Jason Dempsey
@jkdemp.bsky.social
Keep trying to be a 'former' scholar of civilian-military relations ... Author of Our Army: Soldiers, Politics, and American Civil-Military Relations. Former Army infantry officer. Into bikes-beer-coffee.
A note for serving and retired officers: without accountability the idea of a ‘profession’ is meaningless.
Very strong piece by Jack Goldsmith:
“But there can be no conceivable legal justification for U.S. Special Operations Forces kill[ing] the survivors of a first strike on a drug boat off the coast of Trinidad who ‘were clinging to the smoldering wreck.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
“But there can be no conceivable legal justification for U.S. Special Operations Forces kill[ing] the survivors of a first strike on a drug boat off the coast of Trinidad who ‘were clinging to the smoldering wreck.’”
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...
November 29, 2025 at 5:16 PM
A note for serving and retired officers: without accountability the idea of a ‘profession’ is meaningless.
Weakness masquerading as strength.
Exclusive: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an order to “kill everybody” in the first strike on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. After two men survived, the mission commander ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions, according to two sources.
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Weakness masquerading as strength.
Not really. I recognize this is a space where folks aren’t actually looking for nuance, but the history of these units is neither clean nor clear cut.
November 28, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Not really. I recognize this is a space where folks aren’t actually looking for nuance, but the history of these units is neither clean nor clear cut.
As an advisor to the Afghan Border Police in ‘12-13 we had several discussions at Chapman about what to do with the Afghans on these teams as the CIA withdrew. Estimate from their advisors was that 1/3 would side with the Taliban after we left.
Yeah. I received a copy of his NSU-03 ID badge this morning from
one of his former advisors—there’s no doubt about it.
one of his former advisors—there’s no doubt about it.
November 27, 2025 at 9:04 PM
As an advisor to the Afghan Border Police in ‘12-13 we had several discussions at Chapman about what to do with the Afghans on these teams as the CIA withdrew. Estimate from their advisors was that 1/3 would side with the Taliban after we left.
“No one has benefited more and suffered less from the government than the inhabitants of Silicon Valley,”
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/t...
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/t...
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley
www.nytimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:39 PM
“No one has benefited more and suffered less from the government than the inhabitants of Silicon Valley,”
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/t...
The Writer Who Dared Criticize Silicon Valley www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/t...
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
Super excited that a new edited volume, Bend But Do Not Break, is coming out, edited by Jaron Wharton, @klkuzminski.bsky.social @jkdemp.bsky.social @mzmargulies.bsky.social Keith Carter, and @carriealee.bsky.social
And it’s apparently doing well on the amazons
And it’s apparently doing well on the amazons
November 25, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Super excited that a new edited volume, Bend But Do Not Break, is coming out, edited by Jaron Wharton, @klkuzminski.bsky.social @jkdemp.bsky.social @mzmargulies.bsky.social Keith Carter, and @carriealee.bsky.social
And it’s apparently doing well on the amazons
And it’s apparently doing well on the amazons
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
If I’m understanding this correctly, X is owned by a white nationalist who pays poor people of color in developing countries to pretend to be working class white Americans to scare other white Americans into being afraid poor people of color from developing countries are going to ruin America?
November 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
If I’m understanding this correctly, X is owned by a white nationalist who pays poor people of color in developing countries to pretend to be working class white Americans to scare other white Americans into being afraid poor people of color from developing countries are going to ruin America?
Don't forget to include any war-crimey turkeys or those that may have been wearing plate carriers on January 6th.
Breaking: Administration officials working overtime to find turkeys with sexual assault and crypto scam convictions so the President can pardon them
November 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Don't forget to include any war-crimey turkeys or those that may have been wearing plate carriers on January 6th.
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
Breaking: An Epstein survivor just silenced press conference attendees when she delivered the following remarks:
“Today we stand in a moment that will decide whether our government belongs to the American people, or to those who prey on them.”
“Today we stand in a moment that will decide whether our government belongs to the American people, or to those who prey on them.”
November 18, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Breaking: An Epstein survivor just silenced press conference attendees when she delivered the following remarks:
“Today we stand in a moment that will decide whether our government belongs to the American people, or to those who prey on them.”
“Today we stand in a moment that will decide whether our government belongs to the American people, or to those who prey on them.”
