Trump gave in to the Pentagon, Gareth Porter reports. He writes that “John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Barack Obama had all been skeptical about war proposals on Vietnam and Afghanistan, respectively.” This skepticism may or may not have been a fact. I prefer to say that, other things equal, they preferred to avoid war. But they didn’t. They gave in to the Pentagon and war. Why do presidents choose war? Why don’t they stay out? Why don’t they say “No” to the generals and to war? The particular features of the Trump reversal that Porter provides cannot possibly explain this general phenomenon.
The main reason is to show some “steel”. They do not want to be labeled as weak or as appeasers or as Neville Chamberlains. The idea of most of those in the national security establishments of all these presidents is that withdrawal or non-commitment in any form from foreign contests is actually unthinkable. It’s not even on the table unless face-saving measures are in place. To stay out or withdraw after having entered a contest is a sign of weakness that undermines the perceptions that other commitments will be fulfilled. One must use force to show that one is willing to use force. No president wants to be seen as the one who dismantled or began to dismantle the empire. Actually to do this is a major step that isolates any president who does it. Trump didn’t have the courage to live up to his previous statements, not once he began to understand that he was the head of an empire that holds together by a slew of such commitments.
The Pentagon’s denizens make many unwise commitments while messing up the world and the empire badly, but being militant and expending force is their bread and butter. Although the empire will eventually fail, raising up its own enemies and committing suicide with the Pentagon’s assistance, that is definitely not their vision or their expectation. Their perspective is limited. They blame any losses, not on their own blundering, but on not being supplied with enough resources. As long as their military empire is well-fed and expanding, everything is coming up roses.
For a president to say no to the Pentagon, he or she must say no to the empire and the worldwide commitments of the U.S. government. Trump at least made noises in these directions, and he may yet revert to that position because he feels it emotionally. It will help if he sees that the Pentagon has advised him to undertake moves that are backfiring and are losing propositions. It would be a good thing for Trump’s nose to be bloodied by some foreign mishap engineered by the Pentagon. Then he might revert to form and turn against them.
10:23 am on January 28, 2018
