FWIW, I totally agree with you Ward. You're closing statement was spot on. He absolutely should have submitted his resignation. You don't get the privilege of writing a resignation, not submitting it, then acting like it's what you sincerely believed, two years later.
Milley gives his real reasoning at the end of his unsubmitted resignation letter. He stayed in office to exert political influence, thereby abrogating his oath of office. He called a political leader of and enemy nation to promise he wouldn't do his job, arguably committing treason (offering aid and comfort to that enemy). Since he hasn't been charged, the arguments are all academic. Ward - good analysis and presentation.
To be brief. If a commissioned officer of the armed forces, finds themselves to the point where they have to WRITE a resignation letter, you already resigned in your heart. Hanging in to it doesn't help.
@thanosperl5451 there is no argument to be had. You can resign because you suck, or because your boss sucks or because you both suck. The point is if you made it to the point where you typed up your letter you already "rung the bell". Hanging on to it only makes things worse. Go back and read what I actually typed and don't read into it what you want.
I just read "Operation Pineapple Express" about the largely civilian led effort to get our Afghan allies and their families out of Kabul. Granted it was just one interaction, but the author did not paint Milley in a flattering light.
Milley's guiding principle was always "do nothing, dodge responsibility." His conduct regarding the withdrawal was criminal and shows his true colors but they were always there. It shocks me to this day that he was made CJCS.
General Milley acted in what he believed were in the best interests of the United States and the world order. I truly hope there are others around with spines who will do what's best for American in a legal mannor.
“I want to understand white rage. And I’m white” Mark Milley - June 2021 congressional testimony. That comment told me everything I needed to know about Milley.
No, like all generals, he is a careerist politician, with no core values other than his career advancement, how smart he allegedly is depends wholly on your personal political outlook.
@@xiaokaHe was so smart that he's going to end up spending his retirement at Forth Leavenworth. It's beyond obvious he's guilty of sedition under the UCMJ, solely from the fact that he intentionally usurped authority from the duly elected President of the United States and formed a cabal of sympathetic officers and bureaucrats to follow his orders alone. It doesn't even matter what you believe politically. You don't keep the military politically neutral by picking a side politically and usurping authority that you simply don't have.
@@xiaokaHe's so smart that he's going to end up spending his retirement at Fort Leavenworth. It doesn't matter your political beliefs, it's beyond obvious that he's guilty of Article 94 under the UCMJ. He had zero authority to usurp the civilian chain of command, nor did he have any authority to contact other nations and warn them of what might happen, nor did he have any authority to create a cabal of like minded officers and bureaucrats in order to carry out his usurpation of civilian authority. It's beyond ironic that if you actually care about defending democracy and upholding not just the Constitution of the United States but the civilian control of the military and successful transfer of power to a successor administration then you'd agree that there is simply no other option than to charge Milley under Article 94. This simply cannot be allowed to happen without consequence, otherwise we'll eventually have another General or group of officers and bureaucrats who will use this episode as justification for usurping control of the United States military. Next time it might not be a politically compromised doofus that was worried about sucking up to the political party coming into power. Next time, it might just be some General who thinks the political gridlock in Washington is undermining the foundation of the United States and decides they have to take action.
Really? Right now every one deflects irresponsibly regarding the growing problem of rank and file narcissism growing in the military, including the pink activism of certain intel officers for Hamas. Miley showed zero leadership with PC glasses of eveyone is "red white and blue. ."
@@sfertonoc Really? "PC" glasses? I bet you I know a big, huge, scary U.S. Army Ranger who is gay that would wipe your ass with your face. Just saying.
Sorry, I was more concerned about my post and forgot to tell you how much I appreciate your presentations here. There is no BS, just the facts presented in a straightforward manner. Please continue your work.
In 1983 Stanislav Petrov of the USSR single-handedly prevented all out nuclear war when he perceived an incoming missle signal to be incorrect and refused to relay the report to his superiors. He was, by definition, out of line in doing so. But if you have anyone at all in your life that you appreciate not being dead, Stanislov is the "traitor" who made that possible.
....and Milley's actions are in no way similar to that, whatsoever. By doing what he did, he INCREASED the threat of a nuclear attack on the United States, not decreased. He decided unilaterally that he no longer agreed with nuclear deterrence and felt empowered to give China the go-ahead on a decapitating strike, should they feel so inclined.
@@hunters215not only is Generals doing the exact same esclation control, it's policy dictated in his role going back to Reagan ya fool! It long been a US eclation control policy one hard won diplomatically with eastern bloc to have these cross communications not just between heads of state over the red phone but between theater and service commanders for just this kinda reassurances. US would warn them if they were attacking with all kinds of ultimantives just like most all US war have started.
The American military has always been politicized, especially from the top. When you retire, you work for a company like Lockheed Martin or others called by President Eisenhower the military-industrial complex. War is a business (or a racket), and if it can be manipulated to make profits, so much the better. One last word: nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it say that all Men are created equal; those words are in the Declaration of Independence. An old Anchor Klanker (Navy) I have to say that the military is not looking at his own existence from profound historical perspective. It has inadvertently wandered into the dark woods (the right road lost).
Milley simultaneously says generals shouldn’t figure out what orders they should accept or not, but also says he will call the Chinese before an attack…
I think it's actually wise. War isn't just about destroying the enemy. You also have to do it in a way that makes people trust you. Or you'll have to fight everyone. There's loopholes to the rule about telling your enemy you're about to attack. Like you can give them one hour warning which isn't nearly enough time to prepare.
Miley's first mistake was taking the job. His second mistake was contacting a percieved enemy commander promising a heads up on an attack. His third mistake was writing a letter of resignation and not following through on it. Many mistakes.
@@MrJdsenior The military left Afghanistan in the most cost saving way possible according to General Milley. I bet many here have not seen a dictatorship from behind the curtain here in the US for the last 4 years.
Mistakes two and three were to ensure there was no mistake concerning nuclear weapons and safe guard the consitution and protect democracy. As mistakes go these are better than most
Being an OG (last on active duty in early 90s), I do not reckon I would get along with most of todays high ranking officers. They have accepted DEI (celebration of differences) instead of putting aside differences and uniting around God, Family, Country. Now our military is mostly Godless, as is our country - lets see how that works out in a major war. In the big picture we can easily see that we have forsaken God & very, very few will find the narrow path that leads to heaven. Although there are some very good men & women in the service, I see very little integrity or Fear of The Lord in today's military, and I discourage everyone who asks me from entering the military.
You say "There is no 4th option". Well yes, there is. If he resigns, someone less trustworthy to the constitution would have replaced him. So, he stayed in the role, to serve as whatever safeguard on democracy there might be within the position. And the world was a better place for it.
My feeling is General Milley accepted a position as an Advisor. He was there to advise not make the final decisions. If he was unable or unwilling to fulfill his job requirements he should have resigned. Yet he chose to call China and align with Pelosi. He crossed a line he should not have crossed.
It's simply ridiculous and insulting to speak of Milley as a traitor. More importantly, since the incoming president is intentionally packing his cabinet with loyalists, he will have little issue in finding someone to carry out any order that he gives, including nuclear strike - if it ever came to that. Is that what people really want? A frivolous nuclear strike against men, women and chldren? He has clearly stated he wants ultimate power and knows how to get it, based on his cabinet choices during his last presidency that did not result in him obtaining limitless power over our nation, thanks to American Patriots like Milley. His choices this time around may be more inclined to follow him blindly. Look out Putin.
I recall General Miley talking to members of congress about his desire to understand white privilege and white rage. His comments were just weeks prior to the Afghanistan withdrawal. Miley should have focused his attention to the Taliban instead of “ whiteness”.
Well, the question was literally about CRT, so his answer was at least on topic. I do disagree with his assertion though, saying that the military is an academy and we should learn things regardless of whether they are good or bad. He cited that he read the communist manifesto and that does not make him a communist, but there is a crucial distinction. We don't teach the communist manifesto as the gospel truth, but CRT would be taught as the truth and implemented as such; if we implemented communist ideals then people would be equally outraged. This is my first seeing of Milley and I don't think I agree with the video creator's opinion
@@neelakiller I always seek knowledge from the smartest people in the room. “I want to understand white rage. And I am white.” Mark Milley - congressional testimony - June 2021 What is Milley’s “mindset?” What is “silly” about focusing on the Afghan withdrawal, as opposed to CRT & DEI? Being able to judge an idea as being “vague” presupposes you know everything about the idea. Please, share your knowledge.
No, no it's not. Not when the president is an unstable lunatic who can make decisions that are counter to the preservation of our democracy and our constitution. It is in fact the top military commander's job to be the voice of opposition when the commander-in-chief is deemed unstable. Telling the Chinese not to overreact should that president engage some erratic action is The right thing to do it would only be treasonous if he betrayed specific operational plans to the adversary which he did not.
To be fair, it is just a little naughty. A lot of liaison work is done at the field level when you are working near allied or neutral armies and none of that ever goes through the president. I did some of that myself with officers from other nations in complex scenarios. It is not treason. Just making sure people don't start a shooting war because of a misunderstanding.
@@gabriellamar2683 It absolutely is. this isn't an act of a standard routine liaison. This is him reaching out and explicitly telling china that if the president of the united states, for whatever reason, made a decision to attack, he would warn them in advance and they wouldn't be surprised. that is admitting he would commit treason.
