Reality Check:
The Generals Are Not the “Grown Ups” Who Will Check Trump; They Are His Enforcers
Updated July 29, 2017 (originally posted February 23, 2017) | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
On July 28, Trump appointed Retired General John Kelly as the new White House Chief of Staff to replace Reince Priebus. As head of the American military’s Southern Command starting in 2012, Kelly advocated keeping the U.S. torture camp at Guantánamo open, and declared of the prisoners, “There are no innocent men down there.” Picked by Trump to head Homeland Security, Kelly has overseen the ramping up of immigrant deportations—more than 400 people each day, ripped away from the families, friends, and jobs. And he’s been in charge of enforcing Trump’s Muslim ban. Kelly said if Congress doesn’t like how Homeland Security is carrying out laws, they should “change the laws [or] shut up.” In light of this four-star general now being named to a key position in the Trump White House, we are reposting this Reality Check:
The Trump/Pence regime has loaded up its cabinet with generals. Some now claim these generals will be a “voice of reason” within the regime—the “grown-ups” who can be a check on Trump’s wilder ambitions.
Just the opposite. They are a critical piece of the juggernaut, essential to Trump’s wildest ambitions.
First: they are all proven cold-blooded war criminals. They all have records of violently enforcing the needs of the U.S. empire—from Vietnam to Iraq and beyond.
Second: The fascist agenda of the Trump/Pence regime requires a radical, violent restructuring of U.S. society, and a ferocious re-assertion of “America First” here and around the world. Trump’s incorporation of the generals strengthens his ability to do that.
Third: There is the idea that the nuclear codes are in sane hands. No they are not. These generals serve at the pleasure of Trump. And only one person can legally use these codes: Donald Trump.
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