When Pete Hegseth summoned hundreds of the US military’s top brass from around the globe to a special meeting in Virginia last week, “rumours ran wild”, said Eliot A. Cohen in The Atlantic . Was the Secretary of Defence about to purge the ranks, or demand that these leaders swear fealty to the president? No, it turned out the former Fox News host wanted to lecture them on the “warrior ethos”.

Hegseth said he was fed up with “fat troops” and “fat generals and admirals”. All soldiers would have to be in good shape, and clean-shaven: “no more beardos”. Diversity and inclusion is out: there would be “No more identity months, DEI offices , dudes in dresses,” he declared, “no more climate-change worship... we are done with that shit!” Training should be “scary, tough and disciplined”. Serge

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