Joint Chiefs remind U.S. forces that they defend the constitution

https://www.npr.org/sections/congress-electoral-college-tally-live-updates/2021/01/12/956170188/joint-chiefs-remind-u-s-forces-that-they-defend-the-constitution

by kaycebasques • 6 years ago

107 95 6 years ago

npr.org

mc326• 6 years ago

Why do they feel that have to remind the armed forces of this? Do they think there is a conspiracy among leadership or rank and file?

Even if there were, a memorandum is not going to stop it. Oh, geez guys and gals, they told us to stop!

This is just PR and ingratiating themselves before the next budget.

waiseristy2• 6 years ago

There was significant ex-military presence at the riot. The woman shot was a 14 year Air-force vet. You can see how this could send mixed messages to US civilians and the enlisted

MichaelApproved2• 6 years ago

One of the guys who brought in zip tie hand cuffs was also a military vet.

devwastaken• 6 years ago

There's a number of people that believe the military is going to be used by trump to overthrow the election results and instate a trump government. Otherwise known as the made up q 'conspiracy'. Sadly people I know believe this, and there are military personnel whom also believe it. Therefore it's nice that the joint chiefs declare a position, even if they shouldnt have to.

busterarm• 6 years ago

You have to realize that people on both ends of the spectrum believe in these same crazy conspiracies.

Otherwise this wouldn't be news. There were articles from left-bias organizations over the weekend fearmongering about enlisted Trump supporters.

Believing in dumb bullshit takes _ALL_ kinds.

peteretep3• 6 years ago

Do they think there is a conspiracy among leadership or rank and file?

I mean that’s a pretty safe assumption in any organisation of 1.3m people.

There’s also no harm in any organisation of that size in reminding people explicitly what their orders are, in no uncertain terms.

mc326• 6 years ago

I mean sure. But that was true under any administration with that many enlisted and career service people [as evidenced by base shootings, for example].

Bush directly caused more damage sending troops into Iraq for example. Did the JC make a fuss after that debacle?

The other is a conspiracy that is neatly attributed to DJT as if he ordered people into the Capitol. (We're attributing intent) We don't have to presume intent on Bush's part, history informs us not with attributions or guesses, but with evidence.

SubiculumCode3• 6 years ago

1)If Trump gave an illegal order, the Joint Chiefs are reminding leadership and rank and file of their true allegiance and duty.

2)Unambiguously leadership on core principles is not a PR stunt.

bostonsre4• 6 years ago

What happened in Washington hasn't happened since the war of 1812 when the British took over the city. To me, it's reassuring to know that the people responsible for defending this country have a calm steady hand and that they will not put up with bullshit anti constitutional behavior. They won't support a tyrant and they will ensure that a transition of power happens no matter what.

mc326• 6 years ago

Didn’t DJT have to go to a secure location at the whitehouse when protesters breached the security perimeter of the WH this summer?

bilegeek• 6 years ago

Many far-right organizations encourage their members to join the military whilst keeping their affiliations secret, mainly for training and spying. However, I'm sure they would love to sow disarray in the military if it meant achieving their coup. They wouldn't even need a majority of the military to be Nazis; just enough to sow confusion, draw attention and influence decisions.

acjohnson553• 6 years ago

Because Donald Trump is unambiguously the commander-in-chief until either Biden takes office on Jan 20 at noon or he is removed from office. Until that time, Trump can issue military orders that do not abet the peaceful transition of power.

This move matters, because it is important that members of the armed forces be able to distinguish between lawful orders, which they must obey, even if they do not like them, and unlawful orders, which they must not obey.

mc326• 6 years ago

It's not that simple.

A president can't just say "invade Cuba!" and it gets done in Today's world (maybe it was the case in the 1800s). Advisors and the Military (and Congress) have to concur that it's within reason do do such a thing.

admiralspoo• 6 years ago

Someone remind Pelosi https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-coup-of-pelosis-own-116101487...

etherealmachine• 6 years ago

Note that that's an opinion piece and it doesn't appear the author has actually read the U.S. Constitution. Section 8 says: "The Congress shall have Power To... make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;"

The use of nuclear weapons is clearly covered by that clause and several others giving Congress the power to regulate the military, whereas the Executive has the authority to execute those duly regulated rules.