And thus provide a space for the very danger that he saw to our nation being able to complete its will. No, you don't resign. You stay in power, protect the nation and then you take the consequences afterwards. That's what he did and that was the right thing to do. He said it many times. We the military does not take an oath to a president or a or a king. It's to the Constitution and if the president moves in such a way as if he is in violation of that Constitution, it is the obligation of those generals to oppose the will of that President. That's by design. All you guys saying that he's a traitor are just mad that he refused to be a complete puppet to this lunatic that he had as his commander-in-chief.
I have written resignation letters as therapy, I suspect I’m not the only one, but nobody else would see them unless I was in fact planning on not showing up. And I never shared it with anyone other than my boss, why would he share it with others if not to elicit some type of reaction. There’s a scene in Stargate SG-1 where General O’Neill is writing his letter of resignation to General Hammond, the entire episode is focused around that. Then, at the end, he types “never mind” and the letter sits there never to be sent or shown to anyone but us as the onlookers. I swear I’ve done that exact thing.
Milley raised some very valid points, but he was unable to communicate them with the president whose mind seemed closed to his valid reasoning. Milley did not have the trust of the president and should have resigned.
"There´s not a snowball´s change in hell that this president or any president can launch nuclear weapons (...)" And yet, Americans are scared of nukes. How cute is that.
The term "treason" is routinely abused in speech. It turns out this crime of "treason" is odd in the sense that it is actually DEFINED in the United States Constitution. It's the ONLY crime so defined. It's in Article III, section 3 (the Constitution is separated into Articles, with the third being around Justice system). In the definition it says this crime shall "only" consist of. . .then it goes on to further narrow that it must be warring against USA or providing aid / comfort to those who are enemies (i.e. warring). Also two witnesses to the overt act, or admission in open court is required. Why the severe narrowing of this well known crime? Because the founders had faced "treason" crime charges by the England of George III. They wanted this crime to be extremely narrow, with this high crime being ONLY for those truly working at war against USA. All other similar traitorous actions fall under other criminal code. It's overly common for office holders to ABUSE their office by violating what the law actually says they should do within their role, so that "malfeasance" is a crime.
Is this not directly "providing comfort to those who are enemies"? I see you put (warring), but that isn't what it says so I think you recognize that it is at least very close to treason if the only difference is that we are not directly at war with them, not that we are on such great terms
I don't think calling him to reassure him is necessarily bad but saying that they'll get a heads-up if an attack is imminent, I don't see any way of painting that in a way that isn't treasonous.
Milley's assurance to our enemy that he would inform them of...well...whatever is the very definition of giving them aid and comfort. Our military is not authorized to conduct diplomacy. They are not authorized to maintain relationships with our enemies and broker deals or work back channels unless they are specifically designated to do so. Milley's behavior is the EXEMPLAR of treasonous conduct.
Ward, your information was on point and helpful, but your delivery was not unbiased. I have two observations: I respect Gen Milley's career and service, but the last few years were unbecoming. He undermined a CIC and waded into a culture war. In my admittedly anecdotal experience, officers tend to support Gen Milley, and enlisted folks tend to dislike him.
Enlisted man here, served under his leadership when he was DCOMM in Afghanistan. Disliked him intensely since then and his conduct testifying before congress and refusing to take responsibility was reprehensible.
In 1974 I was an captain, intelligence officer in the National Military Command Center during the final days of Nixon’s final days in the White House. All the officers around me had discussions of what we would do if Nixon issued orders thru the NMCC to attempt to stay in power. We all decided that we would do anything in our power to attempt to stop that from happening, whatever the consequences. I often reflected upon that during and after my 25 years in the military.
That was a mutinous act. Nixon resigned of his own free will and could have continued to serve many more months and possibly survived an impeachment. The President is the President until he is not the President anymore.
Felt compelled to sign in and leave a comment after being dismayed at others left by fellow viewers asserting that there is some kind of political take or spin inherent in your video. Did not perceive that at all and am left wondering what it was they were smoking. As someone who laments the state of new media and journalism today, with its editorial and sensationalist slants, I wanted to say, "Thank you" and "Keep up the good work". I can't imagine it's easy to put the time and effort into videos about these kinds of complex but important ethical issues playing out at the highest levels of our political and military establishments, only to be greeted with accusations of bias and other nonsense in the comments. I'm sure it takes a bit of a psychological toll, so please remember there are those of us out there for whom your efforts are still highly appreciated.
I absolutely agree!! Ward is doing our country an enormous service by doing the most balanced, objective reporting i have seen in a VERY long time... if ever!
This former Naval officer is doing what he does best...Being disingenuous. What he puts here and on his "X" feed aren't not coincident. He's a big time leftist, but hides under the auspices of being a "former" Naval officer, which gives him ( or what he believes credibility ). Heaven forbid that he jeopardize his TY cash cow. And, let's see him explain all these "purges" under the PHONY banner of "loss of confidence to command" BS...
Although I’m no fan of Milley, regardless of DJT, he should’ve resigned and moved on. His conduct afterwards is unbecoming, but not treasonous, time will tell whether or not he faces charges. Thank you for your journalistic integrity in making this video, definitely lessons to be learned from this
Ward, was this conversation on Air Force One between the President and General Milley recorded and or transcribed or is this second hand information that cannot be corroborated?
Ward, I went through LO school in Newport a long time ago. One of the instructors said about unlawful orders; if you do not follow an order because you believe it is unlawful you will still pay a steep price for that decision. You will be arrested and charged under the UCMJ. If your lucky the Article 32 investigation will show the order was unlawful but don't bet the farm on it. Good walkthrough on this Mooch. BZ
Very well done. I'm no fan of Milley, but did not have all of the facts that you laid out in this video. Takes a lot of guts to tackle such a sensitive subject, especially given the largely conservative base of your viewership.
These are not facts, this is a revisionist retelling. He's using quotes that are completely unsubstantiated from third party claims with no documentation, which is no better than the left mainstream media.
Very informative, but the General was way out of line circumventing a sitting president by taking that call from The Speaker of the House then calling the Chinese.
@jacquesstrapp3219 actually both the US and Russians as well as the British have high level officers who are in positions of strategic importance that have open lines to the other side to make sure accidents don't happen so absolutely it is a part of his job. Open a book, learn history.
@@mrgrinch837 I served in USAREUR during the height of the Cold War. We did indeed have lines of communication to our Warsaw Pact counterparts, but we were strictly limited in what we could say. Milley crossed several lines in that conversation that would have got us court martialed. BTW, I have over 2000 history books in my personal library. Don't assume everyone on the internet has as little knowledge as you do.
2 часа назад
Bullshit! Generals are subordinate to civilians PERIOD! I know you want the military to run the show, but you’ll have to move to somewhere else for that…
Easy to judge a man from the sidelines. Milley was faced with awful, unprecedented choices. So Ward, knowing what Milley knew, you would have risked nuclear miscalculation and war? This is not a philosophical argument. It is an existential one.
@@ghoffmann821 Have you? I can't find an extenuating circumstance for any of these pieces of shit. They were prosecuted and convicted because they went so far beyond any norms that even the pentagon realized they needed to make an example
@@BC-tp8ep I would probably disagree with Trump's decisions on those cases, but the law gives the POTUS the authority to offer pardon or clemency. The law doesn't say or imply this must be used to correct mistakes of the trial court for innocent people.
Gen Miley turned political as soon as he listened to someone to stay in the position to counter the President. He should have immediately submitted the resignation to the President, not the press, and let the politicians deal with his accusations. Calling China was not in his preview or position. Treason or not, it was wrong. As a result, I believe he was not honorable. He could have raised his objection to the action of the president outside of the Military.
@@derek45auto23 You understand he was concerned that they would launch a preemptive nuclear strike if they thought our nuclear command and control authority had collapsed?
@@SeanRagan That's an absurd excuse, no one will ever use nukes unless they are suicidal, everyone knows it means the end of everything so they're not even a conversation IDK why people actually think any nation would launch a nuke, it's guaranteed death for them & everyone in their country, even if they destroyed the US first the subs would destroy them it's a non point the nuke conversation is a joke, how many red lines has NATO crossed that Putin said he would use them?
@CrispyBakedPotato the constitution doesn't provide for that you don't like the boss you quit... Oh and if you're going after the king don't miss..... The losers are trying to get ahead of the coming reconing... Doesn't help that this is all coming from sides who weren't right leaning....
White rage is the problem? What a joke of a General. Have you people seen what service member, in uniform, are posting on tik tok these days? It’s a clown show. The General didn’t do a thing about this behavior.
Gen. Milley is a walking advertisement for a politicized general officer. Could you conceive of a General George Marshall or a Adm. Ernest King acting in this way? Of course not. But can you imagine a Douglas MacArthur acting in this fashion? Absolutely. MacArthur was a politician first and a general second. And a lousy general at that. I would not be surprised if Gen. Milley used Dugout Doug as a role model. He's caused enough damage. Let him molder in retirement rather than bringing this all up again.
The correct thing to do if you dont agree with the way the POTUS is taking the country in this context is resign your commission, not what he did. What he did is just wrong.
@@benjaminperez7328 Dude, it was sedition, and he was openly admitting he would commit treason if an order by the president was given, so there is absolute reasonable positions for people saying it's a treasonous behavior. Especially if you consider the fact we're in a potential cold war with china, which many claim.
@@benjaminperez7328 couldn't have said it better myself. People trying to avoid the wrongness of the situation to treason treason to justify their own biases against Milliy.
