For those unfamiliar with Ricks, he has been one of the leading writers on the American military for the last two decades. His book Fiasco is the definitive work on the Iraq War, and his influence is such that General H. R. McMaster consulted him before accepting his current post as National Security Adviser. As you can see, Ricks has come to regret the advice that he gave:
Herbert Raymond “H. R.” McMaster“So I think that McMaster should step down—not just for his own good, but for the good of the country. What if he is replaced by a right-wing extremist who operates on an alternative set of “facts”? So much the better, I say.
Here’s why: The saving grace of Donald Trump as president is his incompetence. He knows almost nothing of how the federal government works. He seems to have been repeatedly surprised by the checks and balances written into the Constitution by the Founding Fathers. And he seems uninterested in learning.
. . . Think of it this way: Which would be more dangerous, a Mafia family overseen by the cruel and competent Michael Corleone, or one led by his ineffectual brother Fredo? So, I say, Let Donald be Donald”
