-gaza-aid.html
Yes. As bad as it is now, not everyone is projected to be dead.
-The next US ambassador to Israel
By the time that happens they'll find another single issue to focus their energy on.
You sure sound gleeful that a bunch of people’s lives are about to be ruined.
The Dems could have done much more to prevent this. Letting a Muslim American elected democrat speak at the DNC would have been the smallest bone thrown.
Stop voter blaming.
Trump got fewer votes than the year he lost. Democrats did not show up to vote.
It literally can't get worse. Have you watched the news lately? The good news is the second in command of the world's most ravenous, vicious, blood thirsty empire will soon be an unqualified blowhard--and the first in command will be similarly (un)qualified. Death to America.
There's a thing about rock bottom...it can always get worse until there is nothing left to feel.
I suppose, then, that when "Palestinian" is only applicable in the past tense, it won't be a worse end-state, only exactly the same as the current state? That when people, like yourself and your entire family, are rounded up, that it "literally" won't be any worse than it is right now when you can still walk freely and aren't being literally tortured?
It's so gross how much some/the majority of libs are enjoying shitting on small, powerless groups that didn't support their preferred candidate
Because your fucking choice was to support Trump instead. How fucking hard is it to understand, fuck.
Ok, we can agree to disagree on the effectiveness of that political strategy. I've yet to see it succeed, personally, and I think it just kind sucks how our party is so unwilling to compromise/work with literally anyone that doesnt fully support the Democratic party's neoliberal agenda - tax cuts for the rich and of course more bombs (except gay soldiers are also allowed to launch them at brown people)
It's wild how y'all can't even see it or just immediately assume I'm a trump supporter or something. lol. Reactionary politics/ideologies are so silly, imo
I'm not a lib, and by all accounts the libs are also a powerless group. Who are you referring to exactly?
I was thinking of the DNC. They raised like a billion dollars in 2 months or something. I'd consider that significant political power
Are you referring to those powerless libs, shitting on the other powerless people to support the powerless candidate unless they get the vote from the powerless?
Their preferred candidate was literally "anyone but Trump." Reap what you sow.
Yeah, I think the problem was we just assumed everyone agreed with us on that. Those algorithms are real! lol. It's apparently more and more difficult to even conceive of people that may disagree with us
Still, it's legit surprising how many Dems assumed we'd have literally every Biden supporter voting again just because that's what happened last time. I mean, I'm a fairly annoying nonwhite feminist and even I still think not using a white man as the candidate has been an unnecessary risk each time - especially when you consider the policies the DNC will enact are the exact same anyway.
Man.. real economic change that benefits the working class would be so sick - a guy can dream
Oh ye Biden was really making a difference. Stop pretending the dems are materially different on this even if the re less blunt.
Stop pretending the dems are materially different
You are lucky. For you there is no material difference. For many, there very much is. Contrary to popular opinion, you do not have to always and exclusively vote for your own selfish interests.
Did you not notice i was talking about palestine? Are the democrats not currently helping commit one?
Did you not notice i was talking about palestine?
Since you didn't actually mention it, no, I wasn't able to read your mind to determine that.
But ok, you are a single issue voter who thinks the treatment of the Palestinians is the same for both parties and this outweighs EVERY AND ALL domestic issue such as reproductive freedom, LGBTQIA+ rights, the environment, worker's rights etc etc.
You are about to find out that's far from the case. We could negotiate with Democrats and we know that worked because, among other things, Harris was very clear that she "would not be silent" about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. She pledged to bring the war to an end so the "Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self determination." That doesn't mean you get 100% of what you want, which is presumably.... well, do you even know? But it is a step in the right direction.
What did Trump say in response? What has Trump done (remember the embassy move) ? It's a long list but most recently appoint Mike Huckabee as US ambassador. I assume you know what appointing a Christian Nationalist to that position means. Notably, Huckabee is pro-settlement. He has outright denied the right of Palestinian's to Gaza and the West Bank. He literally said "there really [is] no such thing as a Palestinian".
Add it all up and you can understand why Israel's finance minister Smotrich recently said that Trump's win was an opportunity to annex parts of the West Bank. “I intend, with God’s help, to lead a government decision that says that the government of Israel will work with the new administration of President Trump and the international community to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria
So contrast the two:
- Dems = pressure on Israel to reign it in, humanitarian aid to Palestine and at least moderately responsive to pressure from progressives
- Trump = annexation of more territory and permission given to Israelis to take the gloves off + explicitly putting in a person who believes Palestinians do not or should not exist, much less have any kind of sovereignty. And I wonder what you think will happen to pro-Palestine protests during a Trump administration?
In all honesty, if you believe "both sides" are the same on this issue you are grossly ignorant of the facts and simply too lazy to educate yourself. You and people like you are directly responsible for what happens now. You fucked around and now we all get find out.
So it hasn't sunk in yet. Got it. TTM in the spring and we'll see if you still think like this.
Behold! "Less blunt":
"Marco Rubio says he is against Gaza ceasefire"
That's the new Secretary of State abstainers helped get into office.