The best antidote against dictatorship is the respect of institutions. And Democracy dies when personalities override the institutions. The USA never had to cope w a dictatorship (as some other countries had) in his History, so the signs, the simptomes are not easelly recognised by the American people (as they migth be in other countries). The USA are the first modern nation to pledge to obey a Consitution. Never forget it! Goodspeed to all
Don't worry, he is going to attempt to rewrite it, as he has stated multiple times. The 'don't worry' was sarcastic, obviously, as we should all be worried as hell.
Valid point and important to note that Americans have spent the last hundred years convincing themselves of their own unquestionable exceptionalism. As a result they've blindly walked themselves into voting for a demagogue and dictator, ironically because they believe that he couldn't possibly be either, because if he was then Americans wouldn't have voted for him
"Peaseful Protest" and "January sixth Insurrection" ? WOW ! I respectfully disagree Ward. Milley should never have taken the job. He should have submitted LOR thirty minutes after he wrote it. As a USAF Retired officer (1994) I am sickened at the state of our military. Apparently skin color and gender/gender trans count more than merit. So very very sad.
Dangerous waters you sailed into today, in terms of potentially polarizing your RUclips audience. I think you did an admirable job of a balanced presentation and I commend you for tackling such a thorny issue. I bet this video was stressful to create and produce, and I bet people on both sides will be upset with you. You deserve something fluffy and fun for your next video, like "Could the F-14 really have stopped all those Backfire bombers back in 86?" Keep up the good work.
"Without a doubt"? Have you researched the actions of all the other Chairmen of the JCS in your lifetime? I'm guessing that you probably have not. What you can reasonably be sure of is that none of GEN Milley's predecessors in your lifetime were put in the position that he was. FTR, I think that GEN MIlley should have handed in that resignation letter.
A good read for many of you watching would be "Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam" by H. R. McMaster.
Remarkably sane take of a remarkably insane sequence of events. I feel more serious enforcement by the Mayor of D.C. with traditional police forces to subside the riots would've been the prudent thing to do, and could've prevented the sequence you've outlined altogether....that notwithstanding, there's no such thing as a perfect take for this story but I think you came as close as possible. Best regards.
If he thought what he was doing was correct, then he should have admitted to it immediately and let the chips fall where they may. Since he chose to hide his actions from the President, he has shown that he knew it was wrong.
There is a fourth option. Milley demonstrated: act in opposition to the President, go on media tour to justify the act and never resign because you get another chance to be political to prove you are righteous.
Good point. MacArthur spoke up against Truman's policies in Korea and got fired for it. It led the way for Eisenhower to win election and the war was prosecuted to an end and the world did not get destroyed by nukes. So, ultimately, it worked out right.
Right or wrong, it is to the credit of America and the US Military that they produce officers and men with a conscience, not yes-men afraid for their lives and careers. Quality is also demonstrated by yourself, Ward, in the straight-talking clarity of your briefings. Thank you from across the pond.
@@K_GHOST225 I would agree that too many officers in all branches are yes-men. It isn't a pre-requisite to a commission but it is a big help for advancement. In peacetime it's almost impossible to achieve flag rank without passing a popularity contest among all senior flag officers -- remember how much trouble Lincoln had in finding competent flag officers. But it is also true that most officers and others in the military are conscientious and self-sacrificing, especially when they are younger.
Look it doesn't matter what the political situation is. If he disobeyed a lawful order from the president of the United States he must be legally liable.
Yeah, like in WW2 when the Germans and Japanese accused of war crimes said they were just following orders. They got death sentences or prison terms because that's not an excuse.
So what you are telling me if any President is unstable and decides to start a nuclear war no one can stop him. I thought our law was they had to fire first or is that just a policy. Whether you love him or hate him, do you really think he should be in charge of nuclear weapons. This is not a political thing, I just want a world where my children and grandchildren will live.
Thank you Ward. Who would now envy the position of the Senior Military Ranks in the USA? It seems 'the weaver" of a tangled web is still at work. May the four, probably fragile, years before us pass in a sensible peace...
@@bobkoroua sorry your hurt - It's just a question. Your reaction says alot about sharing thoughts and having conversations. Well at least , the "right" conversations. This was not a political response by me, just a question... I hope u have a better day.
@griffinarcher2911 I do, because I got an education when an education was substantial. (Ie of substance, by this I mean to let you know that yours was obviously sub standard) The correct grammar for a list is as follows. Rules for stand-alone lists: Use a heading, not a lead-in. >Start each list item with a capital letter.< Don't add full stops to the end of any of the list items (even the last item). Indent each list item if it helps people scan the content. I guess you would expect his secretary to understand grammar better than you do. When you find yourself questioning something so important to you you should look into it.
Unfortunately, retired general/admirals have politicized the military long before then by endorsing presidential candidates of both parties, which in my opinion they should not do.
A resignation letter should be three lines long. What he wrote is a book preface. I met him twice when he commanded FORSCOM. I don’t know anyone who misses him.
I was unhappy with both choices we had in 2024. But, anyone who says that a former POW is a loser, they don’t deserve to sit in the Oval Office . That person was defending the freedom of everyone , and if you feel that a former POW is a looser, well ….It’s as simple as that.
@@nickdial8528 Excuse me but djt did call McCain a loser after the 2008 presidential election and he said "He's not a war hero. He's a war hero because he was captured" Big joke! Really funny!
@@tomd.43 Yeah, and where in that quote is a word "loser"? Just because you don't like what he said, doesn't mean you get to start inventing words he never used. I pointed out, that is not the word he used, which is correct, and you want to sit here and argue about it. I never said it was a good joke or a classy joke.I simply pointed out that you were factually incorrect.
@@nickdial8528you twist and contort to justify your support of orange fascism in any way you can. We reject you and your inexplicable support for an abhorrent, incompetent “leader.”
The DC police DID NOT clear Lafayette Square. This was done by a mix of fed agents. The DC police DID come to the aid of the Cap police when, mysteriously, no one else was doing it.
Should have resigned. I believe, under the same circumstances WW II Army Chief of Staff, George Marshall would have. But in this old man's opinion I believe we had better Generals back then.
Families members of Trumps hand picked cabinet were being threatened and they were told not to talk about it. Something the legacy media never thought worth reporting
The go-to-guy for Chairman of the Joint Chief at that time was USAF Chief of Staff, Gen David “Fingers” Goldfein. Fingers was the youngest four star in the military and it was the Air Force’s turn to fill the Chairman’s role. He was the clear choice. The problem was Dave is a typical fighter pilot standing less than average height. Fingers didn’t fill Trump’s central casting image of a general officer. Dave was also Jewish, but I honestly believe his religion had less to do with his passover than his physical stature.
I still pray that one day the people of this nation will be given highly intelligent stable minded persons to vote for. I can't support any of the recent fools, some dangerous, that we have been told we can vote for.
didnt this general tell the press that a drone strike on a innocent man and his children in the last days of the afganhistan war a good job and stopped a attack on the airport before the truth finally came out and he couldnt deny anymore a drone strike that nobody has ever been held to account for
Milley is the most political military officer I have seen. Even the few clips here show it to be worse than I thought. He has had to twist his reasoning to not resign. That "letter" was a smear worthy of the most unscrupulous politician. There must have been more to the conversation about transgender with respect to military, as the issue is a lot more than a question of who sleeps with who. Would a description of some of the conduct be "insubordination" rather than treason? As for the phone call in question, is the promise to commit treason the same as treason?
"That's another fine mess you've gotten us into." Laurel & Hardy, if I recall correctly. This election was tough. Do I vote for Laurel, or do I vote for Hardy? ...or I could vote for Curly...🤔 Thanks. I appreciate the deeper insight.
The trouble with all of this, is that whichever side you lean toward, whichever person you want to point at as being at fault, the same is true today as it was 90 some years ago in Europe. One man may be the focal point, but in reality he is not the cause, he is a symptom or sign of the state of the population. At the end of the day, as much as we don't want it to be true, we are all just along for the ride - can't even tell you to bother to buckle-up, in the end, nobody's getting out of this world alive.
You just had to say that, huh? Now I am even more depressed, because I cannot fault anything you said. But seriously, do we have to have one of the WORST of them at the helm? There used to be this thing known as a 'happy medium', and not the kind with crystal balls.
It's funny how people want to charge Milley with treason while forgetting January 6th and electing its ring leader. It's all fun and games until Project 2025 kicks in.
I can only comment by people who think the general was out of line know nothing about US military structure. It's his job as I'm pretty sure it's not the Presidents job to try to overthrow an election. But what do I know, I'm just a retired military officer.
@davidsakal449 the problem here is rather than believing in officer who's been in the military for greater than 30 years and has the utmost integrity, many people in this country seem to want to believe a man who has been on trial and found guilty of 34 counts of fraud. You know, fraud which means he lies. This is upside down world.
Flag officer, company grade or field grade? Contacting an opposing flag officer without presidential authorization IS an Article 32 level infraction; this is from one of my uncles who IS a retired U.S. Navy officer.
Don’t know much about flag officers, do you? I hate to interject REALITY into your screed, but until you are SENTENCED you are NOT convicted of anything. You know even less about the law than you do flag officers.
