Hegseth was nominated for SecDef not because he is a war hero or a military genius or a skilled manager of a large bureaucracy or because he sits on the board of a high-tech defense corporation, he's there because he will implement & represent President Trump's DOD policies. That's what the SecDef is supposed to do.
As a service member, I’m not confident in the abilities of our flag officers (General/Admiral ranks) to win the next fight or set the stage for success. So for the naysayers that say a former Major doesn’t have the “qualifications” to succeed, know that the Global War on Terror failed the day that the four stars turned it into a nation-building venture and not a limited SOF operation.
USA hasn’t fought against a nation state with a developed military industrial complex since World War II. North Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Middle East… all used Soviet weapons and equipment largely made within the USSR. China well exceeds our own military industrial abilities both in time and mass. This will more than make up for a gap in technology.
Look, China can put a new boat in the water faster than we can build an anti ship missile. When war in Taiwan kicks off, it will be a rude reminder that China is a few hundred miles from Taiwan and that the closest US soil is a few thousand miles away. The US has had mostly the same group of senators and representatives since 2005, who should have retired that year. We’re mired in bureaucracy and purposeful inefficiency in the name of “jobs” and “the environment”. Kids of the working class and what’s left of the middle classes are going to be slaughtered in Taiwan all because our DoD can’t overcome the fossilized process of acquisition and we can’t dare sacrifice the yellow spotted warble for new training areas or to use live fire munitions.
With a trillion dollar trading relationship and the Chinese economy highly dependent on exports there is no reason for war. A war means we have incompetent negotiators who are probably servants of the MIC.
US trading Taiwan to China, and Ukraine to Russia, for Canada and Greenland. Gives best viable defensive position and economic opportunities for US, China and Russia.
No; time and space matter still. And contiguous defense still matters because leaders have so far agreed to not ICBM the world into a dust bowl packing out the sun for centuries. Remember me when you see the new flags go up. Lol.
How many nukes can China launch compared to us with strategic bombers, boomer submarines, and land based nuclear silos? They aren't gonna do shit while Trump is in office.
China would be foolish to attack the American homeland. Their best bet is to seize enough of Taiwan before the US can properly react and then create a defensive situation that would impose too great of a cost to the US.
They’re banking on making Taiwan just not worth it to the American public.
I'd mine the area around Taiwan to make a Chinese invasion expensive in life and assets. Also deploy plenty of nuclear attack subs to sink whatever ships they would use to get forces on the ground. China could probably take the island if they were willing to expend millions of lives and dollars in military equipment, but it wouldn't be worth it to them in the long run as their economy is already struggling even base on their fabricated statistics.
Austin, thank you for your service. We have always supported the military in our families which goes back four generations. Totally agree with you about the Global War on Terror remark. What angered the Heartland during the Iraq war was that
the administration kept soldiers (even National Guard used in Iraq!) into constant duty by
disregarding their two year contracts, sometimes for 2 to 3 times. People were
screaming about this. Then under Obama the Woke movement started which caused
discord which seemed to be its intent. The botched pull out from Afghanistan
In Biden’s admin. leaving $billions of equipment that showed up in the Hamas’
hands. Trump was onto all of this and promised no more wars like the ones during
the past. And with Trump we saw that PROMISES MADE WERE PROMISES KEPT.
So,yes, I am ready to see what Pete Hegseth can do to bring sanity back to the
I find it rich they use false allegations as a reason to not confirm. Those in glass houses....please, spare me your morally high ground stance in this hearing.
Are you implying hypocrisy that the same people who still won’t address the fact that a dementia patient currently is controlling the nuclear football are also raising an alarm about Hegseth’s fitness to lead our military?
What else have they got but the wounded egos of losers? At this point, they're throwing anything and everything at the wall to see what sticks. But nothing does. Sad.
Send Gillabrand hljust gave a perfect example of why women shouldn't be in combat roles. Her emotion filled, hysterical questioning is embarrassing to all of us females.
