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No dictator or would-be dictator has ever gathered the entire senior officer corps of their armed forces in one room to demean them as incompetent and embarrass them for their slovenly grooming standards, while insulting entire groups serving in the army, navy and air force as lesser and unworthy.

The former president is used to entering events with enthusiastic crowds applauding to music. "I have never entered a room so silent before," Trump stated when addressing the country's top military leaders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico. "Don't laugh. Don't know if you're permitted to do that." He was attempting to force some amusement, an old performance technique to energize a unresponsive audience. "You know what? Just have a good time."

His syllogism clearly demonstrated his mindset of victimhood and approach of revenge. If you do not show deference to him, he is personally offended. The failure to worship him deserves to be punished. Your slight of his majesty dooms you to destruction.

Armed Forces Professionalism vs. Political Expectations

The speaker cannot grasp that the quiet demeanor of the military leaders during his extraordinary speech to them demonstrated their highest responsibility. Their composure displayed loyalty to maintain their pledge to the constitution. By their stillness they represented themselves as examples for the rest of the officer corps and the troops.

They aren't loyal to Trump or any cult of personality, but to his constitutional position.

They were being used as a backdrop for a campaign-like event, but they were resistant to acting as political participants.

Basic Misunderstanding

Trump's inability to comprehend their stolidity in the face of his provocations showed his lack of understanding not only of the military but the executive office under the legal system. As he took offense at their unresponsive silence his criticism made clear that he saw them simply as his tools.

The president had come on an urgent mission for them to execute. His purpose to tell the military chiefs they were to be his obedient agents for the greatest change of military strategy since the "war on terror" – an unprecedented conflict to be waged against his viewed domestic rivals at home in contravention of the federal law of 1878, which forbids the internal use of the US military as a law enforcement agency.

Context and Executive Measures

All the senior generals had been assembled for the unprecedented gathering at the Marine Corps Base Quantico on the order of the defense chief. They possessed no inkling for what significant occasion they were being summoned. They dared not speculate that they were being brought to be a captured crowd for a self-referential ego-driven presentation seeking to restore his image and assert his authority.

But the commanders could have obtained more than a hint that they were being rounded up for the latest chapter of political theater by reading the executive order Labeling Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization, an "organization" that does not exist. Subsequent actions included a security directive citing multiple incidents as justifications: "This political violence is not a series of unconnected incidents and does not emerge naturally.

Philosophical Framework

Per the memorandum, a new "government approach" would be implemented against an ideology of "opposition to America, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; advocacy of the removal of the federal government; extremism on migration, ethnicity, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality."

These vapors were not a portrayal of an ideology so much as a mixture of partisan catchphrases. If there were ideology expressed it was an undeveloped fascism based on a repressive impulse that created an universal opponent called "the opposition".

Military Chief's Performance

The dramatic display at Quantico started with the military leader moving back and forth on the stage. He was a inspirational presenter as a military instructor with a publication to hawk – and a warm-up act for the main speaker.

The ex national guard officer said he had been "considered an extremist"; he was identified as a possible "security risk" by colleagues. Despite multiple accounts of his drinking issues, he told media in an conversation: "I have never had a drinking problem," but then allegedly assured a legislator that he would "not touch alcohol while I have this position."

Procedural Modifications and Controversial Statements

As a television host, the speaker had been a prominent advocate for pardoning or granting clemency to military personnel accused or convicted of war crimes. He characterized them as "warriors" rather than "war criminals".

Now, in his speech, he announced he was removing "the debris". He promoted loosening rules aimed at stopping prohibited violence within the military. He announced the "restructuring" of the oversight and informant reporting system, which would undermine legal protections and protect aggressive or careless offenders from accountability.

He would, he said, impose selective measures of "gender-neutral" or "male level" physical standards for fighting positions, saying: "If that means no females qualify for some military positions, that's acceptable."

Aggressive Language and Service Reaction

The defense secretary swaggered in front of the military leaders, shouting obscenities – "Acronym for explicit phrase", or vulgar expression. "Eliminate identity months, DEI offices, cross-dressing individuals. End environmental focus. Stop separation, diversion or gender delusions. No more unnecessary elements. As I've said before and will say again, we are finished with that nonsense."

The generals sat expressionless at his vulgarity that could be charged under the Uniform Military Code of Justice as a infraction against improper speech that "fails to the detriment of proper conduct and discipline".

Appearance Requirements and Personal Observations

According to the defense chief, it was the flabby generals who needed to exercise following his example. "It's completely unacceptable to see overweight military leaders in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It's a bad look," he said. "No more facial hair."

Final Observations and Political Background

At no point did the speaker mention "the Russian Federation" or "Ukraine". He made not the smallest reference to the Russian huge missile attacks striking Ukraine, Russian unmanned aircraft over neighboring countries, the tensions over US uncertainty within the international coalition, or utter anything that might be construed as a military consideration.

After his menacing speech, the speaker made way for the president. Trump displayed his customary disrespect for the armed forces by provoking them with an array of partisan insults to which they remained completely motionless.

In the middle of his stream of consciousness, he dropped his new objective for the military against the "internal threat", with major American urban areas as the "preparation areas … the ones that are run by the radical-left Democrats … And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That's a war, too. It's combat from within." Silence.