Ward, thank you for reporting on this, as well as providing your opinions and insight. Question for the vets/military folks out there: if Gen. Milley can be considered among the 'best'/pinnacle of US military's senior officers, evidenced by him serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is it fair to say that most of the US Military's senior officer corps were/are 'worse' than Milley? Specifically, in terms of experience, intelligence, judgment, leadership, integrity, capability, etc.? If this is the top of the cohort, then how bad does it get in the O-ranks? How long do folks in the military's officer corps expect to maintain this level of performance, and what do they think will happen to them, and the US military as a whole, in the future?
Having spent over 20 years as a Green Beret, I can assure you there are many retired and seving Green Berets who like me, believe General Milley is a traitor, and many have called for him to be prosecuted and his Special Forces tab to be revoked. He is a disgrace as an officer and Green Beret.
damn i guess it's good you can't make the decisions, then huh? as a super important, totally real special forces guy myself, you can trust what i say. i won't provide proof, you look it up.
Wouldn't Trump's refusal to concede the election with zero evidence that the election had been stolen, and his riot he sent against the Capitol on Jan. 6th, a complete violation of his Presidential Oath to protect and defend the Constitution, be treasonous?
but you would support the orange man who disparages the us military? someone who ducked being conscipted so he could party with his friends wives i could go on
This is my first time hearing of this, and I am certain Ward is being biased. There were no points against Milley whereas in an unbiased video I am sure there would be evidence that supports opposition. Also, the reading of the resignation letter rather than just mentioning it shows not only where Milley was biased, but where Ward could not identify his own bias
IMHO Ward is biased but followed thru with a fairly accurate analysis. Miley on the other hand is very left wing and has TDS and a huge ego. Many Presidents and senior brass have disagreed and hated each other. Miley stepped way over the line.
@@scottpepmiller115 Which assumptions? From what I read in these comments there were things that were equally as relevant to this person such as some strange comments about white rage, seems about as important as the contents of the resignation letter. Was there any part of this video that has evidence from the opposing side of this?
I have no problem with them cleaning house of the flag ranks. Having worked with them I lost all faith in command. It is a political realm and the goal is a fat contract sitting on the board of defense contractors. We all know it but most are afraid to talk about it. Liely just was the pinnacle of that pack.
@@yhfsywfit Hoping they raise actual soldiers up over the current ones. Truthfully though it is all theater. People thinking there is right and left just don't see the big picture. 60 years and nothing ever changes. Have to be dumb to think anything will actually change.
In virtually any situation where a rogue president might unilaterally order a nuclear attack without a rock solid justification, the order to launch the attack would be an illegal order because it would outrageously violate the Constitution's provision that puts power to declare war in the hands of Congress. There are a lot of things presidents can do based on informal understandings regarding under what conditions Congress has agreed that it makes sense to allow presidents to use military force without a declaration of war. But nuclear weapons are qualitatively different from conventional weapons in a way that makes it nonsensical to argue that their use in a context other than a declared war without explicit authorization from Congress can be justified in situations where there is a reasonable opportunity to seek congressional approval.
No it’s not. The apolitical nature of the German army allowed it to fail to protect the country from you know what. We cannot allow the current orange man fascism to succeed.
As a military veteran I feel he was a traitor and should be prosecuted under the ucmj
Good luck finding a group of four star generals who agree with you.
FWIW, I totally agree with you Ward. You're closing statement was spot on. He absolutely should have submitted his resignation. You don't get the privilege of writing a resignation, not submitting it, then acting like it's what you sincerely believed, two years later.
Concur.
Milley should be charged…
Milley gives his real reasoning at the end of his unsubmitted resignation letter. He stayed in office to exert political influence, thereby abrogating his oath of office. He called a political leader of and enemy nation to promise he wouldn't do his job, arguably committing treason (offering aid and comfort to that enemy). Since he hasn't been charged, the arguments are all academic.
Ward - good analysis and presentation.
To be brief. If a commissioned officer of the armed forces, finds themselves to the point where they have to WRITE a resignation letter, you already resigned in your heart. Hanging in to it doesn't help.
Typical generalization and false equivalency argument. Don't blame me...look at them!
@thanosperl5451 there is no argument to be had. You can resign because you suck, or because your boss sucks or because you both suck. The point is if you made it to the point where you typed up your letter you already "rung the bell". Hanging on to it only makes things worse. Go back and read what I actually typed and don't read into it what you want.
I just read "Operation Pineapple Express" about the largely civilian led effort to get our Afghan allies and their families out of Kabul. Granted it was just one interaction, but the author did not paint Milley in a flattering light.
Milley's guiding principle was always "do nothing, dodge responsibility." His conduct regarding the withdrawal was criminal and shows his true colors but they were always there. It shocks me to this day that he was made CJCS.
That whole thing was so over-hyped. Want to be social media influencers mostly scamming donation money
The evacuation lan was NEVER to abandon the airbase at Bagram much like we still have "vial interests in Syria under rocket attack these days
General Milley acted in what he believed were in the best interests of the United States and the world order.
I truly hope there are others around with spines who will do what's best for American in a legal mannor.
@@larrylazar8357 General Milley acted in what he believed were in the best interests of his own political interests. [Fixed it for ya.]
For someone who wanted to avoid politicizing the military, Milley's resignation letter had plenty of key political and polarizing elements.
Concerns about the ability of the elected commander and chief's suitability to perform his duty is not inherently a political stance.
“I want to understand white rage. And I’m white”
Mark Milley - June 2021 congressional testimony.
That comment told me everything I needed to know about Milley.
That he’s smarter than you? 😂
No, like all generals, he is a careerist politician, with no core values other than his career advancement, how smart he allegedly is depends wholly on your personal political outlook.
@@xiaoka Everyone is smarter than me…
Semper geras subligacula munda
Fly Navy
@@xiaokaHe was so smart that he's going to end up spending his retirement at Forth Leavenworth. It's beyond obvious he's guilty of sedition under the UCMJ, solely from the fact that he intentionally usurped authority from the duly elected President of the United States and formed a cabal of sympathetic officers and bureaucrats to follow his orders alone. It doesn't even matter what you believe politically. You don't keep the military politically neutral by picking a side politically and usurping authority that you simply don't have.
@@xiaokaHe's so smart that he's going to end up spending his retirement at Fort Leavenworth. It doesn't matter your political beliefs, it's beyond obvious that he's guilty of Article 94 under the UCMJ. He had zero authority to usurp the civilian chain of command, nor did he have any authority to contact other nations and warn them of what might happen, nor did he have any authority to create a cabal of like minded officers and bureaucrats in order to carry out his usurpation of civilian authority. It's beyond ironic that if you actually care about defending democracy and upholding not just the Constitution of the United States but the civilian control of the military and successful transfer of power to a successor administration then you'd agree that there is simply no other option than to charge Milley under Article 94. This simply cannot be allowed to happen without consequence, otherwise we'll eventually have another General or group of officers and bureaucrats who will use this episode as justification for usurping control of the United States military. Next time it might not be a politically compromised doofus that was worried about sucking up to the political party coming into power. Next time, it might just be some General who thinks the political gridlock in Washington is undermining the foundation of the United States and decides they have to take action.
Another case study that shows we're an unserious country, run by increasingly unserious people.
Generous. All sides. Klown shows at every turn.
Really? Right now every one deflects irresponsibly regarding the growing problem of rank and file narcissism growing in the military, including the pink activism of certain intel officers for Hamas. Miley showed zero leadership with PC glasses of eveyone is "red white and blue. ."
@@sfertonoc Really? "PC" glasses? I bet you I know a big, huge, scary U.S. Army Ranger who is gay that would wipe your ass with your face. Just saying.
@@Talpiot_Programnot all sides. Only one side has attempted to overturn a fair and free election.
@@Talpiot_Program Collectively, we often act like re&^rds... and our nation's enemies KNOW that...
Sorry, I was more concerned about my post and forgot to tell you how much I appreciate your presentations here. There is no BS, just the facts presented in a straightforward manner. Please continue your work.
In 1983 Stanislav Petrov of the USSR single-handedly prevented all out nuclear war when he perceived an incoming missle signal to be incorrect and refused to relay the report to his superiors.
He was, by definition, out of line in doing so. But if you have anyone at all in your life that you appreciate not being dead, Stanislov is the "traitor" who made that possible.
"singlehandedly", lol. Talk about a nonsense fish story. And you swallow it hook, line and sinker.
Preventing is different then helping Treasonous Joe leaving 7 billion arms in Afghan like night vision.
....and Milley's actions are in no way similar to that, whatsoever. By doing what he did, he INCREASED the threat of a nuclear attack on the United States, not decreased. He decided unilaterally that he no longer agreed with nuclear deterrence and felt empowered to give China the go-ahead on a decapitating strike, should they feel so inclined.
@@hunters215not only is Generals doing the exact same esclation control, it's policy dictated in his role going back to Reagan ya fool! It long been a US eclation control policy one hard won diplomatically with eastern bloc to have these cross communications not just between heads of state over the red phone but between theater and service commanders for just this kinda reassurances. US would warn them if they were attacking with all kinds of ultimantives just like most all US war have started.
silly comparison......... lets instead say petrov had called the US embassy and told them he would give a heads up if an attack was imminent
The American military has always been politicized, especially from the top. When you retire, you work for a company like Lockheed Martin or others called by President Eisenhower the military-industrial complex. War is a business (or a racket), and if it can be manipulated to make profits, so much the better. One last word: nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it say that all Men are created equal; those words are in the Declaration of Independence. An old Anchor Klanker (Navy) I have to say that the military is not looking at his own existence from profound historical perspective. It has inadvertently wandered into the dark woods (the right road lost).