My same thought. She was shrill, rude, and her usual way of thinking she’s more important than she ever will be. It was hard to watch these Dem women senators as they embarrass women in general, as well as question whether should hold these positions. Way too emotional instead of knowledgeable.
Call your senators today and advise them to confirm pete Hegseth as secretary of defense! We need maximum pressure on Republican senators to not backdown to Democrat resistance.
They still need to face the wrath of their constituents. Part of the problem is they think their constituents are afraid to confront them. Lay it all out there for them.
Women don't belong in combat, if for no other reason, it is too distracting for the men, most of whom will not be able to help but prioritize their safety even above the mission. There are plenty of sensible roles for women in the military, but any sensible woman would understand why she does not belong at the front lines.
There has been over 30 years of research done by the military which has at one time appeared on TV to show that women do not have the physical, muscular,coordinating strength to be in combat. The statistics are open and out there. I believe that in Israel though the women serve in the military, they are not used on the ground fighting. How many women make it to become Rangers? How many women are Navy Seals?On the otherhand, in a cockpit, the variables get leveled,and the right persons, man or women, can handle the plane equally. Women and men can test out equally in intelligence for all the other areas in the military which are vast to qualify for those roles.
The upsetting current scene of men posing to be women and competing in
women’s sports, winning in everything, is already validating the argument
that women could be a liability in the mission of winning in the front line push
I agree with you that women should not be in combat and yet I have to listen to feminists say they want equality- but not equal risk and not for the draft to include women. It’s hypocritical of them. The least they could do would be honest about it as men and our sons take the risk of combat roles and conscription.
To be honest actual combat roles will become smaller in the coming wars with advancements in AI and drone tech. Also draft will never be brought back since rich kids and powerful parents will never have to go just the poor and if it happened whoever decided to do it party will be DOA next election .
Listening to Pete Hegseth, I find it refreshing to witness someone with courage, willing to admit past mistakes, focused and not mincing words, who will carry out the will of Americans who voted for their Commander In Chief for a third time.
Make America A Military Might Again.....the world needs us.
Political War now begins with this. There are trillions at stake here. Choosing to start with Pete is to set the tone. The military industrial complex does NOT want this common sense warfighter.
I find it rich that Dem Blumenthal pounded on the deficit Hegseth had with his non profit for veterans. 100% of the money Hegseth raised was from donors, not taxpayers. He wasn’t able to rebut & give details. The hypocrisy- How about the ongoing billions of tax payor dollars the pentagon continues to misplace year after year? The billion of unaudited money sent to Ukraine? The ballooning debt & deficit spending Congress continues to enable? Omg - Hirono is next up.
the adults are back in charge...it's on full display with this hearing. The Democrats are so 'small' in their issues and grievances while the Republicans and Hegseth remain dialed in on the job to be done. I don't know how he doesn't get the support of EVERY republican senator. Dems vote against him to their our demise. It signals they aren't serious people and haven't read the room in terms of the election mandate.
It disgusts me to watch these types of hearings. The Dems are just evil. Even after certain allegations have been proven false, they continue to berate him. He has handled himself well, considering. I was thankful that the senator called them on their lines of questioning with their own “planks in their eyes”.
Diversity is not a strength. Unity is. Pete is right.
Copy that Yigal. My bumper sticker sez: Diversity is Divisive. E Pluribus Unum
Diversity is perversity. One of Rush's great sayings.
Glad you get it. Seems to be a rare commodity. Also glad to be an American, like you.
Heck yeah!!!
Get it straight, Jack Reed!
Hegseth was nominated for SecDef not because he is a war hero or a military genius or a skilled manager of a large bureaucracy or because he sits on the board of a high-tech defense corporation, he's there because he will implement & represent President Trump's DOD policies. That's what the SecDef is supposed to do.
As a service member, I’m not confident in the abilities of our flag officers (General/Admiral ranks) to win the next fight or set the stage for success. So for the naysayers that say a former Major doesn’t have the “qualifications” to succeed, know that the Global War on Terror failed the day that the four stars turned it into a nation-building venture and not a limited SOF operation.
