this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2025
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President Donald Trump isn’t attending the dignified transfer of four American soldiers who died in Lithuania, because he has instead chosen to attend a Saudi-backed golf tournament at his country club in Doral, Florida.

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[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago (2 children)

That's not really true. He has the unwavering support of really old veterans who got the same fox news pill as the other boomers. The serving military voted blue in 2020. The Military Times elected not to do a poll in 2024...

There are very vocal service members who support him but the military as a whole does not and is not a fan of Hegseth fucking around in the DoD either. For example one published plan has us divesting our only mobile firepower platforms (strykers), just as the war in Ukraine is making everyone else want them. And F-47 did not go unnoticed either. The Air Force went from a study wondering if we needed NGAD to selecting a vendor without a flyoff and naming it. That thing is going to get ditched January 21st 2029. Then Hegseth is fucking around with physical fitness tests which is actually promotions, schools, and unit qualifications. This is making the most deadly parts of military dislike him. For example we've had women working with Delta for 20 years. First of all Delta isn't giving them up, 20 years ago women were officially banned from combat and that didn't stop them. Second it just conditions them to be anti-administration. So when they get ordered to go get an American "insurgent" who held a sign outside a Tesla dealership one too many times, they may just refuse.

[–] Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Nearly 60% of active duty voted for him for his second term. This is not much change from the percentages for 2016 and 2020.

They may be regretting their choice but I see no indication they wouldn't make the same choice.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

I'd love to see a source for that. Afaik nobody did an active duty poll this time. And in 2020 the military voted blue.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 3 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

military members are notoriously conservative, additionally they source thier fodder from rural and red areas, and usually are mostly white. 2ndary targets are disadvantaged POCs areas, especially the ones that cant pay for colleges.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

They also require a high school degree and an entrance exam. And officers are sourced solely from University graduates.

This is not your grandpa's military.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 9 minutes ago

Yea officer different path, either academy, ROTCS, or officer candidate school. ROTC is where they are mostly sourced, academy needs like "Grad degree-like qualifications, LORS, congressional reccomendation,,,etc.

[–] Eheran@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Soldiers refusing to follow orders because they do not like the government? Sorry but that sounds delusional. Sure they might be slightly less harsh, but that is it.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

It's already happened, last time Trump was president. The Joint Chiefs told him no to his face.

[–] Eheran@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

What does that have to do with actual soldiers doing the dirty work? And isn't he also replacing people left and right for the same reason?

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Somebody has to give them orders. It's not like it happens magically. And we've spent 70 years building an officer corps willing to tell presidents no. And at the lower levels I'm not going to deny he'll find people willing to do his dirty work. The military is a reflection of society. But that works both ways and there's a giant difference between a military willing to act as a whole and having to find people willing to follow orders.