Yesterday, VG’s own Nina told you about the meltdowns on the Left over the unqualified Fox News host Pete Hegseth being nominated as Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense. Salon’s Amanda Marcotte has upped the bar by claiming that Hegseth is the “perfect symbol of phony MAGA masculinity”. Reading her article was like reading some chick lit “Bridget Jones Diary” type book. Nauseating. Give it up, Mandy. Pete is never going to date you.
Amanda Marcotte gave away her lust for Major Hegseth in the first paragraph:
When considering the reasons why Donald Trump picked a Fox News blowhard to run the near-trillion-dollar U.S. military, it’s important to remember that our TV-addicted president-elect favors a strong jawline over concerns like skills or experience. Pete Hegseth may be “the least qualified nominee for SecDef in American history,” as the founder of Independent Veterans of America said on Twitter. He may not “have any background whatsoever” in defense policy, as Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told Politico. But Hegseth, with his heavily gelled hair and impressive bone structure, looks a lot like a movie star of Trump’s 1950s childhood. CNN reporter Alayna Tree confirmed that those cheekbones were a major factor in this pick: “Trump also thinks he has the look,” one source told her.
Ever so obvious: “a strong jawline”, “heavily gelled hair and impressive bone structure”, “looks a lot like a movie star”, “he has the look”. Amanda needs to wipe the drool off of her keyboard. Dayum. I have been noticing this a lot lately. I wrote: “Handmaid’s Tale Fantasy Spreads Through Liberal Women” just three days ago. These people make it too obvious. Waaaaay too. These writers, especially the female ones, would feel a lot better about themselves if they could just be honest.
Before going on to talk about Major Hegseth’s looks, Amanda repeats the “suckers and losers” lie.
Trump’s contempt for the actual work of the military is well documented. One does not need to be a big fan of war to find it disgusting that Trump calls people “suckers and losers” for the hard, often thankless work of serving in the military. It’s no surprise that he’d rather give a key Cabinet seat to someone he likes to look at, rather than someone who can serve the interests of military personnel. It also appears that Hegseth is one of a long list of flat-out trolling nominations for Trump’s second term, which also includes Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida as attorney general or Fox News substitute host (and onetime Hawaii congresswoman) Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.
Jeffrey Goldberg, who recently wrote “Trump: ‘I Need the Kind of Generals That Hitler Had’”, wrote the “suckers and losers” story for The Atlantic. John Kelly says Trump said it. John Bolton said he didn’t hear it. Both men hate Trump. Trump has denied it:
“I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes,” Trump said to the press as he was exiting Air Force One early Friday. “There is nobody that respects them more. So, I just think it’s a horrible, horrible thing … no animal, nobody, what animal would say such a thing.”
Anyhoo. Back to Pete Hegseth. More from Amanda and her Hegseth fantasies and fears:
MAGA leaders are bunch of men whose notion of masculine strength amounts to small children playing cops-and-robbers under a nanny’s supervision.
With Hegseth, this is obvious in his longing to kick women out of combat roles. He falsely claims that “standards have lowered” to let women in, and that “men in those positions are more capable.” The truth, however, is the opposite. As Barack Obama explained when the military first opened up combat roles for women, the urban and guerrilla nature of most modern warfare means that female service members were already “in a war theater” and “at great risk.” But while many women were performing the duties of combat soldiers, they weren’t getting the promotions or pay that go with that status.
"The real purpose here is to insulate the snowflake-fragile egos of men who cannot feel mighty unless a woman pretends — or is forced to pretend — that she's weak."https://t.co/qpMmWOOCBO pic.twitter.com/UnyfpWggCE
— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) November 14, 2024
When my son was deployed to Afghanistan, it was as a logistician with a truck company resupplying the warfighter. There were quite a few women in his company and they shared the same risk as any other soldier. They were not door kickers. That’s a whole different pot of sheer kurma. Men and women are different. Women in a combat zone is a different concept than women in CQB (Close Quarters Battle). Amanda wouldn’t know that in Boston. Well, CQB is different there.
This General doesn’t think Pete Hegseth can get there because he criticized Generals. That’s a knee-slapper:
I bet General Enyart hasn’t won anymore wars than General Milley. These Perfumed Princes of the Pentagon are useless. Apparently, Amanda doesn’t like the great Christmas movie “Die Hard”:
In his typically whiny book “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” Hegseth writes, “Our ‘elites’ are like the feckless drug-addled businessmen at Nakatomi Plaza, looking down on Bruce Willis’s John McClane in ‘Die Hard,’” adding, “But there will come a day when they realize they need John McClane.”
