Retired US generals & Admirals work for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

[Cattledog]

More than 500 retired U.S. military personnel — including scores of generals and admirals — have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses and political repression, according to a Washington Post investigation.

In Saudi Arabia, for example, 15 retired U.S. generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants for the Defense Ministry since 2016. The ministry is led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, who U.S. intelligence agencies say approved the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributing columnist, as part of a brutal crackdown on dissent.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2022/veterans-us-foreign-jobs-saudi-arabia/?itid=hp-top-table-main_p001_f001

[gab13by13]

1. Unfuckingbelievable.

[niyad]

2. Disgusting. But not surprising, given that the military is not exactly a bastion

of liberals and non-authoritarians.

[Shipwack]

25. There's more liberals in the military than you would think..

I was one, and knew many others. Most are more or less apolitical, though there are a sprinkling of RWNJs.

A lot more officers are conservative, though, for various reasons. Money being one. Privileged background another. To get into one of the academies it really helps "to know someone", which is more likely if one of your parents is factory management than if they work at Walmart. Also, like tends to like like; I'm willing to bet that a liberal congress critter would be willing to ignore a conservative background of a candidate than a conservative would be willing to ignore a liberal background...

[niyad]

45. As I sad in another thread earlier today, I know a fair number of them. But,

having grown up in the military, and worked with them, knew a fair number of the others, as well.

And, since I live down the road from that bastion of xian evangelicalism known as the USAFA, I see what is being turned out.

[Elessar Zappa]

30. The military isn't as conservative as law enforcement in my experience.

Sure, there’s a certain amount of rightwing nuts but I’ve known many military veterans who are liberals. Cops not so much.

[rlexx]

31. Generalize much???

[niyad]

46. Nothing inaccurate in my statement, as it was not an all-or-nofhing.

[Irish_Dem]

3. The Axis of Evil (Russia, Saudi, China, Iran) has been waging war on western democracies.

We are too dim to see it.

[secondwind]

4. What the fu...... !!!

And we PAY for their pensions?????

[karynnj]

6. Exactly, I wonder if either the Joint chief of staff or Congress can change that

Part of the problem in correcting it might be the fiction that Saudi Arabia is our ally. A fiction spoken by many administration's for decades.

[wnylib]

10. We need a law that cancels pensions

for anyone who goes to work for any foreign government, ally or not. Allies can change, so no point in naming specific countries, just make it across the board for any foreign government.

[Rebl2]

17. I know

they are supposedly an ally , but it doesn’t feel like it. They should lose any benefits they have. I am sure they can afford to since they are working for the Saudis now.

[Traildogbob]

28. Right

We pay these Pension, trumps and all GQP traitor ones as well, but let’s end Socialist Security, for people that actually WORKED for 30+ years, not a four year appointment to sit in our house to steal anything in reach. Flynn et al need to have pensions ended ASAP. And so do every political office holder ever. Every dollar cut in SS needs to have a match cut in politician pensions.
I know, never gonna happen. Half of all voters will still bow to GQP to own libs. The damn polls are sickening right now. Pray they are wrong, but maybe the fear they project to 2/3 of the nation will fire up voters. With all the suppression, and “vote” corruption everywhere, we can not win by a sliver. Fuck it I’m preaching to the choir. This Christmas May really suck. Hell, Thanksgiving May suck. We gonna hold hands and thank the lord over some feast for the end of a civil society and the his blessings?? He personally sent trump to do his will.

[SergeStorms]

5. Traitors, all.

Why?

I'm just about at the end of my rope with this fucking country and it's right-wing traitors.

[Traildogbob]

29. That's a big me too.

[blueknight73]

7. this country

and a lot of it's leaders are rotten to the core

[whathehell]

15. I refuse to label this country "rotten to the core"

even if some of its leaders are.

[blueknight73]

38. Good for you

I think it is. I have livd long enough to see how rotten it is

[whathehell]

42. Yeah, I think so

but if you hate the place so much, why not go elsewhere?

[blueknight73]

43. Never said I hated the place

Just said what I feel. In my last few years on earth I'd rather stay and try to make it better

[whathehell]

44. Lol...Really?

Labeling something " rotten to the core" would generally suggest as much, but whatever.

[bronxiteforever]

8. A clear national security threat. This should be illegal

or at least they should forfeit us pension and healthcare.

[FakeNoose]

9. They should be required to surrender U.S. citizenship

Lose all benefits, including passports, military benefits and security clearances.

That is all.

[wnylib]

11. Works for me

[patphil]

12. With what they know about our military, and how it operates, that is very dangerous for the U.S.

We should have a law that prohibits any high ranking officer from doing this.

[TeamProg]

13. K&R Thanks for posting. n/t

[getagrip_already]

14. wonder if there were some who got permanently retired as a result of tfg intel leaks.....

It would be a perfect place for someone feeding intel back to the three letter agencies. That would have become fatal under tfg.

Wonder if there is any way to know if any retired generals went missing overseas?

[fightforfreedom]

16. It's all about money.

Some people will do anything for easy money.

[James48]

18. Wow.

This is quite a reaction.

Folks- retired military have worked around the world forever.

