Same thingвЂ™s true when it comes to the nation going to war. GET-INTO-WAR-FREE CARD Long past time to scrap existing approvalsДЄs noted above, former acting defense secretary Chris Miller puts the blame for shrinking civilian control of the military on Congress. ItвЂ™s too early to say whether that will help, or hurt, any push to regain civilian control of the Defense Department. Speaking of four-stars, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin-confirmed January 22 and the first Black American to ever hold the post-wore them on his shoulders at the end of his 41-year Army career. вЂњThis f- place,вЂќ the former Green Beret (and defense secretary!) said of the Pentagon, вЂњis rotten.вЂќ By вЂњidolizing and fetishizingвЂќ the military brass, Congress has overlooked the gradual loss of civilian control. вЂњWhen the system is weighted towards the Joint Staff and the geographic combatant commanders against civilian control, you know, weвЂ™ve got to rethink this,вЂќ he told Adam Ciralsky in an extraordinary January 22 article in Vanity Fair. The latest to testify about this sad state of affairs is Christopher Miller, who served as President TrumpвЂ™s final Pentagon chief for 72 days. Same thing can be said of the civilians вЂњin charge.вЂќ вЂњShort tours lead to short-term decision making and risk avoidance, to the long-term detriment of the program.вЂќ вЂњTenure agreements for military program managers are interrupted/shortened by promotion, deployments, schools, and transfers,вЂќ the PentagonвЂ™s own Defense Business Board noted (PDF) in 2011. The lengthy stints of the nationвЂ™ top four-star officers contrasts with the shorter terms too often served by those military officers in charge of developing weapons. Reporters wondered if he ever intended to leave. Cap stayed there for nearly seven years, becoming the PentagonвЂ™s version of вЂњPresident for LifeвЂќ Idi Amin of Uganda.

Of course, The Bunker began his reporting career shortly before Caspar Weinberger moved into the defense secretaryвЂ™s suite in 1981. No wonder the uniformed military runs circles around their purported civilian masters when it comes to waging war and buying weapons.

Caspar weinberger the next war pdf