Isaiah L. Carter 🇺🇸

This is another perfect example of somebody saying something that makes sense if you devote three nanoseconds of brain activity to it, but the moment you engage a few functioning neurons and actually THINK about what you're saying, the whole argument collapses into a steaming heap of constitutional illiteracy. You see, here in the United States of America, we have this peculiar little arrangement called "civilian control of the military." It's not some obscure technicality buried in the footnotes of a Pentagon personnel manual. It's a fundamental principle upon which this republic was founded. Let me illustrate this with an example so absurdly simple that even the most determined political imbecile ought to be able to follow it. Suppose I joined the Army, attained the exalted rank of Private First Class, and never earned another promotion in my entire miserable military career. Then, years later, I somehow got myself elected President of the United States. Would a four-star admiral outrank me? YES! ABSOLUTELY! Would that same four-star admiral nevertheless be subject to my authority as Commander in Chief? YOU BET YOUR SWEET ASS. Because, you see, military rank and constitutional authority are TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THINGS. Pete Hegseth is the Secretary of Defense. He occupies a civilian office within the executive branch of the federal government, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. That office carries authority over the Department of Defense and the military officers serving within it, regardless of whether those officers have more stars on their shoulders than a goddamned planetarium. Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore absolutely attained a higher military rank than Pete Hegseth ever did. AND THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH WHETHER SHE IS SUBJECT TO HIS AUTHORITY AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. In fact, the entire point of civilian control of the military is that civilian leadership exercises authority over military officers, including those holding the highest ranks. The Vice Admiral understands this. The Secretary of Defense understands this. Every military officer who has taken the oath understands this. But apparently, somewhere out there in the great howling wilderness of American political discourse, people have convinced themselves that a military pay grade is a constitutional chain of command. They're announcing this revelation to the world with the smug confidence of a man who has just discovered that water is wet. Congratulations. You've successfully confused military rank with civilian authority, and somehow managed to turn your own ignorance into a political talking point. Hope this clears things up!