General Mattis is our new SECDEF

[AWP]

This thread is about Mattis as SECDEF. Let's get back on topic.

 

[SpongeBob*24]

Back on track...

 

[Gunz]

Look, Mattis may be a Warrior Monk, but he's not a caveman. He's served with NATO, he was CENTCOM commander, he's had plenty of sophisticated leadership roles that demanded some measure of toleration and political finesse. He's got to be professionally in line with all the directives handed down over the past 8 years. He's had plenty of time to come to terms with the repeal of DADT and other changes.

I'm betting he'll figure out how best to integrate those changes without a degradation of combat readiness. If anybody can do that, he can.

 

[Devildoc]

Look, Mattis may be a Warrior Monk, but he's not a caveman. He's served with NATO, he was CENTCOM commander, he's had plenty of sophisticated leadership roles that demanded some measure of toleration and political finesse. He's got to be professionally in line with all the directives handed down over the past 8 years. He's had plenty of time to come to terms with the repeal of DADT and other changes.

I'm betting he'll figure out how best to integrate those changes without a degradation of combat readiness. If anybody can do that, he can.

I have been saying this since his name was leaked. He has more positive relationship with NATO, more understanding of and interaction with Congress than many, understands budgeting, procurement, etc. He is a warrior's warrior, but he is no troglodyte.

 

[CDG]

He is a warrior's warrior, but he is no troglodyte.

And herein lies the disconnect. IMHO, much of the civilian populace, particularly politicians in Washington, believe one proves the other. The warrior-scholar, warrior-monk, warrior-professional is not understood by them. They will never outright admit it, but they believe that if someone is capable of visiting violence on others, they are automatically intellectually inferior.

 

[SpitfireV]

Considering how Trump seems to be dismissing the advice of the intelligence community already it will be interesting to see how he takes Mattis' advice, whether he listens to it or makes up his own mind without that expert opinion.

 

[Etype]

...violence...

Violence is, all too often, looked at by the State Dept. and politicians as a failure instead of a viable means to an end. Some folks are immune to the diplomatic process, example- ISIS.

The truth is, folks like GEN Mattis have seen, and participated in, every level of human interaction from cooperation, to coercion, to violence.

 

[Etype]

Considering how Trump seems to be dismissing the advice of the intelligence community...

What advice is this?

 

[WasNeverHere]

What advice is this?

The dubious Intel report that "Russia hacked my recount"?

 

[Devildoc]

Violence is, all too often, looked at by the State Dept. and politicians as a failure instead of a viable means to an end. Some folks are immune to the diplomatic process, example- ISIS.

The truth is, folks like GEN Mattis have seen, and participated in, every level of human interaction from cooperation, to coercion, to violence.

Violence is just on the continuum of politics. Von Clausewitz said war is an extension of politics by another means. It's so unsettling that professional diplomats don't understand poli sci 101.

 

[SpitfireV]

What advice is this?

Barack Obama: A President without intelligence briefings is 'flying blind'

Ignore the bits about Obama, this is the important part:

Trump over the weekend said on Fox News Sunday he's not interested in daily intelligence briefings unless developments have changed enough to merit his attention. Asked whether he's rejecting valuable intelligence, Trump was defiant.

"I get it when I need it," he said of the top-secret briefings sessions, generally designed to present facts for the president to make decisions on when something's changed and what, if any, action should be taken.

"I'm, like, a smart person," Trump continued. "I don't have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years."

 

[Jay_Pew]

Barack Obama: A President without intelligence briefings is 'flying blind'

Ignore the bits about Obama, this is the important part:

I don't necessarily disagree with President-Elect Trump's main point, and it just ties in with his whole overall theme. He says he doesn't need them everyday, because they mostly contain the same information. According to him he only wants them "when something changes". This ties perfectly with his whole theme that government/beaurocracy is very inefficient. Why does he necessarily need to be briefed the same material everyday? He can be briefed as needed, as a situation unfolds/ as the information is requested.

 

[SpitfireV]

I don't necessarily disagree with President-Elect Trump's main point, and it just ties in with his whole overall theme. He says he doesn't need them everyday, because they mostly contain the same information. According to him he only wants them "when something changes". This ties perfectly with his whole theme that government/beaurocracy is very inefficient. Why does he necessarily need to be briefed the same material everyday? He can be briefed as needed, as a situation unfolds/ as the information is requested.

Yeah look I can see what you're saying but I think it is bad form. Why wouldn't you take advantage of everything you have?

 

[AWP]

Didn't we beat up Obama for skipping his intel briefings?

 

[Etype]

Barack Obama: A President without intelligence briefings is 'flying blind'

Ignore the bits about Obama, this is the important part:

The part about things changing enough to merit his attention is key. There are very few things that require presidential approval, and the GCCs, SECDEF, CJCS, etc know how to get in touch with him when they come up.

 

[CQB]

He is and was an outsider, despised by the GOP as well, if you recall. Said the system was broken, coincidentally so did Sanders. Was the system he gatecrashed one where both sides of the house only let the great unwashed have a peek at the process now and then? The picks for office so far, including Mr. Mattis have been really interesting, no policy yet but the indications IMO are that it may be run as a business instead of a cartel.

 

[SpitfireV]

The part about things changing enough to merit his attention is key. There are very few things that require presidential approval, and the GCCs, SECDEF, CJCS, etc know how to get in touch with him when they come up.

As The Boss though the buck stops with him. If he doesn't know something because he couldn't be arsed with a briefing then it's on him if it blows up.

 

[DA SWO]

Considering how Trump seems to be dismissing the advice of the intelligence community already it will be interesting to see how he takes Mattis' advice, whether he listens to it or makes up his own mind without that expert opinion.

We still don't know who in the intel community is claiming Russian involvement, let the Congressional Critters have their hearing and see what is said under oath.

 

[Etype]

As The Boss though the buck stops with him. If he doesn't know something because he couldn't be arsed with a briefing then it's on him if it blows up.

It seems to me like being updated when something changes or demands his attention is a good policy.

Giving a daily update brief to a president with no military experience seems like a waste of time to me, unless he were particularly interested in micro-managing. We have GCCs and TSOCs who worry about such things so the president doesn't have to. Time sensitive matters, approvals and authorizations etc. are usually handled by desk side briefings, not at Intel dumps.

 

[DA SWO]

As The Boss though the buck stops with him. If he doesn't know something because he couldn't be arsed with a briefing then it's on him if it blows up.

He's not in the White House until 2017, the current boss is a guy name Obama.