I wish I could give 25 likes...
Milley simultaneously says generals shouldn’t figure out what orders they should accept or not, but also says he will call the Chinese before an attack…
It's called political rhetoric, which makes him a politican (unelected).
I think it's actually wise. War isn't just about destroying the enemy. You also have to do it in a way that makes people trust you. Or you'll have to fight everyone. There's loopholes to the rule about telling your enemy you're about to attack. Like you can give them one hour warning which isn't nearly enough time to prepare.
@@ReubenAStern Maybe, but man, you tell your boss about it, right?
Miley's first mistake was taking the job.
His second mistake was contacting a percieved enemy commander promising a heads up on an attack.
His third mistake was writing a letter of resignation and not following through on it.
Many mistakes.
He would almost certainly agree on at least two of these.
@@MrJdsenior The military left Afghanistan in the most cost saving way possible according to General Milley.
I bet many here have not seen a dictatorship from behind the curtain here in the US for the last 4 years.
cope
Mistakes two and three were to ensure there was no mistake concerning nuclear weapons and safe guard the consitution and protect democracy. As mistakes go these are better than most
Those are the big three. Ward is off base on this one.
Being an OG (last on active duty in early 90s), I do not reckon I would get along with most of todays high ranking officers. They have accepted DEI (celebration of differences) instead of putting aside differences and uniting around God, Family, Country. Now our military is mostly Godless, as is our country - lets see how that works out in a major war. In the big picture we can easily see that we have forsaken God & very, very few will find the narrow path that leads to heaven. Although there are some very good men & women in the service, I see very little integrity or Fear of The Lord in today's military, and I discourage everyone who asks me from entering the military.
You say "There is no 4th option". Well yes, there is. If he resigns, someone less trustworthy to the constitution would have replaced him. So, he stayed in the role, to serve as whatever safeguard on democracy there might be within the position. And the world was a better place for it.
I was in the JAGC of the Navy. The President most certainly could recall him and he could be charged under the UCMJ.
We have all seen ample evidence that charges do not necessarily result in conviction. What outcome would be likelier?
not for treason
@@Present-Tense Not in UCMJ Trial Proceedings. That's a whole different World!
@@Present-Tense that would be the million dollar question!!
@@greggossman492 yes ..... a whole different world entirely!!
My feeling is General Milley accepted a position as an Advisor. He was there to advise not make the final decisions. If he was unable or unwilling to fulfill his job requirements he should have resigned. Yet he chose to call China and align with Pelosi. He crossed a line he should not have crossed.
If he, in fact, did call China to warn of an impending nuclear attack, that is a 100% treasonous act! He is the deep state.
He didn’t “align with Pelosi”
He stood up for the Constitution
😂
It's simply ridiculous and insulting to speak of Milley as a traitor. More importantly, since the incoming president is intentionally packing his cabinet with loyalists, he will have little issue in finding someone to carry out any order that he gives, including nuclear strike - if it ever came to that. Is that what people really want? A frivolous nuclear strike against men, women and chldren? He has clearly stated he wants ultimate power and knows how to get it, based on his cabinet choices during his last presidency that did not result in him obtaining limitless power over our nation, thanks to American Patriots like Milley. His choices this time around may be more inclined to follow him blindly. Look out Putin.
When you lay down with dogs, you can get fleas. He tried to clear the cache off his shoes too late.
I recall General Miley talking to members of congress about his desire to understand white privilege and white rage. His comments were just weeks prior to the Afghanistan withdrawal. Miley should have focused his attention to the Taliban instead of “ whiteness”.
You have only the vaguest idea (I'm being charitable) of this man's mind-set. Thus, your assertion is silly.
Well, the question was literally about CRT, so his answer was at least on topic. I do disagree with his assertion though, saying that the military is an academy and we should learn things regardless of whether they are good or bad. He cited that he read the communist manifesto and that does not make him a communist, but there is a crucial distinction. We don't teach the communist manifesto as the gospel truth, but CRT would be taught as the truth and implemented as such; if we implemented communist ideals then people would be equally outraged. This is my first seeing of Milley and I don't think I agree with the video creator's opinion
Bingo.
@@neelakiller I always seek knowledge from the smartest people in the room.
“I want to understand white rage. And I am white.”
Mark Milley - congressional testimony - June 2021
What is Milley’s “mindset?”
What is “silly” about focusing on the Afghan withdrawal, as opposed to CRT & DEI?
Being able to judge an idea as being “vague” presupposes you know everything about the idea. Please, share your knowledge.
You cannot even spell his name right Goober!
Going behind a Presidents back and speaking directly with the Chinese military is really bad. Is that civil enough?
You wouldn’t hear that on this channel.
No, no it's not. Not when the president is an unstable lunatic who can make decisions that are counter to the preservation of our democracy and our constitution. It is in fact the top military commander's job to be the voice of opposition when the commander-in-chief is deemed unstable. Telling the Chinese not to overreact should that president engage some erratic action is The right thing to do it would only be treasonous if he betrayed specific operational plans to the adversary which he did not.
To be fair, it is just a little naughty. A lot of liaison work is done at the field level when you are working near allied or neutral armies and none of that ever goes through the president. I did some of that myself with officers from other nations in complex scenarios. It is not treason. Just making sure people don't start a shooting war because of a misunderstanding.
No, it isn't. Our highest ranking officers routinely communicate with their foreign counterparts.
@@gabriellamar2683
It absolutely is.
this isn't an act of a standard routine liaison.
This is him reaching out and explicitly telling china that if the president of the united states, for whatever reason, made a decision to attack, he would warn them in advance and they wouldn't be surprised.
that is admitting he would commit treason.
War sucks, don't start them.
Tell that to Russia
Tell that to Russia
Tell that to Russia
You just can’t make this stuff up. What a rabbit hole.
I don’t think it’s a rabbit hole. Millie was subversive. You can’t have that at his level. Ward knows it. Everyone in the military knows it.
Good commentary. I agree he should have resigned when he wrote the letter.
And thus provide a space for the very danger that he saw to our nation being able to complete its will. No, you don't resign. You stay in power, protect the nation and then you take the consequences afterwards. That's what he did and that was the right thing to do.
He said it many times. We the military does not take an oath to a president or a or a king. It's to the Constitution and if the president moves in such a way as if he is in violation of that Constitution, it is the obligation of those generals to oppose the will of that President.
That's by design. All you guys saying that he's a traitor are just mad that he refused to be a complete puppet to this lunatic that he had as his commander-in-chief.
All militaries have back channel communications.
@@b.w.9244 Ones that circumvent the Commander-in-Chief? 250 years ago he'd have been put to death.
I have written resignation letters as therapy, I suspect I’m not the only one, but nobody else would see them unless I was in fact planning on not showing up. And I never shared it with anyone other than my boss, why would he share it with others if not to elicit some type of reaction.
There’s a scene in Stargate SG-1 where General O’Neill is writing his letter of resignation to General Hammond, the entire episode is focused around that. Then, at the end, he types “never mind” and the letter sits there never to be sent or shown to anyone but us as the onlookers. I swear I’ve done that exact thing.
Milley was justified on some points but overstepped others and made some mistakes because of his personal feelings.
Well said
So it seems, so it seems
By overstepped you mean treason?
On what points is Milley justified? Is there anyone who disagrees with everything Milley ever did?
@ bending the knee to the combat ineffective lgbtqxyz+ mafia, I believe is the assertion.
😳 omg. May rational minds prevail! “A smart man learns from his mistakes, and a wise man learns from other people’s mistakes “.
What's your point?
@@wileycoyote7041it’s complicated
Wow PROFOUND
What about the people that are incapable of learning from anyones mistakes or even recognizing / admitting that a mistake was made?
@@slovokia don’t vote for them, they keep doing the same thing expecting better results…
"....all men are created equal....". These words are from the Declaration of Independence, NOT the Constitution.
The Constitution codifies that, which I think was his point.
@@20DYNAMITE06both quote Jesus Christ as we are a Christian founded nation…
Yeah I’m kinda surprised by this video commentary from Ward, I honestly thought he was better than this
Are you 5 years old?
@EsotericBreakfastBuffet yes
Insubordination, no doubt.
Treason
Milley raised some very valid points, but he was unable to communicate them with the president whose mind seemed closed to his valid reasoning. Milley did not have the trust of the president and should have resigned.
If an enlisted junior person called.China they would be in Levingworth!!!
And then they’d go to Leavenworth!
I'm still trying to figure out how the Democrat candidate for VP spent so much time in Red China while being an active duty and career Guardsman.
Started a nuclear war in their final days in office.Holy crap what's going on right now
We aren't there yet, but close
Don't go buying seeds as currency. There will be NO nuclear war.
"There´s not a snowball´s change in hell that this president or any president can launch nuclear weapons (...)"
And yet, Americans are scared of nukes. How cute is that.
@@griffinarcher2911
Get a grip
...what nuclear war? Is the nuclear war in the room with you right now?
The term "treason" is routinely abused in speech. It turns out this crime of "treason" is odd in the sense that it is actually DEFINED in the United States Constitution. It's the ONLY crime so defined. It's in Article III, section 3 (the Constitution is separated into Articles, with the third being around Justice system).