We have lots of US citizens helping others in defense around the world. In Korea, I know of several myself. Mostly they advise and train, and consult. Most times it is in the US interests to help other nations.

If you want to change the relationship between Us and other countries, so be it. Right now thousands of retired military care for others and that’s not necessarily a bad thing for our nation.

[1WorldHope]

20. So they are over there helping liberate women and caring for the poor?

[James48]

22. Sometimes.

And sometimes they are married to a local, and just enjoying retirement. I knew some who helped a local orphanage in Korea. Some who were mechanics training tank mechanics in other countries. Or training on the complex electronic gear that are today’s weapons systems. There are literally thousands of retired Americans working all over the world.


If THEY (foreign nations) can defend themselves, then they don’t need our young men and women to die defending them. If they are friendly nations, isn’t it better for us to train their young people to operate and maintain weapons systems, then to have our soldiers there doing it? Helicopters, missile systems, jets, tanks, etc all take a lot of training and work to maintain.

[Xolodno]

41. Now come on, you can't have common sense and logic...

...in a thread like this.

This is the two minute hate thread.

[niyad]

47. What part of " working for countries known for human rights abuses and

political repression" did you miss?

[1WorldHope]

19. They should be stripped of their citizenship

[Kaleva]

34. I can't think of any leading Dem that would support that.

[Orrex]

21. Such patriots

[WhiskeyGrinder]

23. Gotta go with what you know, I guess.

I mean like why quit abusing human rights just because you retire?

[LiberalFighter]

24. They all need to lose their pension, benefits, and military credentials.

[Kaleva]

36. Contact the WH and Speaker Pelosi and Senator Schumer

My guess is that your idea will be ignored and you'll still continue to vote D.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

26. Good lord.

The USA has had a strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia since it was first forged by FDR.



Goodness knows that this relationship has had its ups and downs, and there are complexities involved. We all understand the contradictions.

That said, we have a major commitment to the countries of the Gulf, Saudi Arabia included, to keep a key component in the world's supply of energy protected. You think gas prices are bad now?

The "hot takes" on this forum that accuse retired military of being "traitors" for consulting with a nominal ally only reval how divorced some people are from the realities of global politics and world economic security.

[jaxexpat]

27. Compromised national security and.......

meaningless oaths of loyalty go hand in glove with unfettered crony capitalism. They also compliment Christo-facism for a political wardrobe any "star" would envy.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

32. Every liberal social democracy on the planet has an advance capitalist economy.

The alternative, state controlled "command economies," never work out too well when it comes to either human freedom, civil rights, or economic prosperity.

Liberalism and and advanced capitalism are inextricably linked.

[jaxexpat]

49. It's the unfettered aspect where the downside shows.

It's monopolistic price fixing with it's high and heavy handed schemes to prevent competition that stifle individual freedoms and social vitality. Of course, sometimes when one points to that obvious detriment, noisy reactionaries knee-jerk shout Stalin and Castro as if the only answer to piracy was celibacy. This is the ploy used by the GOP in every election cycle. They pull it out of the drawer and hold it up like a bloody badge of some kind of personal experience wrestling Kruschev's ghost. The worst is how many ninnies buy their crap. This is a line of thinking that must be turned around before the enemy eliminates every socially progressive program we have. In this country the biggest threat is in the corporate boardrooms of multinational actors who presume immunity to US civil statutes.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

50. Price-fixing is anti-competitive and therefor anti-capitalist economic behavior.

The problem isn't capitalism, but rather anti-capitalist distortions of the market.

As I said, all the liberal social democracies on earth have advanced capitalist economies. Not one has a socialist economy.

One need not be a "noisy reactionary" to understand the history of socialist regiemes over the past 100 years or so. Not a pretty history.

As a liberal party we should strongly oppose anti-competitive behavior, financial fraud, price-fixing and the like in order to advance and protect capitalism from anti-capitalist behaviors. That's the right response, not taking up failed socialist models. That's basic liberalism.

[Scalded Nun]

33. This is not at all surprising given what we military leadership we have had for over 40 years.

Self-serving, abusive (of power), corrupt, weak, treasonous and insurrectionists. Good descriptives for many of our military leaders. Patraeus and Flynn immediately come to mind as worst of the worst. Sexual predators another good example. Many absolutely not deserving of any respect.

I saw plenty while in and out of uniform. Not a pretty sight.

Don't get me wrong, there are many good ones as well, and I salute them. Their integrity and deeds rarely see the light of day because, well, that is the way it is in this world. No one pays attention to the good.

[Deep State Witch]

35. Not Surprising

We have a close military collaboration with the KSA, and have since at least the 40's. And retired Generals frequently take contracts with to the highest bidder - whether that be in the US or another country.

[Kaleva]

37. Nothing will change until we make our elected officials change it

I'll always vote D even if our party leaders do nothing about this and I suspect everyone else will too. Which means this is not much of an issue. It's something to bitch about and then quickly forget.

[Xoan]

39. Treason is the reason.

[UTUSN]

40. K&R

[Kid Berwyn]

48. 500 Friends

Biggest payroll on the planet, even with LIV.

Wonder how many were doing business with Gen. Flynn?