This is NOT a "cheap "political stunt".
Unfortunately, when you join any of the US Armed Forces, you give up a certain amount of your rights as a civilian. One of them is that you may NEVER PUBLICLY CRITICIZE YOUR SUPERIORS.
What this man did was wrong, and he should be busted (reduced in rank) at least one stripe for doing it publicly.. While I agree totally with his opinion, he did not, and does not, have the right to express that opinion publicly.
And,. if he WERE to refuse orders given by the President, he would be subject to, and should get, a Court Martial.
During the Vietnam war, a lot of us didn't agree with what Secretary of Defense McNamara and President Johnson were doing, but we shut up and followed orders as long as they were not illegal.
Unfortunately, when you join any of the US Armed Forces, you give up a certain amount of your rights as a civilian. One of them is that you may NEVER PUBLICLY CRITICIZE YOUR SUPERIORS.
What this man did was wrong, and he should be busted (reduced in rank) at least one stripe for doing it publicly.. While I agree totally with his opinion, he did not, and does not, have the right to express that opinion publicly.
And,. if he WERE to refuse orders given by the President, he would be subject to, and should get, a Court Martial.
During the Vietnam war, a lot of us didn't agree with what Secretary of Defense McNamara and President Johnson were doing, but we shut up and followed orders as long as they were not illegal.