SubiculumCode3• 6 years ago

The oath to the Constitution and not to any President or general is an incredibly important feature of our military that should never be underestimated or undermined. I salute the Joint Chiefs to holding true to their patriot and solemn duty.

jtdev• 6 years ago

Who tf would downvote that??

bostonsre4• 6 years ago

It's incredibly reassuring to know that there are solid honorable people in our armed forces that eschew politics in favor of doing the right thing. I'm sure they don't hear it enough, but thank you if any members read this.

MichaelApproved2• 6 years ago

At the same time, it’s pretty scary that things got so bad, the armed forces had to weigh in on a political matter.

systemvoltage6• 6 years ago

"things got so bad".

We had an assault on the Capitol. What could be possibly worse?

rayiner2• 6 years ago

Yes, incredible to read this. My family left Bangladesh when it was being run by a military government. We are so fortunate to have the military we do.

Its not an idea or a principle or a law. It’s culture. It’s a norm that has been socialized into members of the military, especially the leadership, for hundreds of years. I live in Annapolis now by the Naval Academy and it’s quite a joy to see each new cohort of naval officers carry on the tradition.

refurb• 6 years ago

In case you haven’t noticed, US politicians (and military leadership is definitely political) love to proclaim they are defenders of the constitution (when it benefits them) and make excuses why the constitution doesn’t apply (when it benefits them).

Edit to respond to reply below asking if there are no honorable people in the military.

Not saying that there are no honorable people in the military. There are plenty.

What I’m saying is getting to leadership position in the government, business or military requires a lot of political savvy.

Of course everything the Joint Chiefs said is accurate, but also view it through the lens of how saying it now benefits the person saying it.

It’s pretty apparent that the Capitol Riot has led to a major shakeup across the entire government. It’s apparent that everyone is looking to position themselves as best they can for the post-Trump world.

Think of it like after Germany was defeated in WW2. Collaborators told stories of how they bravely resisted. Those who just laid low painted themselves as brave partisans. Some hated Germany for their own selfish reasons but post-war could exploit their resistance and claim to be nationalists. Others saw a power vacuum and realized now was the time to exploit it.

It’s quite interesting to watch.

bostonsre4• 6 years ago

Are you saying there are no honorable people in our armed forces that wouldn't ignore their politics to do the right thing? Yes, obviously there is politics in the military (e.g. making rank at the cost of your men and/or duty) just as there are people looking to make a paycheck. From the ones I've met and heard stories about the majority are hard working honorable people who truly believe in doing the right thing. It seems kind of horrible and short sighted to make such a broad all encompassing statement that doesn't take into account the possibility that there are honorable, hard working individuals that have given their life to an idea they think is greater than themselves.

bostonsre4• 6 years ago

re: edit response

I'm not sure its fair to jump straight to only viewing it through the lens of how it benefits that person. That assumes it was a completely self-centered act without acknowledging the possibility that they did it because they believed it was the right thing. I would argue that not making any statement would have been more political and less in line with their duty.

Yes, its possible there were political reasons but its also possible (and seems more likely to me) that the statement that was released was an attempt at applying a calm steady hand to remind members of the military of their duty and assure them and the general population that they won't put up with any anti constitutional behavior.

What happened last week was historical; it will be remembered long past the end of our lives. The capitol hasn't been violated like that since the war of 1812 when the British took the city. To me, it warranted a statement from them and I can't think of a better way that they could have handled it.

smitty1e• 6 years ago

It's not the military I worry about. Rather, NPR.

oliwarner3• 6 years ago

What's wrong with NPR?

dragonwriter• 6 years ago

It's incredibly reassuring to know that there are solid honorable people in our armed forces that eschew politics in favor of doing the right thing.

On the other hand, it's distressing to know why this letter to the military had to be issued reminding service members that the law prohibited them from engaging in insurrection: the presence of military (active and retired) among the insurrectionists, and the danger that would also be the case in the imminently-planned follow-on attacks.

vlovich1234• 6 years ago

Is this the first time something like this has happened?

Also, does anyone read these parts as contradictory & likely a lie?

U.S. officials said Milley had not commented on last week’s events because he wanted to stay out of politics. The silence was in sharp contrast to June, when Milley made a controversial walk to a church with Trump after law enforcement officers backed by National Guard troops used tear-inducing chemicals and rubber bullets to clear the area of peaceful protesters.

Is it possible perhaps that the Joint Chiefs were seeing how the insurrection played out before picking sides? What would this situation had looked like if the rioters had murdered a bunch of congresspeople? Would the Joint Chiefs be saying "it's a national emergency and Trump must stay President to calm things down"?