No one “needs” John McClane. He is a make-believe tough guy, built out of special effects and the comedic acting skills of Bruce Willis. But this kind of ludicrous fantasy allows Hegseth to elide the deep paradox of his argument. He wants us to imagine straight male American soldiers are “honorable, powerful and deadly,” but also portrays them as too feeble to handle the diverse modern military. He believes they must be sheltered from any evidence that people with different identities can be strong, too. So he retreats to this phony masculine idea of “strength,” constructed through Hollywood magic. It’s like a little boy’s dream, created to avoid the underwhelming reality of MAGA manhood.
Shut up, Amanda. Die Hard is a movie. We all know that. Just like we know that Hans Gruber (the late Alan Rickman) didn’t really fall from Nakatomi Plaza. We also know that our military personnel desperately need a SecDef who gives a thought to the average grunts. Unless they are asking for permission to oil and lube the General’s jeep, the Generals don’t care. By the way, Corporal Klinger wore a dress, but he didn’t think he was a girl.
Hegseth spent twenty years in the Army and made Major so this part reeks of jealousy:
While he’s oblique about the reasons, it appears Hegseth couldn’t hack it in the Army, either. He complained in his book that the Army “spit me out,” adding, “I didn’t want this Army anymore either.” It is reminiscent of every guy who says “you’re not that hot” when a woman turns him down.
Couldn’t hack it? Are you freaking kidding me? Give it up Mandy. You are not that hot and he is not going to date you.
Featured Image: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons.org/cropped/Creative Commons
Lloyd says: I’m sure Amanda and other lefty quasi-females like her would much prefer a gay or trans candidate of some color other than white who always sits to pee !!
GWB says: Independent Veterans of America
Ummm, no, they aren’t.
CNN reporter Alayna Tree confirmed that those cheekbones were a major factor in this pick
And she knows this because someone somewhere told her? This sounds like more fodder for the “Dem women have fantasies of being dominated by Republican men” basket, along with Handmaids.
These people make it too obvious.
Honestly, they should quit their day jobs so they can go back to Harlequin romances and daytime “stories” on TV. They would be much happier. Of course, they’d have to marry a breadwinner, first, and that ain’t happening.
someone who can serve the interests of military personnel
Well, that’s not actually the SecDef’s job, is it? No, his job is to train and equip our military to fight and win wars at the direction of the Commander in Chief and Congress (for actually declaring war). His other job is to set policy to achieve those aims. It’s not to make military personnel feel good about themselves, or validate their mental illnesses, or anything else. His concern with personnel should be ensuring they are the most capable warfighters on the planet (and off). Some of that comes in with pay and benefits, but mostly it’s about training and recruiting.
MAGA leaders are bunch of men whose notion of masculine strength amounts to small children playing cops-and-robbers under a nanny’s supervision.
Well, that doesn’t make any sense at all. Especially since she was just complaining the other day about toxic masculinity… which would seem to be the opposite of this.
He falsely claims that “standards have lowered” to let women in
Well, I can testify that was EXACTLY what was done. You’re lying.
they weren’t getting the promotions or pay
So, back to that, “Gimmee!” stuff, again.
Also, if they already performing the duties of combat soldiers, they couldn’t help but get the pay accorded combat duty. And if they’re not in combat, then I will ask, “Why should they get promoted to positions where they actually are in command of combat?”
“The real purpose here is to insulate the snowflake-fragile egos of men who cannot feel mighty unless a woman pretends — or is forced to pretend — that she’s weak.”
Once again, there’s that Progressive projection. Oof. Like a drive-in.
No one “needs” John McClane.
She just did the metaphor equivalent of “That’s not funny.” (And, coming from a woman who lives in a fantasy land, this is rich.)
He wants us to imagine straight male American soldiers are “honorable, powerful and deadly,”
No, he wants them to actually BE those things.
It’s like a little boy’s dream
What’s playing at the drive-in tonight, Amanda? Oy vey.
We also know that our military personnel desperately need a SecDef who gives a thought to the average grunts.