To be fair, neither was Blinken. It was all fake efforts towards a ceasefire. Fake ulitmatums of "requiring humanitarian progress" for continued unlimited free weapons.
That does mean a huge difference in "allies" reaction to Trump admin. They might know that its fake, but they get to also pretend to push for a ceasefire. Under purely naked "finish the job of genocide", those allies can't hide behind a process that pretends to pressure Israel, or pretends that their US relationship is constructive.
Are you living under a fucking rock?
Palestinians are already fucked. They are literally going through a genocide. There is no worse outcome.
It doesn’t get worse under Trump, it’s the same under Trump. Just as Biden continued Trumps other Israel bullshit. Birds of a feather massacre together.
Palestinians are already fucked. They are literally going through a genocide. There is no worse outcome.
Ah yes, the two states of existence, genocide, and not-genocide. That's why the genocide, which has been going on for near two-decades now, is no more urgent today than it was in September of last year.
I hate that idea. It was genocide when the Nazis were putting Jews in ghettos, it was genocide when Nazis were putting them in labor camps, it was genocide when they decided on the Final Solution and started putting them in the gas chambers.
Genocide can get worse. People who say that it can't are coming from such a ridiculous position of privilege that they will never understand suffering.
Pug I usually respect your takes, but this isn’t one of them.
For nearly a century it’s been a state of apartheid, the genocide in earnest started after oct. The UN and many other institutions have raised huge concerns over it.
It feels like you’re just trying to downplay what Palestinians are actively going through under Biden to push on the angle of Trump being worse. Honestly it reeks of genocide denial, which I suspect wasn’t your intent.
It feels like you’re just trying to downplay what Palestinians are actively going through under Biden to push on the angle of Trump being worse.
"Palestinians are being genocided, but that doesn't mean that the genocide can't happen faster or in a more bloody manner"
"I think you're just trying to downplay what Palestinians are going through under Biden"
???
For nearly a century it’s been a state of apartheid, the genocide in earnest started after oct.
No. It really didn't start in October.
The UN and many other institutions have raised huge concerns over it.
Yes, they have, and rightfully so. The escalation of the genocide to where it is now is a major atrocity, beyond where the genocide was before.
Don't be fooled for a single fucking second that this is as bad as it gets.
Exactly, it's such a bizarre statement. It's like saying ghettoes and the holocaust were the same thing.
I'm also guessing that the people in Gaza who are still alive think that it could definitely get worse. What with them not being dead yet.
To quote Dr. McCoy.
"He was worse than dead!"
Can we at least call it Super Genocide?
to push on the angle of Trump being worse
You... You think that is an angle? Wait and see how not worse Trump is for the people in Gaza.
Let’s see if they even survive until next year first.
There is no worse outcome.
This reminds me of a joke about Russian history.
Russian history in 5 words:
And then things got worse.
There is no worse outcome
Let’s save that comment so we can revisit in 2025 shall we?
Biden was pushing for a peace treaty. Trump is going to glass the whole place and build seaside resorts.
Biden was pushing for a peace treaty by sending them guns, money, and assurances that the US would attack anyone who resisted?
Yeah right and McDonalds is a health food company because they offer a salad.
The United States has shipped Munitions and weapons to Israel for decades. It didn't magically become about genocide just because you pretend it did. I would absolutely argue that we should reconsider or slow down or hold off on sending them more. But that wouldn't have stopped anything. And it would be foolish to think otherwise. And yet there are still so many fools.
Let's play a fantasy game for a moment. Biden cancels all future arms shipments to Israel. You're happy and the situation is now resolved right? The zionists in the house and Senate would never unanimously override his veto. And just continue those shipments. Then he would have burned any political Capital he had for negotiations and goodwill. Leaving us with less chance to stop it than before. And only empowering Netanyahu and the ghoulish zionists.
This fantasy black and white thinking is a curse. That you and so many others are so terminally online. Getting high on your own supply of passing this rhetoric back and forth that you believe it. Sometimes things are complicated and have nuance. But what's the point of nuance when you can just virtue signal for nothing and get nothing in return. You won. The Biden ministration nor the Harris administration will be sending any more arms or support to Israel after january. And no one will be arguing for a ceasefire either. Everyone is saved. And you certainly weren't played a fool. Congratulations.
Biden cancels all future arms shipments to Israel. You're happy and the situation is now resolved right?
Don't worry, they'll find something else to be mad about.
They're on the other side of the globe. None of it affects them personally and never did.
I'd say you're right. But they need to understand that capitalists will always need to find someone new to exploit, and fascists will always need to find someone new to scapegoat. They're only safe on the other side of the world so long.
Absolutely. The leopard is coming for their face.
There is no worse outcome.
Trump Administration: challenge accepted
The death toll up to this point is about 45k. Israel has not settled any land in Gaza or started expelling Palestinians into neighboring countries. There is a lot of room for it to get worse.
If there is one truth about humanity it is this - there is always a worse option.