USA hasn’t fought against a nation state with a developed military industrial complex since World War II. North Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Middle East… all used Soviet weapons and equipment largely made within the USSR. China well exceeds our own military industrial abilities both in time and mass. This will more than make up for a gap in technology.
Look, China can put a new boat in the water faster than we can build an anti ship missile. When war in Taiwan kicks off, it will be a rude reminder that China is a few hundred miles from Taiwan and that the closest US soil is a few thousand miles away. The US has had mostly the same group of senators and representatives since 2005, who should have retired that year. We’re mired in bureaucracy and purposeful inefficiency in the name of “jobs” and “the environment”. Kids of the working class and what’s left of the middle classes are going to be slaughtered in Taiwan all because our DoD can’t overcome the fossilized process of acquisition and we can’t dare sacrifice the yellow spotted warble for new training areas or to use live fire munitions.
With a trillion dollar trading relationship and the Chinese economy highly dependent on exports there is no reason for war. A war means we have incompetent negotiators who are probably servants of the MIC.
US trading Taiwan to China, and Ukraine to Russia, for Canada and Greenland. Gives best viable defensive position and economic opportunities for US, China and Russia.
Swell.
Chips and more tech to China, oil and grain to Russia, Maple syrup and yaks to us.
Geography is not the most important asset and hasn't meant squat since ICBMs - even less now in a world of bits, bytes, and AI.
No; time and space matter still. And contiguous defense still matters because leaders have so far agreed to not ICBM the world into a dust bowl packing out the sun for centuries. Remember me when you see the new flags go up. Lol.
How many nukes can China launch compared to us with strategic bombers, boomer submarines, and land based nuclear silos? They aren't gonna do shit while Trump is in office.
China would be foolish to attack the American homeland. Their best bet is to seize enough of Taiwan before the US can properly react and then create a defensive situation that would impose too great of a cost to the US.
They’re banking on making Taiwan just not worth it to the American public.
I'd mine the area around Taiwan to make a Chinese invasion expensive in life and assets. Also deploy plenty of nuclear attack subs to sink whatever ships they would use to get forces on the ground. China could probably take the island if they were willing to expend millions of lives and dollars in military equipment, but it wouldn't be worth it to them in the long run as their economy is already struggling even base on their fabricated statistics.
And Trump ain't playing.
Kinda sounds like a war in a little known sliver of a country in SE Asia.
Austin, thank you for your service. We have always supported the military in our families which goes back four generations. Totally agree with you about the Global War on Terror remark. What angered the Heartland during the Iraq war was that
the administration kept soldiers (even National Guard used in Iraq!) into constant duty by
disregarding their two year contracts, sometimes for 2 to 3 times. People were
screaming about this. Then under Obama the Woke movement started which caused
discord which seemed to be its intent. The botched pull out from Afghanistan
In Biden’s admin. leaving $billions of equipment that showed up in the Hamas’
hands. Trump was onto all of this and promised no more wars like the ones during
the past. And with Trump we saw that PROMISES MADE WERE PROMISES KEPT.
So,yes, I am ready to see what Pete Hegseth can do to bring sanity back to the
the Department of Defense Core Mission.
I find it rich they use false allegations as a reason to not confirm. Those in glass houses....please, spare me your morally high ground stance in this hearing.
Are you implying hypocrisy that the same people who still won’t address the fact that a dementia patient currently is controlling the nuclear football are also raising an alarm about Hegseth’s fitness to lead our military?
Biden has absolutely no credibility with military affairs after the Afghan withdrawal AND kicking thousands out for refusing the vaccine.
You got it!
What else have they got but the wounded egos of losers? At this point, they're throwing anything and everything at the wall to see what sticks. But nothing does. Sad.
Send Gillabrand hljust gave a perfect example of why women shouldn't be in combat roles. Her emotion filled, hysterical questioning is embarrassing to all of us females.
My same thought. She was shrill, rude, and her usual way of thinking she’s more important than she ever will be. It was hard to watch these Dem women senators as they embarrass women in general, as well as question whether should hold these positions. Way too emotional instead of knowledgeable.
