Political War Ahead

21 February 2017

Cogito Ergo Non Serviam

Lieutenant General H.R. McMasters is Trump's National Security Adviser

President Trump announced yesterday that he was appointing Lieutenant General H.R. McMasters of the US Army to serve as his National Security Adviser. The general's appointment generated broad spectrum support. He is seen by many as a thoughtful (he has a PhD) soldier, one unafraid to tell his superiors the bad news they need to hear. This journal sees two flaws in the appointment, neither of which should prevent him succeeding but both of which are grounds for concern.

The first issue is that he is not handing in his retirement papers and serving as a civilian. This may appear to be a minor issue. After all a man who has served in the Army for years is not going to cease thinking like a soldier simply because he is wearing a blue pin-stripe suit rather than a Class A dress uniform. However, remaining as he does within the Pentagon organizational chart, there will be limits to his freedom of action, such as criticizing officers who screw up Those are simply the Army rules.

The second, and more significant issue, is his lack of experience in Washington. He lacks the political experience that a tour at the Pentagon would have given him. Knowledge of the political terrain and of possible allies on Capitol Hill are missing from his resume. The Pentagon passed him over twice on the way from Colonel to Brigadier, and it is clear that this stemmed from some hostility to his book Dereliction of Duty, which took the Joint Chiefs to task over their actions during the Vietnam War. His main contention is that the war was lost in Washington, not in Southeast Asia.

The general faces two foes in his political battles ahead, both within his own organization. President Trump is leaving in place all of the NSC staffers whom his first National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn brought with him. This was a deal-breaker for other candidates including Admiral Robert Hayward. A good officer can win these people over, and there is no reason to believe General McMaster will have anything but the most loyal of support -- eventually. It will take time for the team and its new manager to come together. Lots of bad things can happen in a dangerous world while that process unfolds.

A much more serious threat comes from the Eminence Grise of the administration, Steve Bannon. Mr. Bannon is an ideologue on a mission. He believes that White America is under threat both at home and abroad, and that radical Islamic terrorism is an existential threat to all that is good and pure. He has the president's ear, and he has a political network within the White House that undermines even the Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

The general's style and expertise poses a direct threat to Mr. Bannon's position as Prime Minister of America. Mr. Bannon's time in the Navy gives his some credibility with life-long civilian Donald Trump when it comes to military matters, but a 3-star general as National Security Adviser out-ranks him. How the two men work out their divergent views of the world will determine whether there is infighting or whether they can form some kind of united front on certain issues.

When it comes to appointments like this, one must choose from extremely well-qualified candidates with decades of experience. One is spoilt for choice. Yet, each candidate has his or her own flaws and foibles. In General McMaster's case, it appears that he is outspoken in an institution that prefers its officers and troops to talk less and smile more. That is a much better issue with which to wrestle than the close proximity of General Flynn to the Russian intelligence services and Vladimir Putin. It reflects well on Mr. Trump and his team that they gave General McMaster the job. At the same time, one must ask why it took them so long and whether he has a chance against Mr, Bannon.

© Copyright 2017 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.



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