Poll: Do you agree with the Secretary of Defense

[longly]

Ever so often, an opportunity presents itself for me to gain a deeper understanding of this site—and this is one of those opportunities.

I would like for the military people on this site to participate in a poll, so I can reaffirm some things I believe about the military from the past. I won’t say what those things are just yet; I’ll let you know later, even if I turn out to be wrong.

So, if you will, please participate in the poll.

What I’m asking is: Do you agree with the Secretary of Defense’s message to the gathering of general officers today? (See the link below.)

I’m only interested in former or present military members participating in this poll. Of course, anyone is welcome to make a comment if they wish.

READ: Hegseth’s Speech to Generals and Admirals

Read the full transcript of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s address to hundreds of admirals and general officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

www.airandspaceforces.com

 

[toobfreak]

Do you agree with the Secretary of Defense​

No. We have no Secretary of Defense.

Now, if you are asking if I agree with the Secretary of War, yes, 100%.

 

[DGS49]

[I am a Vietnam Vet, and a MAGA Republican]

Reading through his speech (glad I didn't have to sit through it), I was reminded of the Rush Limbaugh axiom about our Armed Forces: Their basic mission is to kill people and break stuff. The corollary is that, any initiative that does not make "us" better at killing people and breaking stuff (e.g., wimmin in combat) should be rejected.

These policies are harsh, and it's a good thing that Leftists are unlikely to actually read it (as with Project 2025); they would lose their shit. There will be legal challenges...can you say, "disparate impact"?

I support the goals wholeheartedly, but I would establish some of the physical ones as GOALS to be met over a reasonable period of time.

 

[whitehall]

How could you not agree with the Secretary who wants our Military to adhere to physical standards and our fat assed Pentagon generals to adhere to the same standards?

 

[candycorn]

"Coaches who have never played lack a certain credibility."--General Colin Powell.

 

[longly]

It looks like enough time has passed for everyone on this site who is military or former military to have had a chance to vote. The reason I created this poll was to test a belief I have held for a long time. I believe the United States military is overwhelmingly conservative across both enlisted ranks and officer ranks up to general. That belief is based on my own experience in the military and what I have seen online. However, I do not fully trust the internet. There is a lot of noise out there and not everything holds water. So, I thought this poll might offer further confirmation. And it turns out the results support my belief.

I figured most people would be honest. Still, I assumed at least one person might vote who was not actually military. So, while I cannot be absolutely sure the numbers reflect reality with precision, I think they are close. Of course, my premise has flaws. One is that I cannot control who votes. Like I said, at least one person may be a faker, and I have no way to verify that. Another flaw is that some of the positions in the poll may be supported by liberals too since in my view they are just common sense.

This brings up another point. Since this board seems to reflect a strong conservative presence, I think it may be fairly representative of American culture more broadly. I believe most people are either moderate or conservative and liberals are a minority. I cannot say exactly how small that minority is.

When I first joined the military, there were still many anti-war draft avoiders serving in the enlisted ranks. That made the lower ranks more representative of the general population while the professional ranks remained conservative. Over time, those people left the military, and the lower ranks became more conservative as well.

If liberals do not like the strong conservative makeup of the military, they have two options. They can either join the military or push for the reinstatement of the draft.

 

[Zebra]

"Coaches who have never played lack a certain credibility."--General Colin Powell.

true