Wednesday, February 22, 2017

How much freedom will Gen. McMaster have?

It looks as though most people think Trump's naming General McMaster to head the National Security Council was a very good move. McMaster has not been silent in his career; he has written several articles critical of the conduct of our wars. His most well-known is “Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies That Led to Vietnam.” The book's main point argued that the Vietnam War happened, in part, because military leaders failed to stand up to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war plans, which they privately considered doomed, out of a desire to remain in the president’s favor and protect their careers. He also argues that Johnson and company were not overly interested in knowing the facts; little attention was paid to the advice of the military. It also portrays Johnson and his inner circle as more interested in hearing affirmation than hard truth, and in avoiding public criticism than defeat.

How will Trump act?

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