He's right in his characterization of my lack of social skills when dealing with public servants who are failing at a critical junction in the nation's history, and who are engaged in the profession of conflict where we blow people into pieces and watch their arms and legs fly in separate directions, set people on fire, and instead of protractors and calculators, we have nuclear warheads that can decimate entire cities. That being the background, Tony is correct that when criticizing my failing peers, doing so in a way that makes them comfortable and feel good about themselves isn't always, shall we say, a priority of mine. Tony also got some other things right about me in his recent LinkedIn article that people may want to check out.
I don't have LinkedIn since resumes are not really my thing, unsurprisingly I'm sure, but somebody I know stopped by to share the comments from his article with me. Depressing as expected. Much too accommodating for fascism masquerading as intellectual debate and absent the kind of responses such views deserve. Even now, even in this context, Tony sets a polite and cordial seat positioned at the table for those who hate our nation to its core, carefully going over the guest list to ensure nobody is uncomfortable while they call for outright tyranny with their tea and crumpets; a polite pseudo-academic center of gravity that has been exploited and that has led us to this day, but much more importantly, is leading us to a nightmare that will finally be undeniable to all.
Tony, now fittingly a long time resident of Europe and a dual citizen, how poetic, of King George's Britain (I sincerely hope we get a law passed outlawing dual citizenship so Tony can choose the United Kingdom where they routinely arrest hundreds of people for non-approved innocuous social media posts and are more suited to his tastes) makes a good host for this infernal dinner party given that he has maintained that no rights in our Constitution are inviolate and he believes any constitutional right can be violated so long as a majority wants to do so. No constitutional amendment required, just mob rule, the very thing our Constitution rejected and restrained. Those are Tony's actual beliefs and, his latest words notwithstanding, he has much more in common with those who issue unlawful orders than he does with those who refuse them. His words may change with the ebb and flow of elections and narratives, but at his core, Tony Carr does not believe Americans have rights; he believes Americans have privileges that can be revoked at majority will. These days he doesn't like the majority's political choice and what has followed from the current mob's fervor (nor do I), so he trots out my name for his thinly-veiled political hackery.
For all Tony's faults cataloged on this blog over the years, providing a place for discussion of important matters when it comes to public service wasn't one of them (even though he banned me from those discussions). And then when one of his audience asked him why he was writing about me over on his JQP Facebook page and yet not allowing me to participate in the discussion, he repeatedly lied that he had not banned me. Tony Carr writes real purty, but he has the key characteristic of all bad actors. Insecurity that leads to dishonesty. And, of course, he projects his character failures on others who hold a mirror up to him and reveal the phony that he is. Like he projected here, ascribing dishonesty to me despite the thrust of his criticism being that I'm too honest, similar to how he has written he doesn't respect me and never could, yet in his latest article he begins by declaring his respect for me. Somehow I become "one of the most dishonest" people he's ever encountered just a few hours after he tells his audience that we're not friends, or pals, but that he respects me. Why would you respect one of the most dishonest people you've ever encountered? Maybe he'll show the receipts for his claim that I'm dishonest, I certainly have a collection of my own, but he won't because his claim is just projection. Dishonesty is not a characteristic of mine. I inspire all kinds of emotional turmoil in poor Tony and he'll say the damndest things, and then the opposite.
Side note, Brian was the guy who sat CQ in my blog post about our Field Training camp experience, the most formative experience of my entire military career.
Tony likes to talk about truth, free speech, debate and having a thick skin, but like any politician those are just talking points for him rather than actual values. He has to control the "debate." Control of information is the first step to ensuring truth doesn't rear its inconvenient head and spill his fine British tea all over his perfectly fashionable white tablecloth. Truth is fine, even useful for tyrants and oligarchs and propagandists, but only when it's controlled, otherwise, well, things get messy and truth has a habit of escaping its cage.
Such control of speech has turned the Internet from its promise of citizens discussing important matters, and using harsh words rather than soft bullets to build consensus and solve problems in our Republic, into the greatest tool of tyranny, propaganda, and mind control known to mankind. Just ask free speech champion Elon Musk about that. When I criticized a sitting member of Congress (who Tony Carr has unsurprisingly lavished praise upon), Elon banned my decade old account that had somehow survived those on the so-called-left operating the platform. Dozens of appeals later didn't matter. Because Elon knows, like any politician or Information Pimp, that most people are morons (and he loves to employ hypocrites who say one thing and do another) and that you can simply claim values you don't have and then take actions that are the opposite with little criticism. Like Tony, he uses words that are useful even when he doesn't actually believe them. Information is just a whore you send out to turn tricks.
