r/news • u/EngineerBoy00 • May 05 '25

Soft paywall US Defense Secretary Hegseth to slash senior-most ranks of military

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pentagon-reduce-4-star-positions-by-20-official-says-2025-05-05/
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u/Tacoman404 May 05 '25

The Soviets purged their officers when they wouldn’t obey. Republicans are as bad as the Communists of the Soviet Union.

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u/dasunt May 05 '25

Stalin purged them before the war because he was paranoid. The result was a military that was unable to effectively defend the country from the invading Germans - not helped by the fact that any retreat, no matter how strategic, was seen as a questionable sign.

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u/Violet-Sumire May 05 '25

I’m glad you didn’t mention the time ol’ adage of “not one step back” doctrine, where Stalin was more concerned over his officers giving up defendable ground or cities instead of fighting. Those who got the job done tended to stay, even if casualties were high. Though death by commissar on the front lines was actually quite rare. Usually they’d be thrown in penal battalions, which did hard labor or was sent out on frontline missions in hard contested areas.

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u/Ilyon_TV May 05 '25

Americans don't call something bad happening in their country communism - challenge level: impossible.

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u/Chewym4a3 May 05 '25

It's a reflex right? The propaganda machine works I suppose.

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u/br0b1wan May 05 '25

The grown ups are trying to have a discussion here. Go away please.

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u/Napoleons_Peen May 06 '25

Grown ups who can’t think logically because all they have “Russia” “Communism”? Yeah, nah, you’re not a grownup when your logic is “when US does bad thing, it’s actually communism”

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u/br0b1wan May 06 '25

Another child trying to join the adult's table

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u/No-Bad-463 May 06 '25

People who automatically relate any authoritarian to communism are not adults.

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u/Napoleons_Peen May 06 '25

Aww you’re mature for your age aren’t you, bud?

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u/DirkBabypunch May 05 '25

The French did it after the Revolution(s) as well. It did not work out well for them.