In 2011, when Iranian-backed insurgents in Iraq, using Iranian-supplied rockets, were killing American troops, Marine General James Mattis,  head of U.S. Central Command, grew increasingly incensed. As a result, he formulated a plan, which made it to (and was rejected by) the Obama White House, to launch a direct American “dead-of-night” attack on Iran either to take out a power plant or an oil refinery. This “World War III scenario” — the willingness to take a chance, that is, on sparking a regional conflagration — and the urge to act preemptively (including against “Iranian swarm boats” in the Persian Gulf) finally led to his being replaced as CENTCOM commander five months early. ( extracted from an article by Greg Jaffe and Adam Entous, Washington Post).

This, dear Reader, is the man billed as one of the ” grown-ups” in the new Trump Administration.  If this is a serious, thoughtful member of the Cabinet, then we are in dire trouble.  Epicurus might well  appoint psychological councillors for the whole lot of these bomb-throwers and sentence them to intensively growing cabbages in his Garden for two full years.

Seriously though, this points up the reason why the American system puts control of the military in civilian hands – under normal presidencies.  Trump has chosen several military people in place of civilians, to control key aspects of national security and the military.  Why is this being allowed?  Where is judgment?