The United States has the most formidable military in world history, capable of deploying deadly force against any target anywhere on the planet. Its most skilled practitioners and most thoughtful strategists understand that the best use of that power is to prevent conflict, not rush toward it.
That perspective puts the remarks this week of U.S. President Donald Trump and his secretary of war, Pete Hegseth, to a gathering of hundreds of the country’s highest-ranking military officers and their top enlisted advisers in a very different light. Dark speculations about the purpose of the meeting proved unfounded. But the comments suggested that neither man understands the purpose of the military nor how wars are fought today. Neither inspires much confidence as a leader or an ally.
When Hegseth announced that he would speak to the top military brass, there were fears that he would demand a loyalty oath to President Trump or announce some policy shift that would challenge core elements of current defense policy.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.