I more want a SecDef who gives a damn about winning wars, and not f*ing around with “limited victories” or “strategic stop” nonsense. If he gets on top of the procurement stupidity (of various flavors) and weeds out the non-war-winning leaders, he will be doing his job. If he can fire all the trannies and social experimenters, he won’t need to do much more for the average grunt.
it appears Hegseth couldn’t hack it in the Army, either
So, if you didn’t get promoted enough and got up-or-outed, you “couldn’t hack it,” Amanda? GFY
And this guy did 20. In a military that was starting to hate guys like him. So, he definitely hacked it.
SFC D says: GWB, I had a great comment spooling up in my head, but you said it first. So, I will simply say “Amen”. Amanda’s comment “He complained in his book that the Army “spit me out,” adding, “I didn’t want this Army anymore either. It is reminiscent of every guy who says “you’re not that hot” when a woman turns him down” tells me she has no concept of military service. I served 24 years and I completely understand when “Hegseth says he didn’t want this Army anymore”. By 2012, I no longer recognized the Army I enlisted in and had had enough. It’s common. She’s not qualified to comment on anything military related.
Scott says: Well, maybe some of the ” late night” establishments near military bases.. that counts doesn’t it?
Cameron says: Dear Bitter Cat Woman,
Women do not belong in combat roles. Their bodies are not able to take the strain that is asked of you in a combat arms field the way a man’s can. Biology is reality, River Tam and Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil are fiction and you need to grow up some day.
He has experience in the field and frankly, the fact no one in the defense industry knows him is considered a Good Thing.™
The lovely Miss Marcotte wrote, in he only reference to Mr Hegseth’s service:
While he’s oblique about the reasons, it appears Hegseth couldn’t hack it in the Army, either. He complained in his book that the Army “spit me out,” adding, “I didn’t want this Army anymore either.” It is reminiscent of every guy who says “you’re not that hot” when a woman turns him down.
He couldn’t hack it? Mr Hegseth was twice awarded the Army Commendation Medal, including one for his service in Iraq, the Bronze Star, and the Combat Infantryman Badge, something given only to infantrymen who are in actual armed combat.
It is true that some of the retired top officers didn’t like his nomination, but I’d point out here that the best equipped and most expensive military force in the world hasn’t, despite several opportunities, actually won a war since 1945. Perhaps, just perhaps, a man with military experience in actual combat might do a better job than all of those political poseurs in uniform with stars on their collars.
Jack says: This country had a Dept. of War up to 1945, then it was changed to the Dept of Defense.
I say that to point out that defense is not conducive to winning a war.
The UN, also, was created to prevent wars. How’s that working out. The US and our allies, due to politics, have not been allowed to win wars since Korea was fought to a standstill.
Tim says: Unusual to retire as a major after 20 years but don’t know the circumstances. Amanda is certainly not in anyplace to judge. Let’s see what the confirmation hearings turn up.
One of the problems in the military is that it does not well tolerate guys with minds of their own. Everyone is expected to get a firewalled Officer’s Effectiveness Report, that is, every mark at the highest level. That is because all the commands are competing with each other for promotions. So, if an officer upsets one of superiors, it takes very little for that superior to destroy his career. Sadly, that creates a system that encourages careerism.
Given what we have seen of Pete Hegseth, it is a cinch he has upset more than a few careerists in chain of command. The wonder is that he was still awarded two bronze stars. Somebody has to write you up for those. So, he also made some friends, probably some serious combats officers who managed to get promoted in spite of the system.
Edward Lunny says: Couple of things. One hopes ms. Marcotte never needs one of the men she denigrates to rescue her from impending unpleasantness. In light of her opinions about Mr. Hegseth and those like him there might be some hesitation about stepping in to assist her, maybe. And since Amanda has expressed her dislike of men in general, it’s fair to question how numerous her cat collection is.
GWB says: You mean she might be put in a position where she needs a John McClane?
Stephen C says: I question whether Amanda Marcotte has the requisite military background to pen an article about someone’s military background.
flippy223 says: Post-1945 Secretaries of Defense who had military ranks lower than Major Hegseth (or none at all) include:
Robert S. McNamara — Captain (U.S. Army Air Forces)
Les Aspin — No military service
William S. Cohen — No military service
Chuck Hagel — Sergeant (U.S. Army)
Ash Carter — No military service
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