A senior Pentagon official has been placed on leave after he was secretly filmed criticizing President Donald Trump's administration and the changes it has implemented at the Department of Defense.
Right-wing activist James O'Keefe released a video on Wednesday reportedly showing Brandon Newsom, a senior official in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, being filmed with a hidden camera. Newsweek has not independently verified the footage.
In the footage, Newsom can be heard saying that he wanted to "stay and stick it out" at the Pentagon, adding: "So that way, when the time comes, I can undo whatever's been done [by the Trump administration]." When asked about what he would undo, he talked of "a lot of times" when working at the Pentagon "challenges my morals," saying he would not have "one specific prayer service" and undo employee "schedule policy."
He also called Trump "a textbook narcissist" and described the Iran war as "completely stupid" and "driven by one man's ego."
Good to know there's still good people in the military (1 less now, but this show they're there).
52 Comments
Maeve@kbin.earth · 44 pts · 25d
I don't know that anyone who has participated in the murder and oppression of others to maintain business interests and dollar hegemony are exactly "good."
Oh, this guy again. Go figure.
Mirshe@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 25d
I appreciate his continual commitment to being a guy that needs to be hit with a brick. Really impressive work to be this much of a shitbag consistently.
credo@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 24d
But anyone participates by paying taxes. Let’s add “willingly” to your comment.
Then I can only guess this argument leads to everyone, who might even be swayed by a protest sign, quitting- and instead holding protest signs?
I think both are required. What’s your answer if not internal opposition?
Maeve@kbin.earth · 2 pts · 24d
Relativity is a thing.
Fredthefishlord@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 23d
Much of leftists are too quick to deny the feasibility of infiltration and take overs. That's why they're feverishly revolutionist. Which, isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's still good to recognize that spies on the inside are good
mrmaplebar@fedia.io · 33 pts · 25d
The right loves censorship.
Raiderkev@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 24d
I wonder who the cunt filming was, or if hegseth has bugged the offices looking for dissenters. Either way, it's fucked.
ikidd@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 23d
The cunt is James Okeefe, an extremely notorious cunt of the highest order. This is not his first blatant fuckery.
Adderbox76@lemmy.ca · 22 pts · 25d
Gotta look out for those telescreens, Winston.
Malyca@lemmy.zip · 19 pts · 24d
Reminds me of the Soviet Union and people selling out their neighbors. Must be a nightmare to work with these people.
anon_8675309@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 24d
I’m glad he was willing to stick it out. But I believe you need to be careful what you say and don’t trust anyone.
Malyca@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 24d
I just hope there's others
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 25d
“He insulted Hitler? Well what’d he think, he’d get a promotion?”
The story isn’t the guy at the Pentagon. Well, not that guy anyway.
SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 14 pts · 25d
F-F-F-F-FASCISM-ISM-ISM-ism-ism
FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 24d
We’re getting real close to some Kristallnacht bullshit and I sure wish the libs would shoot first
boaratio@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 24d
Cancel culture strikes back.
Jhex@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 25d
Not sure I would say that a person that is doing something they admit to know is/was wrong "good people"
HazardousBanjo@lemmy.world · 52 pts · 25d
I'm conflicted.
On one hand, I think people should leave their positions if they're being used for evil.
On the other hand, how do we adequately resist fascism without people on the inside at the highest levels willing to side against the fascists when the opportunity presents itself?
I'm not absolving this guy for anything he may have contributed to the fascist agenda, but having people on the inside to resist it is necessary. Few of those people will ever be squeaky clean.
Rhaedas@fedia.io · 11 pts · 25d
On the other other hand, hopefully when people like that leave an organization (military or a company in general) they take a knowledge base and experience with them, making things dumber and less efficient.
But I agree, I'd rather have a mole on the inside doing what good they can to block the march to evil.
impairedimperator@lemmy.zip · 11 pts · 25d
They do!
The knowledge base that is leaving are the people that understand that starting random wars is stupid.
SabinStargem@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 24d
I am hoping the people who leave, plan a war against Dogey America. Odds are that we will need to kill the Confederacy again.
Jhex@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 25d
If this person was doing that, then I would reconsider my opinion but it looks (from the post) that he was not resisting and just hoping to be around to clean some of the mess later...
The problem here is that his job is not making a bug free video game... his job is ultimately to kill people so I find it hard to accept it is OK for him to do that but just regret it a little and that means he is a good person
zarathustrad@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 25d
So, you prefer the timeline where all honest and good high ranking military either immediately resign in protest, or "resist" which will mean immediate termination and possible charges. Vs the one where they maintain position and stay ready to resit when it might matter?
Jhex@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 25d
Absolutely!... if the USA had staged a general strike, the child rapist regime would have ended in 3 months
If the "honest and good" military ranking had put a stop to this, literally THOUSANDS of lives would not have been wasted in vain.