I know there's a tendency to valorize the military leadership, but given how politicized the general environment is (& even moreso with Trump's known penchant for selecting for yes-men), is it really that absurd to think about whether they're doing some professional fence-sitting rather than trying to avoid polarization? It doesn't take that much to come out right away and say "an attack on the capitol is unacceptable & anyone involved will be punished. We will have more to say once we take in the totality of what has happened"

systemvoltage6• 6 years ago

Mike Milley apologized: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4JaQMxbC3c

Just before the election, he reminded Trump administration that all this nonsense is not going to dwell anywhere in the military: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMaI1Hg8dl8

vlovich1234• 6 years ago

The imagery of that photo op is more powerful than the apology that wasn't heard by as many people. Actions need to line up with words. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt though. Thanks for the context.

ip26• 6 years ago

Normally they would not say anything at all. If they wanted to fence-sit, they can just continue saying nothing, indefinitely. No one would think it strange. This statement is what's unusual.

neartheplain• 6 years ago

Is it possible perhaps that the Joint Chiefs were seeing how the insurrection played out before picking sides?

Not likely. Loyalty to the Constitution, and not the President or any one person, is the living cultural bedrock of the US military. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Milley spoke about this recently in the most explicit terms:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=nMaI1Hg8dl8

wahern2• 6 years ago

According to Gen. Milley he was unaware of what he was walking into: https://text.npr.org/875019346

vlovich1234• 6 years ago

Takes 5 days to issue an apology claiming you didn’t know what was going on?

acjohnson553• 6 years ago

I think they're saying

a) Do not commit crimes as a serviceperson, no matter who orders them

b) Anything that disrupts the transition of power is a crime

c) At 12:00p on January 20, Joe Biden is the commander-in-chief, not Donald Trump

I pray it works, because it could get really ugly if Donald Trump attempts to give orders to defend what he claims to be his stolen second term.

redisman• 6 years ago

Cool. When are we going to enforce the no politics rules again?

waiseristy2• 6 years ago

You should have enough karma to downvote and flag this post if you think it goes against the rules. We can't expect the poor HN mods to enforce the rules 24/7

Aaaannnnd it's gone front the front page, that was quick

SubiculumCode3• 6 years ago

There are politics of the normal sort, then there re politics of the sort that transcend the normal. If for example, Trump declared war on China, I for one would hope that HN would put up a discussion thread so that smarter than average individuals meet to discuss important issues.

bmarquez• 6 years ago

Basically what happens for very important non-technology news, is that users flag the post off the page (which is intended behavior according to the admins.) Then dang picks a post to resurrect and focus discussion on. I believe the last time this happened was when the US presidential election results came in.

dang• 6 years ago

There's never been such a rule on HN (other than an experiment we once tried for a few days, which failed).

That doesn't mean that all political submissions are cool on HN. If you want to read about how we approach this, see https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so.... If there's still a question after reviewing that material, I'd like to know what it is.

philistine2• 6 years ago

I am flabbergasted that they mentioned Biden being the 46th president. This implies that the joint chiefs of staff do not believe Trump will be removed before inauguration when it is very much a political discussion right now.

Is it reasonable to suspect Trump will stay on until inauguration? Sure. But Trump could have a stroke and straight up die tonight, making Pence president for a week.

It’s fascinating to me why they didn’t simply say Biden will become our next president.

systemvoltage6• 6 years ago

Even if Pence is taking over Trump as President, the number doesn't increment. It doesn't imply anything.

philistine2• 6 years ago

When JFK died, did Johnson not increment the count? That’s what I’m saying here. No one can be 100% sure Trump will be alive next week.

tzs2• 6 years ago

The number incremented when Ford took over when Nixon resigned. Why do you think it would not increment if Pence took over the remainder of Trump’s term?

seastonATccs2• 6 years ago

Nope Pence would become 46 and Biden would be 47.

alphabettsy2• 6 years ago

What difference does it make? As of writing, he will be the 46th.

happytoexplain• 6 years ago

I would say you're being pedantic, but your emotions tell me there's something more going on?

optimalsolver• 6 years ago

This reminds me of something I've always wondered:

Why isn't the United States, unlike the Roman Empire before it, constantly plagued by ambitious generals swaying large fractions of the military to their cause and trying for ultimate power?

