The Current Secretary Of Defense Maybe Incompetent?
April 30, 2025•352 words
"I don't know what I'm doing, but my incompetence has never stopped my enthusiasm." ~ Woody Allen
"Incompetence is a double-edged banana." ~ John Perry Barlow
"We used to have a War Office, but now we have a Ministry of Defence, nuclear bombs are now described as deterrents, innocent civilians killed in war are now described as collateral damage and military incompetence leading to US bombers killing British soldiers is cosily described as friendly fire. Those who are in favour of peace are described as mavericks and troublemakers, whereas the real militants are those who want the war." ~ Tony Benn
"I believe that the American administration of Iraq has been arrogant, has pursued policies that are illegal in international law and has been ignorant and incompetent. I said this very forthrightly to the senators." ~ Juan Cole
There are dark and long-term dangers in leaving the world's most powerful military in the hands of an inexperienced and, by some critics' account, incompetent leader.
An unprepared or underqualified Secretary of Defense can misinterpret or mishandle international crises, where small errors can turn into big wars. Misunderstanding with allies or adversaries, lack of diplomatic skill, or rash military decisions can ignite local wars or, in the worst-case scenario, drift towards nuclear warfare.
In addition to the direct danger of war, poor leadership can result in ineffective strategic planning, inadequate monitoring, and the failure of military initiatives with over 750 military bases extending into 85 countries.
These failures lead not only to unnecessary losses of service members and civilians, but also to erosion of United States credibility on the world stage. As faith in U.S. leadership is questionable due to creeping isolationism and a chaotic first 100 days of the second term Trump Administration.
NATO cohesion can be lost, and power vacuums created in regions dependent upon a strong, stable U.S. military presence for security and balance, allowing additional instability, genocidal aggression against Palestinians for the past 4 decades, and humanitarian catastrophes to be unleashed elsewhere.