Toxic masculinity shows US Secretary of War is not a serious figure

Related, but mabye more about having Trump's view of the world put into practice.

I was only half listening but a US advisor on the war was being interviewed. And he in all seriousness was saying what the US was doing was right. And once they have stopped bombing everything then the Iranian people should just get on with it and put in place a new regime.

Starting from the fact that many parts of the infrastructure of the country no longer work, and without access to the internet how is anyone going to know that that point has arrived, what to they think "the people" can do.

He came over as a sort of Dr Strangelove figure.

Or maybe just like Trump has no idea how politics actually works.

Not even, although it would be rejected, saying the UN could send in peace keepers whilst the country holds elections or forms a coaltion government.

As though the new Ayatollah and those who put him in place would just give up the power they have.

But also the arrogance.

Its this complete lack of understanding that 9 times out of 10 it is the reaction to the US (and other parts of the west) that create the situations the west then says isn't too their liking.

Earlier in the week I saw an interview with the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan on C4 news. And given his position has no love for Iran.

And the interviewer asked some innane question about whether the current Ayatollah would agree to work with the US or some such.

And this man just looked at the interviewer as though he was just a tiny bit deranged and asked him would you work with the people who had killed your father, you wife and children (and I think a brother).

Even C4 news that obviously thinks its more advanced in its thinking seems to accept the narrative that the west can just go and dabble in other countries problems and they will all be grateful.

Look at the mess the US has left in Libya, Iraq and however many other places.

So although Trump is so overtly I am right even when I am wrong there is no doubt that the western lens that looks at events just does not for a second doubt that despite deaths and terrible destruction it will be better for those who are losing loved one, their homes and their businesses.

Lets not forget Good Queen Bess who not only started wars but sanctioned piracy by English ship captains.

Although in truth these females leaders adopted the appropriate male approach to keep their positions.

I think with Hegseth it is because it is so cartoonish, and facile.

And of course the utter US centric view that one US death requires presidents and all news challenges to show sadness, and yet 100+ school girls killed are not acknowledged.

I think it really jars.

But maybe all the UK made war films with noble foot soldiers and old school officers are false representation, and they too were / are more Hegseth in reality.

Thanks that's a good read.

" ... One might say Hegseth sounds like he thinks he is in a film, but only if it were a really bad film, perhaps written by a 15-year-old using ChatGPT. A comic, perhaps. A computer game. Probably, one should not use the phrase “small dick energy” on the comment pages, and particularly not when accusing other people of cheapening the discourse. But damn it, I think I must. ... "

re Americans being uninformed about other countries.

I suspect it is much the same in the UK.

More and more mainstream news reporting is very UK centric and also very much about personality politics.

And really notice the difference with say France 24 which I "discovered" during the Olympics. There coverage on news from other countries is quite wide ranging. As is Al Jazeera's.

Although more through tv series etc., I think many in the UK think they know about the US.

Well now I am going to have to admit I am uninformed. It never occured to me he had been in the army. I thought he was all play ground make believe.

What kind of officer was he?

How depressing.

Its strange how adults go on about young people being influenced by social media, when so many of them are totally captured by tv and film make believe.

And whatever the rights or wrongs in various parts of the middle east, the idea that people with this level of understanding are meddling there, and have the weapons, it really, really scary.

Although it would be niave of me not to realise that there will be parts of the US where they will applaud and agree with his behaviour.

I think sadly, even though I would love to think that journalists have all now adopted a feminist analysis of politics, that it is because they are insulting him.

But honestly, the posturing and the language, whether its toxic masculinity or school boy showing off, if it wasn't so serious is would be so cringe inducing.

Although I have always felt Trump's view of the world / politics is based on US films he has seen or US tv series he has followed.

That what is important is that 2 minute clip or whatever, some special effects and the world is put to rights. That that is all you have to do.

And when it doesn't work he just gets bored.

But Hegseth is like some really bad B movie. Terrible script and then, which is so gross, mixing actual bombardments with movie clips.

I wonder how those in the US see it.

Terrifying that these are the men who have the finger on the button of atomic weapons.