Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness — Executive Order

Recently, however, the Armed Forces have been afflicted with radical gender ideology to appease activists unconcerned with the requirements of military service like physical and mental health, selflessness, and unit cohesion.  Longstanding Department of Defense (DoD) policy (DoD Instruction (DoDI) 6130.03) provides that it is the policy of the DoD to ensure that service members are “[f]ree of medical conditions or physical defects that may reasonably be expected to require excessive time lost from duty for necessary treatment or hospitalization.”  As a result, many mental and physical health conditions are incompatible with active duty, from conditions that require substantial medication or medical treatment to bipolar and related disorders, eating disorders, suicidality, and prior psychiatric hospitalization.

Consistent with the military mission and longstanding DoD policy, expressing a false “gender identity” divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.  Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.  A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member. 

For the sake of our Nation and the patriotic Americans who volunteer to serve it, military service must be reserved for those mentally and physically fit for duty.  The Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards to ensure our military can deploy, fight, and win, including in austere conditions and without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions.

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Emotion versus reason in numbers

My sense is these statistics are roughly correct. They also bolster the Buddhist ethical position that compassion must be based on wisdom. Indeed, the greatest virtue in Buddhism is wisdom, not compassion. Buddhism counsels dispassion and calm reflection on all speech and behavior; I would add perception as well. An argument that appeals to emotion is not necessarily all bad. But one that uses emotion as mind-control is all bad. The wise often lose political debates because their positions are more complex, based on dispassionate analysis rather than single-minded emotion. Women have had many years in power now and the results are not good. This is probably due to greater emotionality among our dearly loved fair sex. Not sure where this will lead but it is always best to place your bets on reason and sound ethics above all else. Of course, emotion and compassion can and should be factors in any complex position, just not the preeminent, leading factors. ABN

Major government agency responds furiously after Trump’s late-night purge as it issues thinly-veiled threat

The Chairperson for Inspector generals has hit back at Donald Trump‘s mass firing of government watchdogs, claiming the move is ‘not legally sufficient’ in a strongly-worded letter. 

Late Friday night, the newly-minted leader announced the firing of 17 Inspector Generals, sparking major concern on Capitol Hill.

The White House failed to publicly announce the bloodbath or provide any explanation for why it fired the officials who are tasked with evaluating federal departments on issues including the law and use of taxpayer money.

IGs for the departments of defense, state, transportation, veterans affairs, housing and urban development, interior and energy were all let go. 

But soon after Hannibal ‘Mike’ Ware, Chairperson of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, challenged the decision in a thinly-veiled threating letter. 

According to the Post, Ware is one of the agents who was fired on Friday night. 

Others include Michael Horowitz at the Justice Department who was an appointee of Obama and Mark Lee Greenblatt of the Department of the Interior. 

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When the watchdogs don’t bark, they should be fired. Trump appears to be firing anyone who might obstruct deep reform. This is a very good sign. USA needs a strong and peaceful revolution in government. Trump is our best hope for deep reform. During his first term and all along, many IGs have been part of the coverup, not reform. I was surprised and pleased to see Horowitz on this list as the rumor was he was going to be spared. An IG is a deeply important arbiter of morality and ethics, without which our nation cannot survive. USA needs a deep housecleaning and this is part of that. ABN

Penetrating insight. Something we all require. Religion and real-world morality go hand-in-hand. I love it when prominent people reform. It’s terrible to see nastiness all the way to the top. Thune may set a good example which may shine for generations. ABN

‘Every resource we have is going to be deployed and is going to be used’ — Stephen Miller on the border

Miller is an example of how likeable Jews can be when they are on our side, or vociferously appear to be. I do not fully understand why Jews do not take a (real) Miller approach as displayed above and also do it across the board. Support the America you have tried to destroy rather than continue destroying it. I am serious, people would love you for it. ABN

Trump scores big win as John Ratcliffe confirmed as CIA director

Former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe has been confirmed by the Senate to become the next CIA director. 

The former DNI and Texas congressman received bipartisan vote 74-25 on Thursday several days after the Senate Intelligence Committee advanced his nomination.

He is the second of Donald Trump‘s Cabinet selections to get confirmed by the Senate after Marco Rubio was unanimously confirmed Monday evening. 

National security Cabinet positions are traditionally the first to be filled and Ratcliffe and Rubio’s confirmations are no exception. 

However, the process of getting Ratcliffe confirmed hit a hiccup this week as Democrats held up the vote. 

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