Warfighter Pete Hegseth's Vision for the Military is Equal Parts Homophobic and Homoerotic
Trump has branded himself a Prince of peace and his neocon enemies within the Republican Party as warmongers salivating at the prospect of getting our country involved in costly, deadly, unwinnable global conflicts.
The 47th president called Liz Cheney a “warmonger of low intelligence.” He similarly called former national security adviser John Bolton a “warmonger" as well as “very dumb” and “a stupid guy.”
Trump wants peace, man! It’s these old-school, non-MAGA hawks who want to fatten the pockets of the defense industry.
So I can’t help but notice the exquisite irony of Trump hiring, as his Secretary of Defense, a white nationalist alcoholic accused of all manner of sexual transgressions who calls the people who work for the military “war-fighters” because “soldier”, “marine”, and “veteran” are all insufficiently manly and macho for him.
Trump appointed Hegseth to a position for which he is wildly unqualified, presumably because he had spoken favorably about him on television and has a strong jaw. The president loves to gush about people looking like they came out of “central casting.”
That’s Hegseth. If a G.I. Joe came to life, got hooked on steroids, groped women, and got a bunch of ugly tattoos reflecting his white nationalist convictions, it would be Hegseth.
“War” and “fighter” were not aggressive enough for Hegseth, so he smashed them together for a new phrase that puts the “man” in “portmanteau.”
WARFIGHTER! Say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying.
Trump ran as a pacifist. Unlike the Bushes and Cheneys, he wasn’t about fighting wars. So he naturally tapped someone who sees fighting wars as the military’s ultimate purpose for the top defense job.
For Hegseth, the most critical aspect of his job is promoting a “warrior ethos” that emphasizes being as lethal as possible.
Hegseth’s warrior ethos is incompatible with what he refers to as “dudes in dresses.” They are more accurately known as trans soldiers who served their country honorably, unlike Hegseth’s boss, who loves to fetishize the military and military strength while cutting the budget of the VA and disparaging soldiers who have the temerity to criticize him in any way.
Trump has deluded himself into thinking that Hegseth embodies the concept of peace through strength. He obviously thinks that other countries will look at the Secretary of Defense and be blown away. How could they possibly compete against somebody so tough, muscle-bound, macho, and aggressive? How could countries protected by garden-variety soldiers triumph against badass warfighters?
In a flagrant act of jackassery, Hegseth had Harvey Milk’s name taken off a Navy ship. Milk served his country with pride for four years before he was kicked out for being gay.
Donald Trump, in sharp contrast, who dodged the draft and speaks disparagingly of soldiers individually and as a group, will nevertheless be the lucky recipient of a military parade for his birthday that will cost tens of millions.
Hegseth doesn’t want anyone to think that there’s anything remotely gay about a bunch of muscle-bound studs in the primes of their young lives broing it out for months at a time in tight quarters while wearing tight uniforms.
Hegseth’s warrior ethos is so over the top in its cartoonish conception of masculinity that it’s ragingly homoerotic. Hegseth’s personal aesthetic is a blend of G.I. Joe and Tom of Finland.
Hegseth’s version of the navy is only slightly less homoerotic than the one found in the Village People anthem “In the Navy.” He wants to bring back the warrior spirit of the ancient Greeks, who revolutionized warfare when not enthusiastically enjoying gay sex.
Hegseth’s vision for the military is both ragingly homophobic and incredibly homoerotic.
You can pre-order my upcoming book, The Fractured Mirror here: https://the-fractured-mirror.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Nathan needed expensive, life-saving dental implants, and his dental plan didn’t cover them, so he started a GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-nathans-journey-to-dental-implants. Give if you can!
Did you enjoy this article? Then consider becoming a patron here.