Show 325 - Who's the Boss?
Summary
Dan Carlin analyzes President Trump’s inflammatory response to Democratic lawmakers reminding military personnel of their duty to refuse illegal orders. He argues this reaction threatens a critical safeguard against authoritarianism, citing historical precedents like the Nuremberg Trials and the U.S. v. Keenan case to emphasize that soldiers are "reasoning agents," not automatons. Carlin warns that undermining this principle erodes the firewall protecting American democracy from potential domestic abuse of military power.
Topics discussed
Bangladesh violence and the tactic of 'flooding the zone'
Lawmakers remind troops of duty to refuse illegal orders
President's reaction and the 'Superior Orders' defense
Military as a firewall against authoritarianism
Criticism of leadership as a fundamental right
Who controls the country: The people or the President?
Historical precedents: Nuremberg and My Lai
Case study: United States v. Keenan
Details of the Keenan incident and court ruling
Soldiers as reasoning agents, not automatons
Legal standards for disobeying manifestly illegal orders
The Oath of Enlistment and final safeguards
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