For the Romans, this was particularly a problem for legions stationed in far-flung corners of the empire like Syria and Britain.

So why do US forces in, say, South Korea or Germany never declare allegiance to their local commanders rather than the State?

seibelj• 6 years ago

One reason is that civilians have ultimate authority over the armed forces, although generals have become President many times.

Another is that there is so much money to be made in the military and the surrounding defense contractors, and in the modern day glory with violence and conquering is less pleasurable than big houses and luxury cars.

asdfasgasdgasdg3• 6 years ago

There were concerns about some elements of what you're talking about with some WW2 generals. For example, MacArthur was at one point considered too popular for it to be politically feasible to fire him, after his insubordination during the Korean War.

In general, I suspect this change stems from a few things. One is that generals do not lead soldiers into combat as directly any more. Another is that soldiers no longer stand to personally profit from combat or war -- there is no taking of booty, raping and pillaging are at the very least heavily frowned upon, etc. And another thing is that combat actions are less frequent these days, so any given soldier has a shorter sequence of experiences and victories with a given commander.

But I'm not an expert historian. These are just some guesses.

rayiner2• 6 years ago

It’s the same reason you don’t have to pay a bribe to have a phone line installed. American culture and socialization.

seastonATccs2• 6 years ago

Direct Deposit. Soldiers aren't paid by their commanders. The US had an problem early on when man wanted a commission he would be responsible for raising and outfitting his unit. The troops were very loyal to their commanders as they paid their wages, provided the gear and supplies they would need. There were cases of commanders disserting and their entire unit would leave having no other source of funds. The federal government eventually started paying the promised wages.

jfengel• 6 years ago

We don't have a Cursus Honorum.

Even before the Roman Empire, all people in public life had to spend time in the military. In the Roman Republic you were elected to office, by a very limited voting pool, which included your military connections. It was thought of as more civil than the Roman Kings, who got to be in charge by right of military force.

The Empire grew out of the Dictatorship, which had been a title you were appointed to for a limited term. The term limits went out the window, and they never really established an orderly transition. It was ad hoc for four centuries. They had hardly two successions in a row decided the same way.

Americans, by contrast, prided themselves on their rules. They explicitly contrast themselves with the UK, which had a hereditary monarch. They pride themselves on their orderly democratic transitions.

It helps that George Washington voluntarily limited his term. I believe that his decision not to run again is one of the most important events in history. Americans have almost literally deified Washington; there's an incredibly embarrassing statue of him dressed as Zeus in the Smithsonian.

Washington was a military leader who respected the orderly transition, and that had been a huge part of American self-image. For a military leader to use the military to seize power would be almost unthinkable.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursus_honorum

sillysaurusx• 6 years ago

I have a hard time reading this as anything but PR, as a sibling commenter pointed out. There is zero chance that the military will stage a coup. None. If you don't believe me, I encourage you to ask members of the military themselves what their feelings are on this.

The military is under the command of the civilian government. There's no protocol for them to act alone. I don't understand why we insist on telling each other these ghost stories about a potential takeover.

It really doesn't matter if there were a few ex-military people in the march on the capitol, either. They're not military leaders.

alphabettsy2• 6 years ago

I have a hard time believing you read it.

The letter is a message to those in uniform reminding them that they are to protect to constitution. Considering the police, military and ex-military involved in the Capitol violence it seems reasonable.

kumarvvr2• 6 years ago

The military, like the police is a different beast, in America or otherwise.

The troops are conditioned to follow orders. That is why, the troops are always gauged and defended on the basis of the orders and their faithful execution of the orders, no matter how horrific they are. Troops are punished for not following orders.

Those in the administrative side of the army, they are punished for orders and decisions.

So, to subvert the military, you don't have to control the whole of it, just the leadership.

In the present case of America, the military is under the full command of trump. He holds all power and that power is absolute.

Unfortunately, he is a fascist moron with dreams of authoritarian rule.

These statements from the military are essentially telling him, the military will take a decision when push comes to shove, and that decision by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be on the understanding of law, and their oath to the constitution, even though they are bound to follow the orders of the president

eyelidlessness4• 6 years ago

They’re not worried about a military coup, they’re worried about a civilian coup by the civilian who commands the military.

wombatmobile• 6 years ago

We know from documents and writings of the time that the founders didn’t agree on the Constitution before, during, and after it was written. They couldn’t even agree on whether it should be written, with many fighting against it on principle. The debates were harsh and sometimes violent, nearly tearing the country apart before it had been fully established.

https://benjamindavidsteele.wordpress.com/2015/12/01/the-vag...

cmurf• 6 years ago

Related.

