Hunkered Down in Bremerton

General Milley's Revelations

This week we learned from excepts fom Bob Woodward's and Robert Costa's upcoming book Peril that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley secretly commuicated with leaders of China's People's Liberation Army both before the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021 US Captiol insurrection that, despite President Trump's rhetoric, United States military forces would not make any kind of pre-emptive strikes against Chinese forces or civiilan targets.

This has been a big topic of conversation and a lot has already been written. Trump and his supporters have gone so far as to say that this was an act of treason. Others have postulated that this actually increases the politicization of the military. Still others point out that Trump either was or was not unstable.

In my mind this helped to save our bacon. No way around it. The Chinese don't have the greatest understanding of what is really going on in this country as we have little understanding of what is truly happening there. With alll the money our countries pay for espionage, you might think we would have a good understanding of each other. Clearly this is not the case.

Would a stable or not-so-stable minded Trump actually have launched a war with China? I doubt it. But if he rattled his sabre loud enough and frequently enough his followers may have believed that he would (I hope you don't seriously doubt the truth of this statement). If his followers believed this, why would we think the Chinese would not. Even if they believed that the chances were very small would they take the risk. Perhaps, but perhaps not. If they we're going to take the risk that Trump would do this then they may well have engaged in a pre-emptive first strike. I don't know, but it is within reason.

Milley contacted the Chinese just to let them know that the Joint Chiefs of Staff and hence the US military would not participate in an unprovoked first strike against Chinese targets. This was to insure that they understand our military's intent. This was certainly an act of disloyalty to the President on the part of Milley. However, it was not an act of treason. Has China ever been declared "The Enemy". No. Treason requires giving aid and comfort to enemies. China has never been declared as being the enemy.

Milley's actions give light to the seriousness of the situation and that the Military establishment was as worried about Trump being president as were most of us civilians.

Howard B. Julien

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Updated September 18, 2021