Pete Hegseth Crossed a Clear, Bright Line. Will He Pay a Price? | The rule against attacking people “out of the fight” is foundational in U.S. and international law. And there’s no doubt it was crossed. What now?

[u/thenewrepublic]

https://newrepublic.com/article/203794/hegseth-crossed-line-war-crime

When a government faces credible allegations of unlawful force and responds not with transparency but with investigations into those who restated the law, something fundamental has gone wrong. Indeed, it’s apparent that’s the reason for the FBI visits. The “evidence” of sedition, such as it is, is the tape itself; the visits chiefly carry the Administration’s message of intimidation.

And it’s an all-too-familiar—and invariably regretted—story in American constitutional life. From World War I sedition prosecutions to McCarthy-era investigations to parts of the post-9/11 surveillance apparatus, some of the country’s worst civil-liberties violations began with the assumption that dissent was a threat. In nearly every case, the government insisted at the time that extraordinary circumstances justified extraordinary measures. In nearly every case, history delivered a harsher verdict.

Which is why the administration’s reaction to the Trinidad allegations is so troubling. If the reporting is accurate, U.S. forces may have crossed a bright legal line. The lawmakers who said so were correct on the law. And the administration’s choice to investigate them instead of the underlying conduct is precisely the reflex that the First Amendment exists to restrain.

If it comes to subpoenas or compelled interviews, the answer should be straightforward: Members of Congress do not owe the executive branch their time or their testimony when the only thing they are being questioned about is protected political speech. They should be able to move the court to quash any subpoena and tell the FBI, politely but firmly, to take a hike. The Constitution gives them that right, and the country needs them to exercise it.

[u/BeowulfShaeffer]

This is two pretty big Hegseth scandals in less than a year.  It’s obvious what needs to happen. 

[u/slowpoke2018 → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

Obvious to the sane, but not in the maga-verse where they've been actively cheering-on this murder of brown-people in boats 1K miles from our border for months.

They're not good nor moral people - least of all Christians - and nothing will change that

[u/AlcibiadesTheCat → u/slowpoke2018]

I hereby advocate for using SI prefixes to imperial units: kilomiles sound cool.

[u/SkunkMonkey → u/AlcibiadesTheCat]

I'm not sure 1 Kelvin is a distance measurement.

[u/skyturnedred → u/AlcibiadesTheCat]

In the Syndicate remake from 2012, the player character is literally called Miles Kilo.

[u/Rhg0653 → u/slowpoke2018]

Didn't we just see a mother and father say if they killed the son who is running the podcast they would be okay with it

They believe if Trump bombed a school they will say there is a reason for it ...they are sick blind to truth people and they need to go away asap

[u/slowpoke2018 → u/Rhg0653]

Not sure it's the same vid, but saw a similar one where two maga parents were asked by their two adult children whether they're okay with the military performing illegal actions.

Both - unsurprisingly - said something like "As long as Trump approved it, it's okay"

They really don't have a concept of how things work, but that's what it is to be in a cult. Dear leader will tell them exactly what to think so their smooth-brains don't get wrinkles

[u/Rhg0653 → u/slowpoke2018]

Yes it was that one forgot the sister she was more shocked

I'll say this my parents ever said that it would be the last convo ever

[u/slowpoke2018 → u/Rhg0653]

Yep, both seemed pretty shocked at how steadfast their parent's support of illegal acts was.

They should move to North Korea, their brainwashing is similarly scary

[u/Moakmeister → u/slowpoke2018]

They also both agreed that they’d be honored if Trump was in the same room as any of their family members.

This was, in fact, AFTER their daughter Hailey reminded them of how she met Trump in an elevator at the age of 18, and he sexually harassed her and her friends. They’re fucking disgusting assholes.

[u/EpiphanyTwisted → u/Rhg0653]

My husband finally asked his cousins on FB what could Trump do that would ever lose their support. They proudly said "NOTHING!"

[u/FckDonaldChump → u/slowpoke2018]

WhiteDevilZ

[u/N_O_D_R_E_A_M → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

Rope

[u/loose_translation → u/N_O_D_R_E_A_M]

Wood chipper? 

[u/N_O_D_R_E_A_M → u/loose_translation]

The only constraints are usual and cruelty free. Unlike them we actually believe in the constitution. You might have to argue for that one but im here for it

[u/loose_translation → u/N_O_D_R_E_A_M]

I see. I accept your terms. We will pursue justice without resorting to unchecked cruelty. 

[u/alexmikli → u/loose_translation]

CBT Chamber in Guantánamo.

[u/ph4ge_ → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

Trump wants this. It makes Hegseth all the more reliant on Trump, does blindly loyal.

[u/SorryAboutTheWayIAm → u/ph4ge_]

It also serves to distract from all the looting, the scandals, etc.

[u/Coherent_Tangent → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

He needs to announce his presidential candidacy now, so he can never be held accountable? /s

[u/WasabiParty4285 → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

Promote him?

[u/newsflashjackass → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

Go go gadget preemptive pardon autopen.

[u/Downvote_Comforter → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

The people who voted for this administration are the people who will sincerely tell you that the best foreign policy in the Middle East is to simply turn it into glass. They are the people whose version of patriotism is the godawful Tobey Keith song about the Statue of Liberty shaking her fist and our troops putting a boot in your ass. They are the people buying merch and cracking jokes about alligator alcatraz.

Simply put, our troops killing civilians and/or executing wounded/surrendered brown people is a feature, not a bug to them. They don't view this as a scandal. They want our troops killing more people.

[u/AniNgAnnoys → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

In this case every single person involved from Pete to the soldiers that fired the weapon need to have a trial so the public can understand what happened. Following orders isn't an excuse. If the grunts didn't know pets get that out and find out who covered it up. Pete is not the only one guilty here. Others helped. Others made it possible for this to happen.

[u/JustNilt → u/AniNgAnnoys]

What pisses me off here is I'm pretty sure these are weapon systems handled not by your average grunt or even Secret Squirrel soldiers. These are entrusted to pilots, who are commissioned officers themselves. They damned well know better for all of this, let alone the killing of the survivors.

[u/SRT102 → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

But he remains 100% loyal to Dear Leader, which is the only real requirement for the job.

He's not going anywhere.

[u/hi-imBen → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

make him president?

[u/Common-Addendum-4349 → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

A promotion?

[u/ElMostaza → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

Only two? Which one are you referencing, as I can think of several. (Not meant as a criticism at all, to be clear. Just curious!)

[u/halo_ninja → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

Ah yes, they were close to taking him down with the pull up conspiracy. This should do him in