Call your senators today and advise them to confirm pete Hegseth as secretary of defense! We need maximum pressure on Republican senators to not backdown to Democrat resistance.
My senators are Washington state democrats. They are complete party toadies.
They still need to face the wrath of their constituents. Part of the problem is they think their constituents are afraid to confront them. Lay it all out there for them.
Mine are from Mississippi. They damn sure know to vote yes or suffer the consequences.
Same. It's so deflating. But, I'll send them emails anyway.
Honestly women and men are different and sometimes you need men in certain roles and the same goes for women...I'm not offended by this at all!
Women don't belong in combat, if for no other reason, it is too distracting for the men, most of whom will not be able to help but prioritize their safety even above the mission. There are plenty of sensible roles for women in the military, but any sensible woman would understand why she does not belong at the front lines.
There has been over 30 years of research done by the military which has at one time appeared on TV to show that women do not have the physical, muscular,coordinating strength to be in combat. The statistics are open and out there. I believe that in Israel though the women serve in the military, they are not used on the ground fighting. How many women make it to become Rangers? How many women are Navy Seals?On the otherhand, in a cockpit, the variables get leveled,and the right persons, man or women, can handle the plane equally. Women and men can test out equally in intelligence for all the other areas in the military which are vast to qualify for those roles.
The upsetting current scene of men posing to be women and competing in
women’s sports, winning in everything, is already validating the argument
that women could be a liability in the mission of winning in the front line push
on a battlefield.
I agree with you that women should not be in combat and yet I have to listen to feminists say they want equality- but not equal risk and not for the draft to include women. It’s hypocritical of them. The least they could do would be honest about it as men and our sons take the risk of combat roles and conscription.
To be honest actual combat roles will become smaller in the coming wars with advancements in AI and drone tech. Also draft will never be brought back since rich kids and powerful parents will never have to go just the poor and if it happened whoever decided to do it party will be DOA next election .
Listening to Pete Hegseth, I find it refreshing to witness someone with courage, willing to admit past mistakes, focused and not mincing words, who will carry out the will of Americans who voted for their Commander In Chief for a third time.
Make America A Military Might Again.....the world needs us.
Watching the questioning, it is easy to see the difference between thinking with a brain--and thinking with feeeeeelings.....
Political War now begins with this. There are trillions at stake here. Choosing to start with Pete is to set the tone. The military industrial complex does NOT want this common sense warfighter.
I find it rich that Dem Blumenthal pounded on the deficit Hegseth had with his non profit for veterans. 100% of the money Hegseth raised was from donors, not taxpayers. He wasn’t able to rebut & give details. The hypocrisy- How about the ongoing billions of tax payor dollars the pentagon continues to misplace year after year? The billion of unaudited money sent to Ukraine? The ballooning debt & deficit spending Congress continues to enable? Omg - Hirono is next up.
Ugg, "Stolen Valor" Blumenthal challenging the integrity of a real soldier is too much.
Mazie Hirono is a disgrace...these Democrats are a joke.
My thoughts exactly.
the adults are back in charge...it's on full display with this hearing. The Democrats are so 'small' in their issues and grievances while the Republicans and Hegseth remain dialed in on the job to be done. I don't know how he doesn't get the support of EVERY republican senator. Dems vote against him to their our demise. It signals they aren't serious people and haven't read the room in terms of the election mandate.
I completely agree. Here we go, personal attacks. Small minded is spot on.
We saw the template for all the hearings coming up: unsubstantiated smears and cheap shots. The hypocrisy of the dem-comms has no limits.
It disgusts me to watch these types of hearings. The Dems are just evil. Even after certain allegations have been proven false, they continue to berate him. He has handled himself well, considering. I was thankful that the senator called them on their lines of questioning with their own “planks in their eyes”.
Nasty Warren got a well-deserved, Nelsonian "Haha" from the audience over her nutty line of questioning.
Yeah she probably had to have a couple brewskies following that embarrassing act.
Can we get to what actually matter? I do not care about Pete's personal life. No one is perfect and morally supervisor.