“The American military profession has always accepted, as a cardinal principle, the subordination of the military to civilian authority… This is a tradition which we must preserve at all costs.”
-General George C. Marshall
By: Mark Glennon*
A blind man could see through it in a minute. The now infamous video posted by six members of Congress was a transparent attempt to condition Americans to believe the Trump Administration should be stopped through military intervention. It was a classic psyop like you see from covert operatives — and a pathetically ham-handed one at that.
Ostensibly directed to members of the military but released for the general public’s consumption, the video says trust in the military is at risk because the administration is pitting the military and intelligence communities against American citizens. The clear message is that the military itself should resist.
Then comes the fig leaf: the military is not obligated to obey illegal orders, the video says, as if everybody who went through boot camp doesn’t already know that.
You’d think they’d be ready for the obvious question: What are these illegal orders to be defied? But none is in the video and none has since been specified. The alleged “brain” behind the video is one of the six in it, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan). She was asked directly what’s been illegal. She had nothing, answering, “To my knowledge, I am not aware of things that are illegal, but certainly there are some legal gymnastics that are going on with these Caribbean strikes and everything related to Venezuela.”
What, then, was the purpose of the video? Only one answer is apparent – to generally encourage the military and intelligence communities to disobey the president.
The left’s follow-up to amplify the video and encourage broad disobedience was quick, predictable and perhaps planned. Billboards like those shown are appearing around the country urging military personnel to defy the government. Trump critics on MSNOW called for Democrats to retake power and prosecute anybody investigating the video. And two national guardsmen were ambushed and shot in Washington, D.C. While the motives for the shooting are as yet unknown, the probability of violence, deliberately incited and directed at those following Trump’s orders, is clear.
Our military’s sheath, as much as its sword, accounts for our constitutional republic’s survival. Innumerable democracies have fallen to military insurrections while ours survived. Constitutions and laws do not stop armies. “Laws are silent amidst the clash of arms,” as Cicero said.
It’s our military’s tradition of subservience to civilian rule that protected us. The start of that tradition is immortalized in the portrait of George Washington voluntarily resigning his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army to the Continental Congress. He had held absolute military power for eight and a half years, yet he surrendered it peacefully to civilian authority.
Since then, countless of our finest brass have said what George Marshall said in that quote above. They’ve bowed to civilian rule, and for that we should give thanks this day.
But on this particular Thanksgiving, our gratitude must be overridden by resolution and grit to preserve what we have. Trump has called for criminal prosecutions against the people behind the video. That’s not the answer. The legal case would be difficult, and the video may have First Amendment protection.
The better response is political uproar. Register your disgust in whatever way you can over calls for military insurrection. This is for all the marbles now. Subordination of the military to civilian authority is indeed, as Marshall said, a tradition we must preserve at all costs.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
This column was corrected to change the word “refuse” to “obey” in the third paragraph.
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn’t you deliver a few bond upgrades, too
Audio and summary 
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
“Then comes the fig leaf: the military is not obligated to refuse illegal orders, the video says, as if everybody who went through boot camp doesn’t already know that.” Pretty critical words… must be pretty important to be an entire paragraph…except there seems to be one rather important word working hard against your written construction. Did you write this? Did you read this before publishing it?? Do you have editors?? . The way you have written it is certainly the way Pete Hegseth would PREFER it to be (now), but you have mis-stated it, quite obviously even to this only… Read more »
The word refuse was changed to obey, which was a writing accident. And, no, in answer to your question. I do not think refusing to obey unlawful orders is sedition, which should be obvious.
When I look at that picture, you know not all the people in that room agreed on everything in the constitution, but they worked it out for the good of the Country. What ever happened to statesmanship? It is a word and behavior that in the past 10 years is never discussed or even mentioned. There can be two schools of thought on a topic, often not so different, but just different enough to need to discuss the issues, debate the pros and cons, discuss various directions, have meetings that includes both sides of an issue and decide what is… Read more »
Daskoterzar, you’ve been on a role with lots of good comments, especially when you take the time to write nicely. Keep it up. BTW, what “doesdaskoterzar” mean?
Lol – Just a knick-name I was awarded from some folks I ride Motorcycles with – I guess riding a BMW requires a tortured bending of the German Language into a knick-name.
It’s a bit like the old NRA search for the good guy with a gun to counter the bad guy with a gun. Morons beget more of their ilk because one can’t reason with a moron. So resistance calls forth the inner morons of others! So far science has not found a vaccine to protect us from our nature.