In the definition it says this crime shall "only" consist of. . .then it goes on to further narrow that it must be warring against USA or providing aid / comfort to those who are enemies (i.e. warring). Also two witnesses to the overt act, or admission in open court is required. Why the severe narrowing of this well known crime? Because the founders had faced "treason" crime charges by the England of George III. They wanted this crime to be extremely narrow, with this high crime being ONLY for those truly working at war against USA. All other similar traitorous actions fall under other criminal code.
It's overly common for office holders to ABUSE their office by violating what the law actually says they should do within their role, so that "malfeasance" is a crime.
Is this not directly "providing comfort to those who are enemies"? I see you put (warring), but that isn't what it says so I think you recognize that it is at least very close to treason if the only difference is that we are not directly at war with them, not that we are on such great terms
Agreed. The act was south of treason but well north of asshole.🤔
Providing war information to enemies of the state would certainly be aid
I don't think calling him to reassure him is necessarily bad but saying that they'll get a heads-up if an attack is imminent, I don't see any way of painting that in a way that isn't treasonous.
Milley's assurance to our enemy that he would inform them of...well...whatever is the very definition of giving them aid and comfort. Our military is not authorized to conduct diplomacy. They are not authorized to maintain relationships with our enemies and broker deals or work back channels unless they are specifically designated to do so. Milley's behavior is the EXEMPLAR of treasonous conduct.
Ward, your information was on point and helpful, but your delivery was not unbiased. I have two observations: I respect Gen Milley's career and service, but the last few years were unbecoming. He undermined a CIC and waded into a culture war. In my admittedly anecdotal experience, officers tend to support Gen Milley, and enlisted folks tend to dislike him.
That’s usually a good barometer as to whether someone is a piece of shit or not lol
Enlisted folk tend to dislike him and every other officer. Lol.
Enlisted man here, served under his leadership when he was DCOMM in Afghanistan. Disliked him intensely since then and his conduct testifying before congress and refusing to take responsibility was reprehensible.
@@DeathBlossom867
Refusing to take responsibility for what?
enlisted are not officers for a reason
In 1974 I was an captain, intelligence officer in the National Military Command Center during the final days of Nixon’s final days in the White House. All the officers around me had discussions of what we would do if Nixon issued orders thru the NMCC to attempt to stay in power. We all decided that we would do anything in our power to attempt to stop that from happening, whatever the consequences. I often reflected upon that during and after my 25 years in the military.
That was a mutinous act. Nixon resigned of his own free will and could have continued to serve many more months and possibly survived an impeachment. The President is the President until he is not the President anymore.
Felt compelled to sign in and leave a comment after being dismayed at others left by fellow viewers asserting that there is some kind of political take or spin inherent in your video. Did not perceive that at all and am left wondering what it was they were smoking.
As someone who laments the state of new media and journalism today, with its editorial and sensationalist slants, I wanted to say, "Thank you" and "Keep up the good work". I can't imagine it's easy to put the time and effort into videos about these kinds of complex but important ethical issues playing out at the highest levels of our political and military establishments, only to be greeted with accusations of bias and other nonsense in the comments. I'm sure it takes a bit of a psychological toll, so please remember there are those of us out there for whom your efforts are still highly appreciated.
Other humans make the world a very tiring place. Thank you to all the reasonable minded
Hear, hear!
I absolutely agree!! Ward is doing our country an enormous service by doing the most balanced, objective reporting i have seen in a VERY long time... if ever!
This former Naval officer is doing what he does best...Being disingenuous. What he puts here and on his "X" feed aren't not coincident. He's a big time leftist, but hides under the auspices of being a "former" Naval officer, which gives him ( or what he believes credibility ). Heaven forbid that he jeopardize his TY cash cow. And, let's see him explain all these "purges" under the PHONY banner of "loss of confidence to command" BS...
Well said!
Although I’m no fan of Milley, regardless of DJT, he should’ve resigned and moved on. His conduct afterwards is unbecoming, but not treasonous, time will tell whether or not he faces charges. Thank you for your journalistic integrity in making this video, definitely lessons to be learned from this
I feel this is a fair take
Not sure that Milley's call was treasonous, but I'll bet following through with a warning call would be!
@@dhgmllcshea5038 I think that's a fair assessment
It was insubordination, but he was admitting that if the time came, he would commit treason.
@nickdial8528
Or that call was the only call he intended to make.
Much more likely.
Ward, was this conversation on Air Force One between the President and General Milley recorded and or transcribed or is this second hand information that cannot be corroborated?
It can't be corroborated.
Ward, I went through LO school in Newport a long time ago. One of the instructors said about unlawful orders; if you do not follow an order because you believe it is unlawful you will still pay a steep price for that decision. You will be arrested and charged under the UCMJ. If your lucky the Article 32 investigation will show the order was unlawful but don't bet the farm on it.
Good walkthrough on this Mooch. BZ
his answer ``I´ll do what you ask me to do `` is like the bible verse``thy will be done...``
Very well done. I'm no fan of Milley, but did not have all of the facts that you laid out in this video. Takes a lot of guts to tackle such a sensitive subject, especially given the largely conservative base of your viewership.
These are not facts, this is a revisionist retelling.
He's using quotes that are completely unsubstantiated from third party claims with no documentation, which is no better than the left mainstream media.
Very informative, but the General was way out of line circumventing a sitting president by taking that call from The Speaker of the House then calling the Chinese.
It's his job DA
@@mrgrinch837 Conducting foreign policy without the State Department's oversight is definitely not part of his job.
@jacquesstrapp3219 actually both the US and Russians as well as the British have high level officers who are in positions of strategic importance that have open lines to the other side to make sure accidents don't happen so absolutely it is a part of his job. Open a book, learn history.
@@mrgrinch837 I served in USAREUR during the height of the Cold War. We did indeed have lines of communication to our Warsaw Pact counterparts, but we were strictly limited in what we could say. Milley crossed several lines in that conversation that would have got us court martialed. BTW, I have over 2000 history books in my personal library. Don't assume everyone on the internet has as little knowledge as you do.
Bullshit! Generals are subordinate to civilians PERIOD! I know you want the military to run the show, but you’ll have to move to somewhere else for that…
I think the resignation letter alone shows he is political. And biased. Good riddance General Milley
Easy to judge a man from the sidelines. Milley was faced with awful, unprecedented choices. So Ward, knowing what Milley knew, you would have risked nuclear miscalculation and war? This is not a philosophical argument. It is an existential one.
Had to teach him what a war crime was and failed. You can't make this stuff up folks.
Reality disagrees. Also, you should look into the individual circumstances of those cases.
@@ghoffmann821 Have you? I can't find an extenuating circumstance for any of these pieces of shit. They were prosecuted and convicted because they went so far beyond any norms that even the pentagon realized they needed to make an example
The military tribunals agreed they were guilty based on the evidence available or do you have some evidence to the contrary?
@@BC-tp8ep I would probably disagree with Trump's decisions on those cases, but the law gives the POTUS the authority to offer pardon or clemency. The law doesn't say or imply this must be used to correct mistakes of the trial court for innocent people.
Gen Miley turned political as soon as he listened to someone to stay in the position to counter the President. He should have immediately submitted the resignation to the President, not the press, and let the politicians deal with his accusations. Calling China was not in his preview or position. Treason or not, it was wrong. As a result, I believe he was not honorable. He could have raised his objection to the action of the president outside of the Military.
calling china was a dick move
Not all felonies are dick moves, but I think you're correct.
Traitor move
@@derek45auto23 You understand he was concerned that they would launch a preemptive nuclear strike if they thought our nuclear command and control authority had collapsed?
@@SeanRagan That's an absurd excuse, no one will ever use nukes unless they are suicidal, everyone knows it means the end of everything so they're not even a conversation IDK why people actually think any nation would launch a nuke, it's guaranteed death for them & everyone in their country, even if they destroyed the US first the subs would destroy them it's a non point the nuke conversation is a joke, how many red lines has NATO crossed that Putin said he would use them?
@@Steve-ev6vx FOR A MORON LIKE YOURSELF
Whiney Milley went behind his boss's back rather than confronting him. He is a politician like most general officers.
I think Milley had lost all confidence in his boss so he had little choice.
You do that when your boss is unqualified. There is a reason he needs completely new people for his cabinet now.
@CrispyBakedPotato the constitution doesn't provide for that you don't like the boss you quit... Oh and if you're going after the king don't miss..... The losers are trying to get ahead of the coming reconing...
Doesn't help that this is all coming from sides who weren't right leaning....
@@jaredkronk4614 fact
@@jaredkronk4614Trump is just filling the swamp with fresh swamp critters.
Thanks, Ward. All I can say is “God help us all.”
White rage is the problem? What a joke of a General. Have you people seen what service member, in uniform, are posting on tik tok these days? It’s a clown show. The General didn’t do a thing about this behavior.
you certainly don't sound angry
I've been retired from the military since 2006, and what I see being allowed pisses me off.
@@jaredkronk4614
We should all be a lot angrier
"If we're going to attack, I'm going to call you ahead of time" -- Treason Milley
Gen. Milley is a walking advertisement for a politicized general officer.
Could you conceive of a General George Marshall or a Adm. Ernest King acting in this way? Of course not.
But can you imagine a Douglas MacArthur acting in this fashion? Absolutely.
MacArthur was a politician first and a general second. And a lousy general at that.
I would not be surprised if Gen. Milley used Dugout Doug as a role model.
He's caused enough damage. Let him molder in retirement rather than bringing this all up again.
