Thoughts? This is pretty crazy.
Shrug, I think that we can agree the National Security Council are a bunch of idiots, so putting a smart person in there seems pretty smart??
a person with no relevant experience, and taking off top ranking military members? How is that smart. Seems like a great way to lose the military if you ask me.
^no relevant experience? Is that 100% true?
^ He actually does have some relevant experience, but he’s a political advisor, so not appropriate for him to sit on NSC IMO. Issues of national security should be debated outside the lense of political considerations.
ok, i guess we should count working IB at Goldman & writing articles for Breitbart as prep for a role on the NSC
c’mon guys, hes a Harvard HBS grad and put time in at GS in M&A - he can do annyyyything lol
you beat me to it
He actually has a master’s degree in National Security Studies and was a special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon.
^Not to mention served as an officer in the navy for 7 years. im not saying he is the right choice, but lets be accurate w our statements
^ Agree. If people are going to bash a guy, they should do it for the right reasons.
shouldnt mix the two. The clown should be relegated to one or the other.
Fair enough, I wasnt aware of that and it helps somewhat. But still taking intel & JCSC leaders off the NSC & putting Bannon is highly questionable as their experience certainly towers over his. Its an extremely political move, and I cant imagine anyone in the military is too happy about it.
7 years Navy and a masters degree in National Security shouldn’t get you there. Sounds like a 30 year old.
And taking the Chairman of the JCS out of the principals meetings, but invited if needed? wtf
This had to be some pre-election promise that Bannon cried out to Trump about.
Perhaps it would help if OP posted the actual matter or comment that is being discussed, to help guide this back on topic.
Summary:
President Donald Trump is reshuffling the US National Security Council (NSC), downgrading the military chiefs of staff and giving a regular seat to his chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Mr Bannon, formerly the head of the populist right-wing, Breitbart News website, will join high-level discussions about national security.
The order was signed on Saturday.
The director of national intelligence and the joint chiefs will attend when discussions pertain to their areas.
Under previous administrations, the director and joint chiefs attended all meetings of the NSC’s inner circle, the principals’ committee.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38787241
Here is the executive order’s first relevant portion:
The Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, the _Assistant to the President and Chief Strategis_t, the Counsel to the President, the Deputy Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget are invited as attendees to any NSC meeting
and, the portion with respect to the Principal Committee:
The PC shall have as its regular attendees the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, the Assistant to the President and Chief Strategist, the National Security Advisor, and the Homeland Security Advisor. The Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall attend where issues pertaining to their responsibilities and expertise are to be discussed.
Full executive order:
Meh, narrowly defining things as “relevant experience”, and pulling out pieces of paper and a highlighter, isn’t really smart. We all know people in investment management with their fancy background, that couldn’t beat the market to save their own life.
If you listen to him talk, this is the smartest guy in the room, extremely knowledgeable on human history (it repeats itself), knowledgeable on global affairs, a master strategist with actual wins against previously thought unbeatable targets (here in the information age, very relevant), plus basic sense and practicality (which is basically extinct in the US). What do the current idiots on the council have to show?
I would put him on there if nothing else to look over their shoulders, let me know if those idiots do idiotic stuff. Anyhow, this confirm one of my remaining questions “he’s smart, but how much influence will he get, because the room is getting crowded with players?”, the answer seems to be, a lot.
Its really not a big deal that Bannon is in these meetings. I guess there is a huge paranoia because the commander-in-chief is considered to be so inept that a bad adviser may be all that may truly negate years of good work.
How big a deal it is remains to be seen. I posted the excerpts above in response to ohai so that people could see WTF was even at issue.
I disagree about it not being a big deal. Decisions regarding national security should be made without politics being part of the primary debate. POTUS needs to hear the opinions of true national security experts without a little birdie sitting on his shoulder whispering things like “your base isn’t going to like that”, “we’ll move up in the polls if we do that”, etc. Let POTUS hear the facts, make a decision, and then the political strategists can try to change his mind. It’s a heck of a lot easier to influence an initial decision than it is to make someone change a decision they have already made.