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
a new study finds that there is enough microplastic in your nads to make a little army guy. whats worse is that its the guy with the radio so he doesnt even have a gun. and he has a bunch of extra plastic along the seam on the bottom so he keeps falling over.
November 18, 2025 at 4:55 PM
a new study finds that there is enough microplastic in your nads to make a little army guy. whats worse is that its the guy with the radio so he doesnt even have a gun. and he has a bunch of extra plastic along the seam on the bottom so he keeps falling over.
Fuck off @politico.com ‘fetch’ ain’t gonna happen.
November 14, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Fuck off @politico.com ‘fetch’ ain’t gonna happen.
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
“Do you like bananas? Because we are going to fight a war for it”
November 9, 2025 at 11:42 PM
“Do you like bananas? Because we are going to fight a war for it”
Outrage upon outrage.
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 10, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Outrage upon outrage.
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
New York millionaires: threatening to flee the city since 2009
November 7, 2025 at 9:36 PM
New York millionaires: threatening to flee the city since 2009
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
What’s particularly disconcerting about the Venezuela stuff is how entire parts of the foreign policy establishment are endorsing/running cover for an administration that clearly has no plan or actual strategy
I regret to inform you’ll this is not the most insane article about Venezuela today lol
November 7, 2025 at 7:20 PM
What’s particularly disconcerting about the Venezuela stuff is how entire parts of the foreign policy establishment are endorsing/running cover for an administration that clearly has no plan or actual strategy
Even the Legion contains multitudes.
One of my more "little shit" moments in high school I got voluntold to do this essay about patriotism for the American Legion and I decided to be salty and write about how the Iraq War was so bad (this was early 2003) and then the fuckers went and selected it and I had to go to the next round 😭
November 7, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Even the Legion contains multitudes.
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
We have reached a verdict: Not guilty.
November 6, 2025 at 7:25 PM
We have reached a verdict: Not guilty.
"Mr. Cheney had done as much as anyone in history to undermine Americans’ trust in their institutions and leaders, including Mr. Cheney himself."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/o...
Opinion | The Tragedy of Dick Cheney
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:05 PM
"Mr. Cheney had done as much as anyone in history to undermine Americans’ trust in their institutions and leaders, including Mr. Cheney himself."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/o...
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
this is the most successful a CIA officer has been at toppling a government in years.
November 5, 2025 at 1:13 AM
this is the most successful a CIA officer has been at toppling a government in years.
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
ICE Agent, 7-Year-Old Both Wearing Same ‘Military Commando’ Halloween Costume
October 31, 2025 at 9:00 PM
ICE Agent, 7-Year-Old Both Wearing Same ‘Military Commando’ Halloween Costume
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
On the left, the refurbished Lincoln bathroom. On the right, picture I took in Saddam Hussein's palace in Basra in 2005.
October 31, 2025 at 5:57 PM
On the left, the refurbished Lincoln bathroom. On the right, picture I took in Saddam Hussein's palace in Basra in 2005.
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
I love how Rep. Joe Neguse reframed this question.
October 31, 2025 at 8:19 AM
I love how Rep. Joe Neguse reframed this question.
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
Challenging this otherwise delightful John Rogers observation. (“bookish” is load-bearing here)
October 29, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Challenging this otherwise delightful John Rogers observation. (“bookish” is load-bearing here)
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
Purdue to the rescue of IU student newspaper, whose institution was attempting censorship. Details in alt!
October 18, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Purdue to the rescue of IU student newspaper, whose institution was attempting censorship. Details in alt!
Reposted by Jason Dempsey
Setting aside the misdirection on these people's age, it's true that kids often learn how to become adults by testing limits and transgressing. But it's not the limit-testing and transgression per se that teach them. It's the reaction to their behavior of the peers and adults they want to impress.
JD Vance brushes off racist texts by adults in Republican group chat as ‘what kids do’ www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
JD Vance brushes off racist texts by adults in Republican group chat as ‘what kids do’
Vice-president downplays messages such as ‘I love Hitler’ in chat by 24 to 35-year-olds to ‘stupid jokes’
www.theguardian.com
October 16, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Setting aside the misdirection on these people's age, it's true that kids often learn how to become adults by testing limits and transgressing. But it's not the limit-testing and transgression per se that teach them. It's the reaction to their behavior of the peers and adults they want to impress.