"...do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..."

"For the good of the Air Force, for the good of the armed services and for the good of our country, I urge you to reject convention and careerism..."
- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Maxwell AFB, April 21, 2008

"You will need to challenge conventional wisdom and call things like you see them to subordinates and superiors alike."
- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, United States Air Force Academy, March 4, 2011

Monday, April 7, 2014

The Constituion in Crisis

With all the things going on today, this 1987 PBS piece from Bill Moyers, "The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis" is illuminating.  It's interesting to note how "The Enterprise" has grown.  While this video is well worth watching, I hope military officers will not throw up their hands.  Rather, I hope they will find the resolve to ensure that, unlike Lt Col Oliver North, they are steadfast to our Constitution and our nation rather than oath breakers who simply look like patriots when in uniform.

This video should be required for all military officers.  When those above, even the president, order you to violate the Constitution, you have a duty to disobey.

This lesson is more important today than it was in the 1980s.


  1. Respectfully Sir, I must disagree.....Lt Col Oliver North is an outstanding American and a TRUE supporter of the US Military.

  2. Lying to Congress to protect a President breaking Congressional law is an outstanding American? How so?

    1. If he was truly guilty, why did he never spend a day in jail over it, much less retire from the service? The fact that he served in Vietnam and was wounded under fire earns my respect. If memory serves correct Admiral Poindexter was the one that was found guilty and lost a star and was forced into retirement. Ollie has been a strong and consistent supporter of the military and the guys deployed in the AOR.....particularly the enlisted.

  3. I don't doubt that he supports the military, I said he's a shit officer. A good officer is not one who puts his allegiance to the military over his allegiance to the law. Maybe in North Korea, but not in America. He should have been court martialed. The reason he wasn't, was because he was protected by those who act unlawfully who have no fear of our laws. The untouchables.

    Military officers should never put their unit commander over the People of the nation, or the laws the representatives of the People make. We are a nation of laws, not men. That doesn't change if it becomes a group commander, or a brigade commander, or even the commander in chief.

    North broke the law, put his commander and his commander's law breaking above the People of this nation, and then had the tenacity to lie to Congress with an arrogant "I'm untouchable" smirk on his face.

    He is a shameful American and an even worse military officer.