Kreuzritter dritter Klasse

Pete Hegseth gilt schon lange als idealtypisches Mitglied der Trump-Administration, spätestens seit er noch überzeugender als der US-Seuchenminister seine eigene Unfähigkeit demonstriert und Kompetenz konsequent aus seiner Umgebung entfernt hat. Außerdem verfügt er wie sein Chef über keinen besonderen Bezug zu militärischer Professionalität, was den Applaus der Generäle bei den gemeinsamen Auftritten etwas schwächer ausfallen lässt.

Ein Kontrast zwischen der eigenen Unfähigkeit zu strategischem Denken und dem Potential der professionellen Armeeangehörigen besteht aber weiterhin, was eine Fortbildungskontrolle für die verbleibenden Führungskräfte dringend erforderlich macht:

Last month, a group of seven U.S. generals and admirals—including the top admiral in charge of U.S. military operations in the Asia-Pacific region—prepared to travel to the Aspen Security Forum, in Colorado. Security officials had spoken at the annual conference for years, including during Donald Trump’s first term, and were set to discuss topics such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the future of AI, and threats from China. But a day before the forum began, the officers’ staff got calls from the Pentagon telling them to stay away. On social media, Sean Parnell, the Defense Department’s top spokesperson, later made clear why: The forum, he said, was hosted by an organization that promotes the evils of globalism, disdain for America, and hatred for our great president, Donald J. Trump. [...]

Previous administrations have required military personnel to secure approval to attend conferences. The difference, this time, is the apparently partisan slant to the vetting process. By prohibiting DOD personnel from engaging with viewpoints that the administration disagrees with, defense officials and conference planners told me, the Pentagon risks groupthink that could have real consequences.

Pete Mansoor, a retired Army colonel who served as executive officer to General David Petraeus during the 2007 surge in Iraq, told me he believes that Hegseth’s emphasis on lethality over the kind of strategic thinking often fostered at conferences and think tanks could prove dangerous. The fact that officers stopped thinking strategically and only thought about lethality resulted in a war that was almost lost in Iraq, Mansoor, now a senior faculty fellow at Ohio State University’s Mershon Center for International Security Studies, said. I’m sure the Russian army also stresses lethality, he continued, but they have educated their generals on the basis of a million casualties in Ukraine.

Der War on Competence ist – dank der vorausschauenden Bildungspolitik der Trump-Regierung auch für die kommenden Generationen – so gut wie gewonnen. Außerhalb des eigenen Ressorts (und im Gegensatz zum Außenminister mit seinen Schriftproblemen) entscheidet sich Hegseth politisch instinktsicher für einen satisfaktionsfähigen Gegner – ein einflussreiches KI-Unternehmen, das trotz aller Biegsamkeit keine Waffenschmiede sein möchte:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei a Friday deadline to comply with demands to peel back safeguards on its AI model or risk losing a Pentagon contract.

He also threatened to put the AI company on what could amount to a government blacklist.

At issue is the guardrails Anthropic placed on its AI model Claude. The Pentagon, which has a $200 million contract with Anthropic, wants the company to lift its restrictions for the military to be able to use the model for all lawful use, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

But Anthropic has concerns over two issues that it isn’t willing to drop, the source said: AI-controlled weapons and mass domestic surveillance of American citizens. According to one source familiar, Anthropic believes AI is not reliable enough to operate weapons, and there are no laws or regulations yet that cover how AI could be used in mass surveillance.

Anthropic gibt dem Druck allerdings nicht nach (obwohl Hegseth in diesem Fall sogar Zuspruch aus unerwarteter Richtung bekommt) und wird auch noch frech, leider – wie die lästige Presse – mit Unterstützung der vermaledeiten Gerichte:

A federal judge in California granted Anthropic an emergency reprieve on Thursday from the Pentagon’s unprecedented designation of the company as a supply chain risk.

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin wrote in a 43-page order that punishing the artificial intelligence company for bringing public scrutiny to the government’s contracting position — an inference that she said the court record supports — is classic illegal First Amendment retaliation.

Sehr ärgerlich. Wenigstens erweist sich ein verzweifelter Anthropic-Konkurrent als hinreichend flexibel.

In der Zwischenzeit wird Hegseth nach der Bombardierung des Iran vom Verteidigungs- zum Kriegsminister befördert, was er natürlich als Ansporn für eine noch viel umfangreichere Bombardierung nehmen muss. Außerdem findet der sympathische, monoglotte Politiker, dessen ostentative Homophobie bei gleichzeitig deutlich erkennbarer Vorliebe für gestählte, ausschließlich weiße und männliche Krieger nie ganz überzeugen konnte, noch Zeit für die Schärfung seines Profils als gewalttätiger, wenn auch nicht unbedingt bibelfester Kreuzritter:

Almighty God, who trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle, you who stirred the nations from the north against Babylon of old, making her land a desolation where none dwell, behold now the wicked who rise against your justice and the peace of the righteous. Snap the rod of the oppressor, frustrate the wicked plans, and break the teeth of the ungodly. By the blast of your anger, let the evil perish. Let their bulls go down to slaughter for their day has come, the time of their punishment. Pour out your wrath upon those who plot vain things and blow them away like chaff before the wind.

Grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence. Surround them as a shield, protect the innocent and blameless in their midst. Make their arrows like those of a skilled warrior who returned not empty-handed. Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. Preserve their lives, sharpen their resolve, and let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse that evil may be driven back and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them. For the wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ, King over all kings and amen.

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Öffentliche Begeisterung für christlich-enthemmte Brutalität ist allerdings keine politische Lebensversicherung für den zweitprominentesten Verrückten der US-Regierung. Wenn die militärische Spezialoperation im Iran weiterhin unerfreulich verläuft und eine potentiell verlustreiche Bodenoffensive nicht überraschend auf Begeisterung beim Wahlvolk stößt, könnte der Kriegsminister sehr plötzlich mit Verantwortung konfrontiert werden:

Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up. And you said, Let’s do it. Because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.

Update: Der Prozess der Kompetenzentfernung war offenbar noch nicht vollständig abgeschlossen, und welcher Zeitpunkt könnte für weitere Entlassungen geeigneter sein als ein laufender Krieg? Deus vult, wie der passionierte Mittellateiner Hegseth (ohne Abschluss) sagen würde:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement, sources familiar with the decision told CBS News.

One of the sources said Hegseth wants someone in the role who will implement President Trump and Hegseth's vision for the Army.

Two other Army officers were removed from their roles, according to three sources familiar with the matter: Gen. David Hodne, who led the Army's Transformation and Training Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green, who headed the Army's Chaplain Corps. The Washington Post was first to report on Hodne and Green's ouster. [...]

Hegseth has fired more than a dozen senior military officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife and the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse.

The ouster follows Hegseth's X post lifting the suspension of the aircrew that flew by Kid Rock's house in Nashville last weekend. After the Army announced the suspension of the aviators involved and an administrative review, Hegseth overruled the Army, writing on his personal X account, No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.

Hegseth's decision to ask George to exit wasn't related to the helicopter incident, one of the sources said.