The correct thing to do if you dont agree with the way the POTUS is taking the country in this context is resign your commission, not what he did. What he did is just wrong.
Wrong, yes.
Treasonous, no.
And that’s the point of the discussion.
Congratulations.
@@benjaminperez7328
Dude, it was sedition, and he was openly admitting he would commit treason if an order by the president was given, so there is absolute reasonable positions for people saying it's a treasonous behavior.
Especially if you consider the fact we're in a potential cold war with china, which many claim.
@@benjaminperez7328 couldn't have said it better myself. People trying to avoid the wrongness of the situation to treason treason to justify their own biases against Milliy.
The General should have resigned AND MADE HIS RESIGNATION LETTER PUBLIC.
If he were honorable at the time.
@@stevenhall2408 He made a poor decision. If he had it to do over.
Imagine if someone had taken out Hitler in 1933.
Where does it say in the US Constitution that "all men are created equal"? That's the Declaration of Independence.
Misspoke, if he said it, I'm fairly certain.
It does speak of specific individual and collective rights, but not with that sentence.
@@MrJdsenior It's in Milley's letter.
@@FiveLiver Ahh, thanks. I thought he meant Ward.
The best antidote against dictatorship is the respect of institutions.
And Democracy dies when personalities override the institutions.
The USA never had to cope w a dictatorship (as some other countries had) in his History, so the signs, the simptomes are not easelly recognised by the American people (as they migth be in other countries).
The USA are the first modern nation to pledge to obey a Consitution.
Never forget it!
Goodspeed to all
Don't worry, he is going to attempt to rewrite it, as he has stated multiple times. The 'don't worry' was sarcastic, obviously, as we should all be worried as hell.
I'm sure this will be a valuable learning experience...
Valid point and important to note that Americans have spent the last hundred years convincing themselves of their own unquestionable exceptionalism. As a result they've blindly walked themselves into voting for a demagogue and dictator, ironically because they believe that he couldn't possibly be either, because if he was then Americans wouldn't have voted for him
Democracy isn't mention in either the Constitution or Declaration of Independence.
Never said better, using childish logic attempting to explain a REPUBLIC. Please take your meds for TDS.
Milley supports social behavior that has no place in the United States Military.
This fact alone disqualifies him as a military leader.
What behavior would that be sir?
I think you misunderstood a lot of things.
@@WALTERBROADDUSthe Army recruiting ads with 2 moms…😂
@@WALTERBROADDUS duh, leftist Wokeness.
@@timbroderick4454 The Army needs more than the old stereotype of Captain America.
"Peaseful Protest" and "January sixth Insurrection" ? WOW ! I respectfully disagree Ward.
Milley should never have taken the job. He should have submitted LOR thirty minutes after he wrote it.
As a USAF Retired officer (1994) I am sickened at the state of our military. Apparently skin color and gender/gender trans count more than merit. So very very sad.
I know, it's totally ridiculous. It makes it clear he's a left wing.
There was nothing peaceful about it.
Agreed.
It’s racism in reverse, a perverted solution that fosters stifle…
Amen!
Damn straight
On a positive note, 2nd Infantry Division was my first duty station. I’m proud I got to serve in the unit, Second to None
He was our sister BN’s BC when I was there.
Dangerous waters you sailed into today, in terms of potentially polarizing your RUclips audience. I think you did an admirable job of a balanced presentation and I commend you for tackling such a thorny issue. I bet this video was stressful to create and produce, and I bet people on both sides will be upset with you. You deserve something fluffy and fun for your next video, like "Could the F-14 really have stopped all those Backfire bombers back in 86?"
Keep up the good work.
Without a doubt the worst Chairman of the Joint Chiefs we have had in my lifetime.
"Without a doubt"? Have you researched the actions of all the other Chairmen of the JCS in your lifetime? I'm guessing that you probably have not. What you can reasonably be sure of is that none of GEN Milley's predecessors in your lifetime were put in the position that he was. FTR, I think that GEN MIlley should have handed in that resignation letter.
More frustrating are the military members or politicians that sit by and wait so they can cash in on their book deals.
A good read for many of you watching would be "Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam" by H. R. McMaster.
@@GentlemanJack295 Another good one is a Bright Shining Lie by Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann.
@@georgesykes394 Agreed. That is a very good book. I think the author is Neil Sheehan though.
Miley probably read it and became the basis in which he would be the one to determine if and when he would obey ,,
Many of the yes, men at call for his trial are too stupid to read
@MrLJT1 You're 100% correct it is by Nieil Sheehan. But it's about America in Vietnam and Colonel Vann. The made for TV HBO movie wasn't bad also.
Miley is a traitor. All retirement benefits shoud stop, He should be classified as dishomorable.
Remarkably sane take of a remarkably insane sequence of events. I feel more serious enforcement by the Mayor of D.C. with traditional police forces to subside the riots would've been the prudent thing to do, and could've prevented the sequence you've outlined altogether....that notwithstanding, there's no such thing as a perfect take for this story but I think you came as close as possible. Best regards.
I am concerned over the future of our country.
If he thought what he was doing was correct, then he should have admitted to it immediately and let the chips fall where they may. Since he chose to hide his actions from the President, he has shown that he knew it was wrong.
MILLEY = ZERO MORAL FORTITUDE AT BEST, TREASON AT WORST. STUFFED PINKS AND GREENS. NOT 5 STAR MATERIAL.
Bingo!
Rule 1: Dont publicly embarrass your boss. Right or wrong.
Bullshit.
Agreed! If you find that you don’t agree with your boss over and over then you should resign.
@@ecleveland1 you didn't watch the whole video did you? Typical Maga moron
What if your boss is an embarrassment?
Rule 1: lick boots, right or wrong
There is a fourth option. Milley demonstrated: act in opposition to the President, go on media tour to justify the act and never resign because you get another chance to be political to prove you are righteous.
Wat
Defy the president.
Get propped up by biased Media.
Profit
Good point. MacArthur spoke up against Truman's policies in Korea and got fired for it. It led the way for Eisenhower to win election and the war was prosecuted to an end and the world did not get destroyed by nukes. So, ultimately, it worked out right.
Milley needs to be jailed for treason.
Right or wrong, it is to the credit of America and the US Military that they produce officers and men with a conscience, not yes-men afraid for their lives and careers. Quality is also demonstrated by yourself, Ward, in the straight-talking clarity of your briefings. Thank you from across the pond.
@@The-RA-Guy and the freeloaders support Milley
All military officers in the US Army are yes-men. It's a basic pre-requisite to commission.
@@K_GHOST225so To Treason or not to Treason?
A patriot.
@@K_GHOST225 I would agree that too many officers in all branches are yes-men. It isn't a pre-requisite to a commission but it is a big help for advancement. In peacetime it's almost impossible to achieve flag rank without passing a popularity contest among all senior flag officers -- remember how much trouble Lincoln had in finding competent flag officers. But it is also true that most officers and others in the military are conscientious and self-sacrificing, especially when they are younger.
Look it doesn't matter what the political situation is. If he disobeyed a lawful order from the president of the United States he must be legally liable.
Yeah, like in WW2 when the Germans and Japanese accused of war crimes said they were just following orders.
They got death sentences or prison terms because that's not an excuse.
We did not vote for millet
So what you are telling me if any President is unstable and decides to start a nuclear war no one can stop him.
I thought our law was they had to fire first or is that just a policy.
Whether you love him or hate him, do you really think he should be in charge of nuclear weapons.
This is not a political thing, I just want a world where my children and grandchildren will live.
By who's judgement is a Commander in Chief determined to be "unstable"? Certainly not the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Dude you lost me trying to stick up for Milley...who played a huge role in weakening our military.
Thank you Ward. Who would now envy the position of the Senior Military Ranks in the USA? It seems 'the weaver" of a tangled web is still at work. May the four, probably fragile, years before us pass in a sensible peace...
Men like Miley were the guard rails for the first 4 years. I truly fear for what will happen to this country now.
We will be just fine.
Why is the word white not in caps, when BLACK, ASIAN, INDIAN are in upper case?? in Milleys resignation letter. Just wondering..
White guilt and his self described "white rage"...
You can't be serious?
I really despair when I come across a comment like this.
@@bobkoroua I mean, I think it is a good thing to note. Do you know why?
@@bobkoroua sorry your hurt - It's just a question. Your reaction says alot about sharing thoughts and having conversations. Well at least , the "right" conversations. This was not a political response by me, just a question... I hope u have a better day.
@griffinarcher2911
I do, because I got an education when an education was substantial.
(Ie of substance, by this I mean to let you know that yours was obviously sub standard)
The correct grammar for a list is as follows.
Rules for stand-alone lists:
Use a heading, not a lead-in.
>Start each list item with a capital letter.<
Don't add full stops to the end of any of the list items (even the last item).
Indent each list item if it helps people scan the content.
I guess you would expect his secretary to understand grammar better than you do.
When you find yourself questioning something so important to you you should look into it.
Unfortunately, retired general/admirals have politicized the military long before then by endorsing presidential candidates of both parties, which in my opinion they should not do.
Let’s see what remains of military norms in four years. If things go the way it looks like they could, Miley’s transgressions will pale in comparison.
A resignation letter should be three lines long. What he wrote is a book preface. I met him twice when he commanded FORSCOM. I don’t know anyone who misses him.
I was unhappy with both choices we had in 2024. But, anyone who says that a former POW is a loser, they don’t deserve to sit in the Oval Office . That person was defending the freedom of everyone , and if you feel that a former POW is a looser, well ….It’s as simple as that.