These "honest and good" are not ready to resist... they are simply doing evil things while knowing they are evil things in hopes of what? are they going to rebuild Iran? are they going to the Caribbean to pay reparations for playing target practice with whatever boat they destroyed?
credo@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 24d
People that think the organization revolves around them are also narcissists. No. When they leave, the inevitable march will continue. The knowledge will be filled- if not now- later, by more fascists.
That’s effectively what this argument leads to. More fascists in the government.
Jhex@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 24d
if you have not noticed, an inevitable feature of these fascists is that they are incredibly mediocre… I rather see the military crumble under their ineptitude than help them along the way pretending to be "the good guy"
credo@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 24d
Right. So you genuinely think it will crumble if only those with upstanding morals leave.
Naive. Try reading a book, something outside your echo chamber pehaps
Jhex@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 24d
not just leave, oppose
Explain to me how do you oppose fascism by doing everything they want you to do but secretely not like it?
credo@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 24d
Again. You have zero idea what he (or anyone else) is or isn’t doing without your knowledge.
I’m finished discussing this with someone so thick headed.
Jhex@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 25d
Completely understandable
We are not just talking about "evil" here as in "following orders means this washing machine will not be as reliable as I could make it". In this case we are talking about extreme cases as in "following orders means humans will be slaughtered for no reason at all"
Is that what is happening? because what I read was that this person disagreed but followed orders anyway, and just the slightest criticism got him canned... how was he resisting fascism in any way?
Again, I agree but where is the evidence of ANY resistance?
zarathustrad@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 25d
Well, the act of criticism is grounds for immediate dismissal.
So what specific resistance are you looking for? That would not simply be the same as walking away, only with added steps and possible retaliation?
Jhex@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 25d
They should have literally voiced their concern and refused to follow illegal commands
You cannot pretend to be a good person when you do evil things, knowing they are evil, simply because you want to save your own status...
Talaraine@fedia.io · 12 pts · 25d
Not gonna downvote you because that is my immediate gut reaction too. But Trump is actively trying to purge anyone who isn't a fascist bootlicker, and if that happens Trump can literally do anything.
I'm a black/white kind of person and I really struggle with this, but am trying to keep a broader perspective.
Jhex@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 25d
I believe the orange child rapist has already achieved this... what is he not allowed to do?
I understand the concept of what you are saying but this individual was not resisting at all, just begrudgingly doing what his fascist bosses told him to. He was helping fascism just as much as the bootlickers (probably more because those bootlickers tend to be incredibly inept)
Maeve@kbin.earth · 1 pts · 25d
Life ain't black and white, and it's extremely callow to expect it.
credo@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 24d
You have a very naive black-and-white view of the world. I guess that Schindler guy was bad too, huh?
Jhex@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 24d
Schindler was actively cheating the Nazis, this guy is apparently just waiting out the storm…
Show me what "good" this guy has done and we'll talk…
credo@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 24d
How the fuck would you or I know? Did Schindler post his actions somewhere?
FFS. Think.
Jhex@lemmy.world · -2 pts · 24d
LOL this is such an American response… I'll let you in on a little secret: such knowledge is hidden inside obscure devices called Books
credo@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 24d
After the fact. Not DURING
Jhex@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 24d
ok, tell me how america will fix the 180 little girls slaughtered in the first salvo in Iran? of the 200+ people America executed in the Caribbean?
My comcent here is not universal to all in the same situation… a librarian forced to hide good books and showcase Mein Kampf can absolutely hold and fix things when the opportunity arises… the military cannot
Fredthefishlord@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 0 pts · 23d
We can't fix those, but we can fix the damage we've done to our and other democracies, and they can fix the ruleset for the future to assure it doesn't happen again. Lives can't be brought back but we can take one step closer to a permanent peace
anon_8675309@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 24d
“American response “. Let’s analyze your country…
Jhex@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 24d
why? so you can pretend there is nothing to be fixed in yours until America is literally the worst of the worst?
anon_8675309@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 23d
No, so you can stop acting like yours is any better and that you’re doing anything at all to fix it.
zarathustrad@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 25d
Draining the swamp, of the beneficial species, so they can continue to infest it with slime.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 24d
This is what this country needs. But, they need to keep their mouths shut. Maybe this will remind those remaining to do so.
Doomsider@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 25d
They should have promoted him.
Egret@lemmus.org · 5 pts · 24d
Perfect opportunity to claim it is AI
altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com · -1 pts · 25d
We blame politicians all the time for both just leaving their position or still being a part of it, there is no win on just morals before there's some result. And if this person was genuine about being an insider in the nazi bar, he could've learnt how to stay there undetected. Now we are presented with evidence conflicting his story of being secretly a good guy because the good guy part never happened and what we have is a retired official who did get along with what was happening before he got dumped and started to tell unconvicning stories. What he'd do now is the question, and I doubt he'd do anything, but it could be funny if he could leak some another damning info of how the second Iran war goes as he had access to real data.