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Jim Mathis Resigns

Luckyone

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Dear Mr. President:

I have been privileged to serve as our country's 26th Secretary of Defense which has allowed me to serve alongside our men and women of the Department in defense of our citizens and our ideals.

I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past two years on some of the key goals articulated in our National Defense Strategy: putting the Department on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming the Department's business practices for greater performance. Our troops continue to provide the capabilities needed to prevail in conflict and sustain strong U.S. global influence.

One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. NATO's 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations is further proof.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/20/politics/james-mattis-resignation-letter-doc/index.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What? Why hasn’t a thread been started on this prior to this one?
 
My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.

Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.



Kapow!
 
There won’t be another Mattis to take the helm at DoD while Trump is in office. A genuine loss to America’s security.
 
One of the last adults in the room, if not the last. Not happy about this.
 
I wonder how long it will take for Trump to eviscerate him on Twitter.
 
One of the last adults in the room, if not the last. Not happy about this.

Considering he is leaving due to Trump's decision to pull out of Syria, are you saying you would be happier with someone pushing to continue these pointless wars?
 
Considering he is leaving due to Trump's decision to pull out of Syria, are you saying you would be happier with someone pushing to continue these pointless wars?

I'd be happier with someone who knows what they are doing and isn't just a flunky. Someone who can push back against the orange moron so that he doesn't drive our country off a cliff.
 
There won’t be another Mattis to take the helm at DoD while Trump is in office. A genuine loss to America’s security.

I agree, it's the reason I believe our nation has never been weaker. Mattis leaves, the Dems take the House and Mueller's investigation ends a few weeks later. How much angrier, unstable and impulsive will Trump get?
 
I'd be happier with someone who knows what they are doing and isn't just a flunky. Someone who can push back against the orange moron so that he doesn't drive our country off a cliff.

So is it your position that we continue these stupid wars?
 
.... How much angrier, unstable and impulsive will Trump get?
A very relevant concern. As long as no one in the administration is willing/able to get through to Trump, I believe he will continue becoming even more unstable and impulsive.
 
Considering he is leaving due to Trump's decision to pull out of Syria, are you saying you would be happier with someone pushing to continue these pointless wars?

The reason for the U.S. entering Syria was to defeat a violent terrorist organization that had nearly taken over the country. The only thing that could now make that objective pointless would be to withdraw like cowards before it's accomplished. We will be betraying our allies who still fight, and in a few years it will be like we were never even there. ISIS will likely take the country, and all of the casualties suffered by the brave soldiers (including U.S. servicemen) in defense of that country will indeed have been pointless.

So yes: I would have been much happier with someone with enough basic understanding of military strategy to finish the mission.
 
The reason for the U.S. entering Syria was to defeat a violent terrorist organization that had nearly taken over the country. The only thing that could now make that objective pointless would be to withdraw like cowards before it's accomplished. We will be betraying our allies who still fight, and in a few years it will be like we were never even there. ISIS will likely take the country, and all of the casualties suffered by the brave soldiers (including U.S. servicemen) in defense of that country will indeed have been pointless.

So yes: I would have been much happier with someone with enough basic understanding of military strategy to finish the mission.

ISIS was never going to be a threat to take the country, Assad has support from Russia.
 
So is it your position that we continue these stupid wars?

It is ridiculous of you to simplify this Mathis decision to War-or-no-War decision. All of these decision are tied in to many other factors that have benefits and consequences attached to them.

Would you rather have someone (like Trump) flipping a coin or ruling by "gut feeling" than having someone that has the ability through knowledge to measure all factors involved and make an intelligent decision?

All of these decisions have severe consequences.
 
So is it your position that we continue these stupid wars?

If you can talk Islamist Radicals into converting into Mahayana Buddhism, Assad into retiring to a country estate, Iran into ceasing to support the exportation of it's own radical ideology and destablization of a region through proxy actors, and Putin into ceasing his expansion, let us know.

We are in Syria now, and have managed the destruction of most of the physical caliphate with an incredibly small investment, utilizing our partner force on the ground, whom we are now betraying and abandoning, along with both our security and our interests.

Mattis resigning like this is (or, ought to be) a huge bucket of ice water in everyone's face.


:lol: I see that his timeline moved up to January 1st, as well. Looks like someone finally explained to Trump what that letter meant.
 
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