Wise Americans, few that they are, realize words are easy. Action is all that actually matters. But if you can't even get words right, before you do your wrongful action and show yourself a hypocrite, you're a non-starter.
All this is just to say, Tony Carr was claiming to value free speech and debate while banning voices like mine, and showing he doesn't actually hold the values he professes, before it was still not cool.
Despite the highly censored landscape of today, Tony shares some truth in his article that we can all agree on (well, with a few caveats):
Alas, it jaded him. He's viscerally hostile to anyone he estimates to be morally lacking, whether he's ever met them or not. Especially USAF officers, hailing as they do from an obedience culture that adores deference and promotes those who ask the fewest questions.
He flames, trolls, and harasses hapless path-crossers for the sin of having their own opinions, unwittingly commanding mental compliance he knows is wrong. Rick enjoys conflict. He doesn’t observe rhetorical limits. He enjoys helping others acclimate to the discomfort he enjoys.
The first caveat is that I don't care about a public servant's personal morality. They're free to be vegan and think eating meat is bad, put "He/Him" pronouns in their bio like Tony does and think that's a societal good, or believe whatever they wish in their personal lives. However, as a military officer, they must be personally amoral, set aside their personal views, and act in accordance with the law and uphold their oath to support the Constitution. It is the law that matters as a public servant given our law is the distilled collective morality of our nation and is the only thing that should be driving a public servant's actions. As a military officer what you think is right or wrong doesn't matter, you must act as the nation has instructed you based on what it thinks is right and wrong as codified into law. If public service is too much for you, go work for Amazon.
The second caveat is that me not agreeing with somebody and directly telling them as much without asking them if they want one lump or two, is not me commanding mental compliance. I have no such power. However, if that option were available to me, I would most certainly exercise it when it comes to military officers and all other public servants. Get your thoughts correct, this isn't Burger King (no offense to the monarchy where Tony is a citizen), you don't get to have it your way, think and act correctly when you do your job, anything less is unacceptable. While creativity and debate is valuable for how to best execute the mission, the basics of public service and our Constitutional limitations, our primary purpose spelled out in regulation ("to support the Constitution"), our law and our oath, aren't up for debate; it's not an academic circle jerk where you get to play cutesy with words to get the result you personally want (that just coincidentally meshes with your political affiliation), at least not in a sane healthy America, but of course we don't live there.
Last caveat, my refusal of an unlawful order in 2011 did not produce my correct thinking or make me jaded. My correct thinking produced correct action, that's why since at least 2009 on this blog and long before that unlawful mission, I had been beating the drum on the importance of the oath of office and knowing the Constitution in order to fulfill the obligations of public service correctly. Well before the unlawful mission, I was ordered by Lt Col Richard Nesmith, my squadron commander when I was teaching Undergraduate Pilot Training, to stop talking about the Constitution with student pilots (I asked for the order in writing, he refused, so I figured he changed his mind on his order). I knew of the importance of faithful public service and dedicated energy into trying to mentor younger officers to understand the gravity of their executive positions well before I was put into the hot seat myself. If you don't think correctly, you will most certainly not act correctly should you find yourself in a similar situation. Check the tapes.
But all these years later, the fact remains that Tony Carr is nothing more than words he doesn't actually believe and can't quite get right. So of course a guy who exists only in words would continue to be fascinated by me and seek to write about my words-made-action. That's the closest a guy like Tony can get to actually being the ideal he imperfectly pretends to be on paper. It's a love/hate thing I encounter from beta males who read too many books on knights and heroes slaying dragons, who then latch on to me while hating my toxic masculinity or my narcissism or whatever limp-wristed term they apply to me to express how they hate how I make them feel about themselves while frustratingly admiring me. Maybe if Tony can one day get words right, he'll be better suited to actually embody them in deed and won't feel so insecure. Deeds not words.
And, Tony, I had to share the image up top. It's one of my favorites and, after all, I'm a raging prick. But at least I didn't share the one making fun of the fact that, while you were a student at Harvard Law School no less, you thought you zinged me while only demonstrating you didn't know that Thomas Jefferson wasn't an author of the Constitution. Of course, who would expect a British citizen to know our history?
Oh, and for those who want to stop by and share your view that I'm a "total asshole" while collecting a like from Tony, you can do that on his Substack where he posts a similar article.





















