this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
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The leaders of three branches of the U.S. military slammed Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) over his monthslong blockade of senior military promotions Tuesday, with one accusing the Republican senator of “aiding and abetting communists.”

“For someone who was born in a communist country, I would have never imagined that actually one of our own senators would actually be aiding and abetting communists and other autocratic regimes around the world,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro — a Cuban-born Navy veteran — said Tuesday during an interview on CNN alongside Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.

“This is having a real negative impact and will continue to have a real negative impact on our combat readiness,” Del Toro added.

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[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 73 points 1 year ago (6 children)

And pray thee, which "communists" would that be? Because last I checked, Russia was an oligarchy and China a capitalist quasi dictatorship.

[–] TheJims@lemmy.world 53 points 1 year ago (2 children)

He’s doing it for pro Russia American Facists or who we simply call Republicans these days.

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He secretary of Navy (= saying "communists" for the ears of the pro Russia US facists) or Tuberville (= aiding and abetting Russia to make his electorate happy)?

[–] AmberPrince@kbin.social 25 points 1 year ago

I think Del Toro said communists just so Republicans would care. Since they seem to believe communists are at your local food back, or teaching kids in schools.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

And the far right call everything they don't like either "woke" or "Communist" these days. It's interesting how the hard right especially now loathe anything anti-fascist, too. There was a point where they did not say the quiet part out loud, now they do.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Cuba biding its time?

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Delivering impactful messaging is a good thing, actually.

Also he's blocking appointments until the government penalizes abortions in the military btw.

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's not impactful to me because I'm used to ignoring anyone whenever they claim something is communism.

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Then that tells me you're probably not a Republican voter which means this message isn't for you as you already don't support Tuberville's unhinged crusade to ban abortions in the military.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This, so much this. Communism, most especially the capital-C Communism the goofy Republicans rail against, are not really even a thing.

I suppose an imaginary enemy is much more convenient than a real one, where your populist statements might face a reality check.

It's very similar to how Republicans have this fetish with unborn children, yet conveniently forget to give a shit about children the moment they are born into a poor family.

[–] yesman@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

I don't think it's helpful to gate-keep definitions. China says it's a communist country, and that's good enough for me. So goes Cuba, Best Korea, and Vietnam. Splitting hairs over the difference between Marxist-Leninist vs. Unitary one party Socialist State sounded cool and academic until I heard a libertarian claiming to be an anarcho-syndicalist and realized how 'well, actually' that shit sounds.

People who look forward to an egalitarian economic and social order need to acknowledge the failures of real life socialism. Fuck the confederates, leftists are the real "lost causers". I don't know how to do socialism "right". But I know we can't get there by arguing semantics.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I guess that means North Korea is democratic and a republic.

[–] Redscare867@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Modern communists do recognize the failures of attempts at socialism. They recognize that those failures directly lead to Deng Xioaping and his friends taking control of China and destroying the socialist state. Simply because China declares itself communist does not make it so. I could declare myself the king of England do I suddenly get the throne just because I’ve claimed it? China, much like the USSR before it must declare itself communist due to the popularity that Mao has in the country. Unfortunately socialism died in China shortly after Mao. The “why did socialism fail” is exactly what communists study so that they can understand the pitfalls and try to move past them in the future.

This isn’t a case of gatekeeping. China has become exactly what it hated the Soviets for — social imperialists.

China says it’s a communist country,

"China says"? You mean the one, and true voice of 1.3 billion Chinese people, that all agree with? Or even the majority?

China is run by money like most of the rest of the world, therefore the system under the hood is capitalism. And since it's a one-party system, it's a de-facto dictatorship.

[–] wrath-sedan@kbin.social 20 points 1 year ago

Some have touched on this but I think the reason for the communist comment is to get the people Tuberville IS supposedly accountable to ie his supporters, donors, voters, lobbyists etc. mad about what he’s doing. The top secretaries of the military don’t generally criticize sitting senators, but this is an intentional ploy to erode his support with a right-wing ostensibly pro-military anti-communist base.

[–] DougHolland@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    OK, so there's this wingnut Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Football) who's angry that the military reimburses officers for travel expenses when they need to go out-of-state for an abortion. Until that rule's changed, Tuberville has vowed to block all military promotions (who knew Senators had that power?) and now the Army, Navy and Marine Corps have no Senate-approved commanders in place.

    Other than how it screws over low-ranking officers, I really give no shits at all about Tuberville's blockade. It makes him look like an idiot, and he is an idiot, and I'm pretty sure the Army, Navy and Marine Corps can do all their armying, navying, and marine corpsing without Senate-approved leadership.

    But man, I got a laugh out of that "aiding and abetting the Communists" crack.

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Other than how it screws over low-ranking officers,

The military has vacancies in senior leadership positions that cannot be filled, which is obviously a big fucking deal.

In addition to hundreds of one-, two- and three- star generals and admirals, the holds delay the confirmation of the Pentagon’s top leaders — who make up the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including the chairman. Already, the U.S. Marine Corps is without a confirmed leader for the first time in a century. And by law, the current Joint Chiefs chairman, Army Gen. Mark Milley, will step down at the end of September, and the current Army chief will leave his post in early August. The nominees to succeed them have had hearings, but no votes

https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc

[–] zaph@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 year ago

And by not promoting a general that backs up hundreds of promotions down the officer ranks. Can't promote any LT's because a few caps can't get promoted because a couple of majs can't get promoted because some ltcol's can't get promoted because a col can't get promoted because tubby blocked a general.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Hey, how can you be so rude? The man has excelled in a key leadership position in the country, one that a privileged few hold. Why are you ignoring all that and referring to him with his minor title of "Senator"?

Please refer to him as "Coach" from now on, as that's the title he really values.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

I do like how he translated this into wingnut-ese.

how about “seditionists”

[–] BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Well when you put it that way this stagnation seems like a good idea!

[–] mr_robot2938@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Anyone else notice the Senator taking a nap in the background of the title image? Dude is passed out in whatever that hearing that is.

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club -1 points 1 year ago

That's one hell of a reach

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Welcome to The United States, where anything anyone doesn't like is automatically communism.

[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org 14 points 1 year ago

If someone is born in a communist place and leaves it and later says this is bad like that is bad, it's not the same as your drunk uncle ranting about why he can't afford the newest F150