Andrew Song
As Americans cast ballots for their 47th President, considerable discussion has emerged regarding the outburst in partisan rhetoric displayed by retired flag and general officers (FOGOs). Recently, former retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly delivered scathing criticism of his former boss. Labeling him a “fascist”, the former White House Chief of Staff cautioned Americans about ramifications of a second Trump administration and emphasized his alarming totalitarian disposition. His proactive commentary stands in stark contrast to the silent philosophy espoused by his counterparts like former Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey. To that end, like-minded officials desire the introduction of articles into the Uniform Code of Military Justice that would restrict officers from exercising partisan speech post-service. These examples reach certain extremes as one former Navy Captain proclaims that Congress should forbid retired FOGOs from running for office for three years and disallow four-star equivalent officials from publicly endorsing candidates, lest they lose their pension. The author and such proponents suggest that instituting bans would reinforce the public’s image of military non-partisanship and thereby reverse trends in eroding public trust in the U.S. military.
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