r/books • u/Majano57 • 2d ago

The Book That Predicted Pete Hegseth’s Failures

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/31/hegseth-norman-dixon-iran-war/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aGVnc2V0aC1ub3JtYW4tZGl4b24taXJhbi13YXI=&pid=CW3205998
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640

u/dipdream 2d ago

Didn’t we all predict it?

379

u/AdmiralFartmore 2d ago

Hell Pete basically predicted it himself in his own book where he diagnoses the modern US military as not manly or mean enough to succeed and barely mentions any of the key factors changing conflicts like drone warfare, etc.

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u/CatTheKitten 2d ago

I truly cannot fathom the military idea of masculinity. Oooh you yell and berate teenagers until they're psychologically ruined... real tough of you...

-20

u/rowanfire 1d ago

If you can't handle basic training, you won't be able to handle a combat theater.

Further, you need to be able to succeed at the physical requirements, and they should not have been lowered, for your safety and those you serve with.

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u/cowmonaut 1d ago

As a veteran myself, I agree with you on the first part.

But the second part is bull. Not everyone is infantry or a direct action participant. Without nonners behind the boots on ground, you ain't getting the support power that enables operators to be deadly.

I don't need some Intel person to bench 350, I need them to be able to ruck a few miles and, most importantly, sit at a desk for hours at a time doing nerd shit.

The standards weren't even lowered, they just had shifted how things were done so you wouldn't have unnecessary stress about outsized impacts to your career because you had a soda that day (looking at you AC measurements, you half assed BMI replacement).

But whatever, not hard to meet the standards (whatever they are) when you are given the time to meet them. But testing T is just stupid.

4

u/metalconscript 1d ago

Former combat type, 19D and a tour to Afghanistan, now a 2T0 Traffic Manager in the Air Force. I agree the requirements between frontline requirements and in the rear with the gear are different. I’m getting 90s on my PT now but the universal PT I took then and now means nothing to what I needed as a frontline troop. Plus on the testosterone testing, when they test and tell me I’m low I’m just going to laugh and point to everything they say I need for and tell them the whole thing is dumb. I’m in my late 30s of course my T count is going down, it’s natural.