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Pete Hegseth tells top generals "prepare for war" (www.newsweek.com)

submitted 4 days ago by IndridCold@lemmy.ca to c/politics@lemmy.world

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[-] IndridCold@lemmy.ca 89 points 4 days ago

In the speech he said

"As history teaches us, the only people who actually deserve peace are those who are willing to wage war to defend it. That's why pacifism is so naive and dangerous. It ignores human nature and ignores human history. Either you protect your people and your sovereignty or you become subservient to something or someone. "

That sounds like an invitation for true patriots to "fix" the current administration.

[-] jumperalex@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago

The most dangerous person is the world, is one convinced of their own righteousness.

They love to talk tough about 2A, and the three boxes of freedom, and peace thru power, right up until someone takes them up on it.

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago

Four boxes of freedom. Soap box is frequently forgotten about. Soap box, jury box, ballot box, ammo box.

[-] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 14 points 4 days ago

They literally renamed the Department of Defense to the Department of War. How more explicit do we need them to be?

[-] HeadfullofSoup@kbin.earth 5 points 4 days ago

I sure hope some of the military try is a coup from the army be that bad at this point?

[-] MnemonicBump@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 4 days ago

Yes, it would be that bad. Please look at Myanmar right now. You do NOT want a Military Junta or a Military Dictatorship. You think civil liberties are being eroded quickly now?! Shiiiiit

[-] HeadfullofSoup@kbin.earth 5 points 4 days ago

I see what you mean but you have the risk of turning like myanmar if a junta happen or the near 100% chance of becoming a white christofascists techno hellhole with some north korea dictatorship sprinkle on it

[-] MnemonicBump@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 days ago

You're literally describing the United States post-9/11, the only difference is that they've gone mask off. We've been in a christofascist techno hellhole sprinkled with North Korea dictatorship this entire time. We effectively have one party with two (slightly different) wings (both right wing, though), and did you really think it was normal to pledge allegiance to the flag of your country every single day while slurping down Department of Education approved propaganda?

The military junta would not be a better set of circumstances. It would be exactly like right now only more extreme, considering all of the top military brass is also a bunch of christofascists

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[-] IndridCold@lemmy.ca 92 points 4 days ago

My favourite bit of all of this.

The Defense Secretary pointed to his own regimen as an example. “It all starts with physical fitness and appearance,” he said. “If the Secretary of War can do regular, hard PT [physical training], so can every member of our joint force.”

“Today at my direction, every member of the joint force, at every rank, is required … [to] meet height and weight requirements twice a year every year,” Hegseth added.

Someone remind me what fat orange bag of festering mayonnaise if at the top of these joint forces. I forget his name. I don't really see him doing jumping jacks.

[-] SlurryBravo@infosec.pub 41 points 4 days ago

Why would a height requirement need to be checked twice a year?

[-] Gork@sopuli.xyz 41 points 4 days ago

Doesn't make sense. Shorter soldiers have smaller hitboxes.

Source: N64 Goldeneye Oddjob

[-] FoxyFerengi@startrek.website 23 points 4 days ago

It sounds like dipshit thinks BMI is a good standard for fitness measurement

[-] salacious_coaster@infosec.pub 14 points 4 days ago

Not just Hegseth. The US military has always used BMI as part of fitness standards.

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[-] Montagge@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 days ago

When I was in the Army they used BMI, and if you failed BMI you had to get a pinch test to measure body fat. I had to do it because I was 6'4" (193cm) and 225lbs (102kgs) which is overweight by BMI standards.

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[-] dhork@lemmy.world 34 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

No, this is a great idea. We should all get on Social Media and challenge the Snowflake-in-chief's ability to do the jumping jacks he is asking his troops to do. Taunt him with old videos of Jack LaLanne, since he seems stuck in the 80's culturally. With any luck, the problem will solve itself.

[-] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 17 points 4 days ago

He literally said he can't even walk without being careful so he doesn't fall down, and he's acused exercise of shortening the lifespan because you have a finite number of heartbeats or something. In other words, the troops are expendable because shortening their lifespans through exercise is perfectly acceptable. Some animals are more equal and all that.

[-] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 19 points 4 days ago

There are fat service members in BCP that probably PT harder than any of these fucks in charge.

[-] frezik 22 points 4 days ago

I'm guessing Hegseth actually does workout regularly. It's part of his Master Race schtick. He likes to look good while showing off his white supremacy tattoos.