He didn't call him a loser, but he did crack a joke about getting captured, not the same thing..
@@nickdial8528 Excuse me but djt did call McCain a loser after the 2008 presidential election and he said "He's not a war hero. He's a war hero because he was captured" Big joke! Really funny!
@@tomd.43
Yeah, and where in that quote is a word "loser"?
Just because you don't like what he said, doesn't mean you get to start inventing words he never used.
I pointed out, that is not the word he used, which is correct, and you want to sit here and argue about it.
I never said it was a good joke or a classy joke.I simply pointed out that you were factually incorrect.
@@nickdial8528you twist and contort to justify your support of orange fascism in any way you can. We reject you and your inexplicable support for an abhorrent, incompetent “leader.”
The DC police DID NOT clear Lafayette Square. This was done by a mix of fed agents. The DC police DID come to the aid of the Cap police when, mysteriously, no one else was doing it.
Go away Maga cult member .
Should have resigned. I believe, under the same circumstances WW II Army Chief of Staff, George Marshall would have. But in this old man's opinion I believe we had better Generals back then.
Precisely. I don't believe I recall any of them dressing like girls or worrying about their "white rage".
I think that's objectively fact. The generals back then were actually fired for failure and there were far fewer general per combat fighter.
Bro isnt General Marshall.
Families members of Trumps hand picked cabinet were being threatened and they were told not to talk about it. Something the legacy media never thought worth reporting
Seems like no one took Milley's advice.
The go-to-guy for Chairman of the Joint Chief at that time was USAF Chief of Staff, Gen David “Fingers” Goldfein. Fingers was the youngest four star in the military and it was the Air Force’s turn to fill the Chairman’s role. He was the clear choice. The problem was Dave is a typical fighter pilot standing less than average height. Fingers didn’t fill Trump’s central casting image of a general officer. Dave was also Jewish, but I honestly believe his religion had less to do with his passover than his physical stature.
I still pray that one day the people of this nation will be given highly intelligent stable minded persons to vote for. I can't support any of the recent fools, some dangerous, that we have been told we can vote for.
Seconded.
I wrote my own choice.
Some? The incoming administration is literally a band of criminals.
So true! Idiots and extremists on the right and left.
Those intelligent people you pray for are owned by the special interests that finance their campaign...
didnt this general tell the press that a drone strike on a innocent man and his children in the last days of the afganhistan war a good job and stopped a attack on the airport before the truth finally came out and he couldnt deny anymore a drone strike that nobody has ever been held to account for
Milley is the most political military officer I have seen. Even the few clips here show it to be worse than I thought. He has had to twist his reasoning to not resign. That "letter" was a smear worthy of the most unscrupulous politician.
There must have been more to the conversation about transgender with respect to military, as the issue is a lot more than a question of who sleeps with who.
Would a description of some of the conduct be "insubordination" rather than treason?
As for the phone call in question, is the promise to commit treason the same as treason?
His belief that he made an oath to the concept that all men being created equal, was pure antiwhiteism.
@@FiveLiverif believing that all men on planet Earth are created equal then im anti white . im a proud anti white.
"That's another fine mess you've gotten us into." Laurel & Hardy, if I recall correctly.
This election was tough. Do I vote for Laurel, or do I vote for Hardy?
...or I could vote for Curly...🤔
Thanks. I appreciate the deeper insight.
The trouble with all of this, is that whichever side you lean toward, whichever person you want to point at as being at fault, the same is true today as it was 90 some years ago in Europe. One man may be the focal point, but in reality he is not the cause, he is a symptom or sign of the state of the population. At the end of the day, as much as we don't want it to be true, we are all just along for the ride - can't even tell you to bother to buckle-up, in the end, nobody's getting out of this world alive.
You just had to say that, huh? Now I am even more depressed, because I cannot fault anything you said. But seriously, do we have to have one of the WORST of them at the helm? There used to be this thing known as a 'happy medium', and not the kind with crystal balls.
@MrJdsenior sorry man, just commenting my observations. Don't worry, be happy...-ish
Maybe people do seem to think that WWIII already started... minus the nukes.
@@12what34the Was kidding, mostly. ;-)
The' ish' was appropriate, you as well.
@@tehpw7574 WW2 started without nukes....oh wait how did it end tho 🫤
Traitor in my book.. you don’t just call your Chinese Counterpart and tell them what the president said.
It's funny how people want to charge Milley with treason while forgetting January 6th and electing its ring leader. It's all fun and games until Project 2025 kicks in.
Treason & sedition are crimes.
Pelosi the ring leader?
The criminal felon can do no wrong according to the corrupt SCOTUS, if you want to set an example of justice.... start there!
I can't wait. Nothing objectionable in Project 2025.
I can only comment by people who think the general was out of line know nothing about US military structure. It's his job as I'm pretty sure it's not the Presidents job to try to overthrow an election. But what do I know, I'm just a retired military officer.
Of course you do, protecting your own!
@davidsakal449 the problem here is rather than believing in officer who's been in the military for greater than 30 years and has the utmost integrity, many people in this country seem to want to believe a man who has been on trial and found guilty of 34 counts of fraud. You know, fraud which means he lies. This is upside down world.
Flag officer, company grade or field grade? Contacting an opposing flag officer without presidential authorization IS an Article 32 level infraction; this is from one of my uncles who IS a retired U.S. Navy officer.
Thank goodness you're retired. You clearly put your political leanings above all else.
Don’t know much about flag officers, do you? I hate to interject REALITY into your screed, but until you are SENTENCED you are NOT convicted of anything. You know even less about the law than you do flag officers.
Ward, thank you for reporting on this, as well as providing your opinions and insight.
Question for the vets/military folks out there: if Gen. Milley can be considered among the 'best'/pinnacle of US military's senior officers, evidenced by him serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is it fair to say that most of the US Military's senior officer corps were/are 'worse' than Milley? Specifically, in terms of experience, intelligence, judgment, leadership, integrity, capability, etc.?
If this is the top of the cohort, then how bad does it get in the O-ranks? How long do folks in the military's officer corps expect to maintain this level of performance, and what do they think will happen to them, and the US military as a whole, in the future?
Having spent over 20 years as a Green Beret, I can assure you there are many retired and seving Green Berets who like me, believe General Milley is a traitor, and many have called for him to be prosecuted and his Special Forces tab to be revoked. He is a disgrace as an officer and Green Beret.
Hear, hear!
ranger agree
damn i guess it's good you can't make the decisions, then huh? as a super important, totally real special forces guy myself, you can trust what i say. i won't provide proof, you look it up.
Wouldn't Trump's refusal to concede the election with zero evidence that the election had been stolen, and his riot he sent against the Capitol on Jan. 6th, a complete violation of his Presidential Oath to protect and defend the Constitution, be treasonous?
but you would support the orange man who disparages the us military? someone who ducked being conscipted so he could party with his friends wives i could go on
Ward lays out the truth as it is. Some people don't like it or want to admit it is true. They accuse Ward of being biased.
This is my first time hearing of this, and I am certain Ward is being biased. There were no points against Milley whereas in an unbiased video I am sure there would be evidence that supports opposition. Also, the reading of the resignation letter rather than just mentioning it shows not only where Milley was biased, but where Ward could not identify his own bias
@@griffinarcher2911 You should probably go back and watch it again. You are just plain wrong in your assumptions.
IMHO Ward is biased but followed thru with a fairly accurate analysis. Miley on the other hand is very left wing and has TDS and a huge ego. Many Presidents and senior brass have disagreed and hated each other. Miley stepped way over the line.
@@scottpepmiller115 Which assumptions? From what I read in these comments there were things that were equally as relevant to this person such as some strange comments about white rage, seems about as important as the contents of the resignation letter. Was there any part of this video that has evidence from the opposing side of this?
PATRIOT! Thank you General Mark Milley! 🇺🇸
I have no problem with them cleaning house of the flag ranks. Having worked with them I lost all faith in command. It is a political realm and the goal is a fat contract sitting on the board of defense contractors. We all know it but most are afraid to talk about it. Liely just was the pinnacle of that pack.
Why do you think it would be any different when the next generation of MAGA flag ranks arrive?
It's just swapping out people. It'll never change. And anyone who thinks it will is a fool. It's alk a cash grab. Now and forever
@@yhfsywfit Hoping they raise actual soldiers up over the current ones. Truthfully though it is all theater. People thinking there is right and left just don't see the big picture. 60 years and nothing ever changes. Have to be dumb to think anything will actually change.
Even at West Point they are taught to FOLLOW ORDERS!! Enough said!!
In virtually any situation where a rogue president might unilaterally order a nuclear attack without a rock solid justification, the order to launch the attack would be an illegal order because it would outrageously violate the Constitution's provision that puts power to declare war in the hands of Congress. There are a lot of things presidents can do based on informal understandings regarding under what conditions Congress has agreed that it makes sense to allow presidents to use military force without a declaration of war. But nuclear weapons are qualitatively different from conventional weapons in a way that makes it nonsensical to argue that their use in a context other than a declared war without explicit authorization from Congress can be justified in situations where there is a reasonable opportunity to seek congressional approval.
The apolitical nature of the military is the most critical component of a safe democracy.
No it’s not. The apolitical nature of the German army allowed it to fail to protect the country from you know what. We cannot allow the current orange man fascism to succeed.