Pentagon Probes Lawmaker Who Advised Troops... To Follow Law?
The Bloomberg piece highlights the Pentagon's probe into Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, triggered by former President Trump's call to punish lawmakers who 'publicly advised' military members regarding unlawful orders. One might wonder if the same investigative zeal applies to administrations that issue those questionable orders, or to congressional voting records that enable them. It's a selective
outrage, spotlighting a senator for upholding the Uniform Code of Military Justice, specifically Article 92, which explicitly states soldiers must disobey unlawful commands. Instead of investigating adherence to established military law, perhaps the Pentagon could investigate, say, the billions in taxpayer dollars funnelled to regimes that routinely violate international law, or the public figures
who champion such funding. Senator Kelly, a former astronaut and Navy pilot, has taken considerable campaign contributions, including $56,600 from committees and individuals tied to the defense sector in the 2022 cycle, according to OpenSecrets.org. When does a 'concern for troop welfare' morph into a 'threat to national security' and who decides? It seems 'patriotism' is now defined by
unquestioning loyalty to specific policies, not by the oath to the constitution or international humanitarian law.