Each side dehumanizes the other making it impossible to ever find common ground. Anyone that attempts to find it is labeled a traitor within their own party. Voters don’t reward statesmanship so it’s no longer on the menu. Democrats call Republicans fascists, nazis, racists, transphobes, insurrectionists, religious extremists, and a threat to democracy. Republicans call Democrats indoctrinated, communists, marxist, groomers, baby killers, and un-American. Pretty tough to find common ground when the majority of people believe the other side is evil. Until voters reward statesmanship we will no longer see it.
Yep – Until we elect people with the ability to have their own opinion about an issue, without consulting a poll or waiting till the “wind blows a certain direction” we will have what we have today. Most of the loudest law makers, who are always visible, are those that will say and do anything to keep their job (or grift) which is their main focus (themselves) vs. having the moral character to follow their beliefs, do what is right and fair and use simple common sense. Until the latter is valued we will have these clowns, influencers and grifters… Read more »
We can blame a lot on voters whether they’re ignorant or informed. Single issue voters are essentially ego-driven self-centered short-term thinkers. But they’re probably informed. Ignorant voters are often tied to what their ancestors or peer groups are advising them. Neither group wants to be “exiled” from their security networks. It doesn’t help that each group consumes media that reinforces its own dogmas. I’m not immune to these sentiments. However, if my perceptions are correct then things will continue to get worse. Likely there is no “fluoride” to slow or correct this decay. Statesmen of either gender won’t grow in… Read more »
I agree with much of what you wrote PT. I think it will only get worse. As you noted, each side consumes their own media. Now you have young liberals cutting off their parents and friends that think differently politically. Imagine cutting off family because of a political issue. That only happens when one believes the other side is without any value. You read on this site constantly about moving to a state to be around people with similar ideology. It certainly looks like we will continue to retreat into our own camps. We are becoming more tribal as we… Read more »
PPF, your comments are laughable. You believe there is common ground with the leftists in the street fighting federal agents? LOL, laughable, hear me laughing out loud? That’s the sound of roaring laughter! The Tsar Nicholas II of Russia sought common ground with the Bolsheviks. He gave them the Duma. He gave them the peasant reforms. He gave them everything they wanted. He even abdicated. And his reward? He and his family were executed in Siberia. The Mensheviks tried to find common ground with the radical Bolsheviks, and they became a footnote to history. Just tell me, PPF, How much… Read more »
Clearly the video was created for subversion and is treasonous in my opinion. The Democrat Party (ie leftist/communists) are in fact, in full Rebellion. We must quickly and publicly bring charges of Sedition against those 6, especially those in the military. Dems view: Don’t like current immigration laws? Defy them. Don’t like the results of the 2024 election? Ignore it. Don’t like the Supreme Court rulings? Ignore and Stack the Court. Don’t like the Second Amendment? Take the Citizens God given rights away in the middle of the night. The very ones screaming fascism are the actual fascists. Very troubling… Read more »
“…we all must watch what they do next with trepidation.”
Don’t just watch. Do something, “Register your disgust in whatever way you can over calls for military insurrection,” as Mark said. Email all your elected officials, including Democrats, and tell them if they are patriotic they will condemn the video!
Of course watch and act and speak out
Illinois is doomed ! bankruptcy is the only way out, and throwing out the democrats. The state is in a death spiral
Excellent!
An abhorrent video and message. But on brand. Don’t like the makeup of the Supreme Court? Enlarge it. Don’t like election results? Gerrymander districts (again). Don’t like someone’s policies? Demonize the person, spewing accusations of racism, facism. Anyone disagrees with you, demonize them. This isn’t limited to democrats, sign o’ the times.
I am not surprised that a Dem senator has part in this – the anti-Trump movement will do anything to prevent his actions.
The ‘Seditious 6’ can be charged for ‘seditious conspiracy’ just like so many innocents were for J6, some of which were not in D.C. Kelly himself will hopefully face court martial. The Democrats are pulling America down as fast as they can muster the dark money from overseas it seems to try and grab back power.
Remembering the first Thanksgiving in Jamestown, Va as that small group of English settlers fought for survival reminds me of the spirit needed to overcome the rot that is Democrats and stop the marxists.
The video was clearly aimed at officers, not the rank and file. It includes a threat of Nuremberg-style trials for those who don’t go along with the demands to disobey orders. The Democrats have crossed a very serious line here. Dark times.