The military has a hate group problem. But it doesn't know how bad it's gotten.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/11/military-right-wing...

kumarvvr2• 6 years ago

That the worlds foremost democratic power, one that project and lectures the world on the principles of democracy and rule of law, has to have this done is astounding itself.

Obama's warnings were so spot on. He foresaw the assault on institutions and warned that ideas carried by the Republican party and supported by them will tear the country apart.

And it happened in less than 4 years of trump rule.

Make no mistake, the country is torn apart for sure. Radical and in-human ideas have caught on and will become mainstream. The republic is on the road to crash and burn because the rot is spreading into regular public discourse, and so far, the democrats are losing.

It will not be long before a charismatic one, with deep seated ideas, sugar coated with good intentions will take power and slowly work the system from within.

Heck, trump did it overtly, and Republicans are still defending him.

To put it raw, the republicans are defending the idea that violent seditious insurrection activities and storming of the capitol do not warrant a strong punishment.

Its a sad coming decade for America, and the rest of the world.

waterhouse3• 6 years ago

To me, the electoral college is the resolution of the whole alleged fraud thing. The electoral voters are the judges. The electoral voters are actually able to vote against how their state voted; they might get voted out for doing so, and in some states they will face legal consequences afterward, but their vote still stands. So even if you think there was a fraud, if you couldn't convince your electoral voter, then that's it.

Well, at least that's how it goes in most states. Looking it up: "In 14 states, votes contrary to the pledge are voided and the respective electors are replaced". I guess one could see exactly which states those are, and calculate the possible effects... it would be nice if the above paragraph applied to all of them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faithless_elector#Faithless_el...

eyelidlessness4• 6 years ago

The electoral voters are actually able to vote against how their state voted

They’re actually not. Thanks to a (trump era) SCOTUS ruling, EC votes are now fully regulated by the states.

waterhouse3• 6 years ago

Hmm... The article says: "On July 6, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in both Chiafalo v. Washington and Colorado Department of State v. Baca that states may enforce laws to punish faithless electors." Is that what you mean? That seems like a "may" rather than a "must", and also talks about punishing them afterward rather than about voiding their vote.

wahern2• 6 years ago

SCOTUS has said that electors can be punished for not voting according to the rules laid out by the state. I'm not sure to what extent the various remedies available have been settled; that is, what can be done procedurally after a faithless elector casts their vote. AFAIK so far the effect has always been that their vote was counted and certified.

asdfasgasdgasdg3• 6 years ago

The one bit of data you're missing here is that electors are selected from the ranks of party loyalists. They are not impartial judges of what happened, nor should they be. It's unlikely there will ever again be a scenario where faithless electors void the will of the voters. Even in the case of Trump, a historically bad candidate, there were only a handful faithless electors, and most of them were defectors from Hillary Clinton!

waterhouse3• 6 years ago

ever again be a scenario where faithless electors void the will of the voters

Again? Was there a first occasion? Wiki says "They have never swung an election", citing a Newsweek article. Or do you mean there won't be any faithless electors at all?

offby37years• 6 years ago

This memo contains no new information. It almost certainly confirms multiple vying factions within the military, otherwise why release this.

dredmorbius• 6 years ago

Statements such as these 1) are meant to reassure 2) are meant as an exceedingly strong caution to servicemembers and 3) aren’t issued unless there’s a question concerning loyalties.

Steve Inskeep on NPR reiterated that this is an extraordinary statement.

mytailorisrich• 6 years ago

aren’t issued unless there’s a question concerning loyalties

Considering the seemingly high number of military veterans among the Capitol mob and the fact that several Capitol police officers have been suspended because of their "friendliness" with the mob, I think there are pretty serious questions on loyalties, indeed.

knbknb• 6 years ago

I think the US-military leaders prefer to not take orders from a person who has completely lost it and knows no bounds.

Moreover these destructive key-decisions would be most likely outrageous and against the interests of the country.

mbar84• 6 years ago

This is one of the earliest things I wondered with the Trump presidency. If the order came down to e.g. "Nuke Jina!", would they actually follow that order.

Joint Chiefs remind U.S. forces that they defend the constitution

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