Hegseth Didn't See Survivors, Didn't Stick Around
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently told the New York Times he 'did not see survivors' of a September U.S. military strike on a boat in the Caribbean and, more tellingly, 'didn’t stick around' for a second strike that killed two people clinging to wreckage ( NYT ). One might wonder if 'not seeing survivors' is a self-fulfilling prophecy under such circumstances. This isn't just about
Venezuela; it echoes a chilling pattern where high-ranking officials maintain plausible deniability by simply... not observing. The military-industrial complex thrives on such detached oversight. While Hegseth casually admits to a disinterest in the human cost of U.S. operations, the same politicians who fund these defense budgets often receive significant contributions from defense contractors.
(As of 2023, the top 10 defense contractors poured over $10 million into lobbying and campaigns, according to OpenSecrets.org). Perhaps a closer look at the wreckage might distract from the quarterly earnings reports. How many 'collateral damage' assessments are based on officials simply 'not sticking around' to count?