[-] Maeve@kbin.earth 11 points 4 days ago

"A Nazi worked out today; did you?”

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[-] shittydwarf@piefed.social 4 points 4 days ago

CIC Bonespurs?

[-] thagoat@lemmy.sdf.org 67 points 4 days ago

So we're back to bombing for peace.

Like fucking for virginity.

Fuck these clowns. Vote. Every. Single. Election.

School boards and mayors and locals, too.

[-] Zephorah@discuss.online 22 points 4 days ago

You’re assuming 2026 is happening.

[-] LodeMike@lemmy.today 12 points 4 days ago

Why are you so eager to give up?

[-] Zephorah@discuss.online 7 points 4 days ago

I am medical. If people start shooting each other (more than they are already) I know my role already.

In terms of everything currently happening, every time someone says “vote” that feels like giving up in the right now while no election is happening. “Vote” says: just wait. Go sit down and wait. Take a nap, even, just wait. None of this matters, we’ll just “vote” later. There’s no action to be had, go read a book or something.

I’m not the one professing a “give up” strategy here.

[-] WhatGodIsMadeOf@feddit.org 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Because I didn't like the lifestyle of arrogance and privilege here before trump either. Its always been heartless and soulless for anyone that doesn't get lost in the escapism in the bullshit they peddle to naive people in exchange for easier control.

Most Americans don't even want to admit how much blood is on their hands by simply living a "regular life" under this nation. That's not a culture to be trusted as authentic genuine human beings.

[-] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

We knew all of this in 2024, and people couldn’t be bothered to stop it. Now they have full control, and certainly enough to either stop elections from happening or to rig it.

If you think full-blown fascists will allow a democratic process to take their power when they’ve already seized all the levers of government and can stop us, you’re mistaken. That’s why it was so important to prevent it when we had the chance.

It’s too late. The only way to stop it now will be to take it from them by force. Literally all of history shows that.

Unfortunately, the will to do that won’t exist until they’ve already committed the atrocities they’ve been planning.

e: he got away with an attempted insurrection the last time he lost. No way he won’t dial that up to 11 next time. Why wouldn’t he, and preemptively? And why won’t he get away with far worse?

[-] LodeMike@lemmy.today 3 points 4 days ago

Well you don't gotta make it easy for him. Imagine if people went "well. I guess he gets to stay in office" after that event.

[-] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Making it easy for him is thinking voting has a chance of fixing this now.

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[-] meco03211@lemmy.world 14 points 4 days ago

"I love peace. I don't care how many men, women, and children I need to kill to get it."

[-] grue@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

School boards... too.

As seen in another thread today, some podunk shithole town in Oklahoma just learned that the hard way, LOL!

[-] snooggums@piefed.world 23 points 4 days ago

"Preparing for war and preparing to win. Unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit. Not because we want war. No one here wants war. But it's because we love peace."

Somebody completely missed the point of Peacemaker.

[-] easybre_bb@lemmy.zip 19 points 4 days ago

Those who will never see war in person sure like to push for more war.

[-] HarneyToker@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

Why don’t the Presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?

[-] AmericanEconomicThinkTank@lemmy.world 18 points 4 days ago

Considering everyone in the room knows the Commander in Chief wouldn't be able to pass the basic reading tests for recruits, I'd say this just doesn't hit home as well as they all hope it does.

[-] ripcord@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Considering how dead silent the room apparently was, I'd say you are right.

[-] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 20 points 4 days ago

War against who?

War against who, motherfucker? 🪿

[-] prole 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Venezuela, and anyone in the US who is to the left of Charlie Kirk.

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[-] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 days ago

Um, they were already doing that. Pete, do you actually know what a military is for?

[-] fittedsyllabi@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago

Prepare for war with Americans, America.

[-] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 12 points 4 days ago

Also we're not paying any of your soldiers starting tomorrow, good luck with morale while you prep unpaid men to commit war crimes again

[-] Ironfist79@lemmy.world 11 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

So the military is going to do what they've been doing for decades. PT tests happen every six months already.

[-] Zephorah@discuss.online 7 points 4 days ago

Saying it publically makes it sound like his idea.

[-] itsgroundhogdayagain@lemmy.ml 10 points 4 days ago

I hope I can stay on top of that height requirement twice a year.

[-] unconsequential@slrpnk.net 7 points 4 days ago

Hegseth: Be ready for war Trump: You can practice on our cities!

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this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2025

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