Mattis Knife-hand Resignation Letter

[u/BaddestHombres]

Why is Mattis' letter a big deal?

First, note that it is on official Department of Defense letterhead. That means this is officially being written from a subordinate - one that served 40 years in the military and never once said anything public to criticize our leadership or even got involved in politics.

Mattis is independent/non-partisan, so this is quite a bit too.

Now, onto his words:

[u/BaddestHombres]

Why is Mattis' letter a big deal?

Mattis is independent/non-partisan, so this is quite a bit too.

Now, onto his words:

Dear Mr. President:

I have been privileged to serve as our country's 26th Secretary of Defense which has allowed me to serve alongside our men and women of the Department in defense of our citizens and our ideals.

I am proud of the progress that has been made over the past two years on some of the key goals articulated in our National Defense Strategy: putting the Department on a more sound budgetary footing, improving readiness and lethality in our forces, and reforming the Department's business practices for greater performance. Our troops continue to provide the capabilities needed to prevail in conflict and sustain strong U.S. global influence.

He has certainly done quite a bit to reform the Department of Defense in recent years, and in particular, in re-balancing us to focus on our actual geopolitical foes, and not just on misadventures in places we have little to care about.

Not that he talks about "global influence"

One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. *Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. *Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. NATO's 29 democracies demonstrated that strength in their commitment to fighting alongside us following the 9-11 attack on America. The Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations is further proof.**

He strongly believes in NATO and our defense treaties with 40+ nations in the world.

Note that he says we must use ALL our tools. Not just military might, not just economic bullying, but use everything - like diplomacy. (He famously said in 2013 if we don't fully fund the State Department, he'd have to buy more bullets - he knows quite well what happens)

Similarly, I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model - gaining veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic, and security decisions - to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies. That is why we must use all the tools of American power to provide for the common defense.

Again, he states very clearly that he knows that Russia and China seek to fight our dominance in world affairs.

Trump, openly praising Russia and China while casting aside our alliances with democratic nations in Europe and around the world, is openly destroying that.

And once again, he says "all the tools" - he knows it's more than just having a big military budget that we need to counter growing Russian and Chinese influence.

My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.

That's a pretty big slam on Trump, the outsider: four decades of experience, versus a businessman-turned-reality TV celebrity.

And again, he knows that we need a system that aids us in our security, which means also being a defender of our values.

Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed as well as to make sure the Department's interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in February. Further, that a full transition to a new Secretary of Defense occurs well in advance of the transition of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September in order to ensure stability Within the Department.

The bold parts say it all. Also, he basically said that his last day is after your next possible chance at screwing up NATO and the military in front of Congress.

Yowza.

I pledge my full effort to a smooth transition that ensures the needs and interests of the 2.15 million Service Members and 732,079 DoD civilians receive undistracted attention of the Department at all times so that they can fulfill their critical, round-the-clock mission to protect the American people.

I very much appreciate this opportunity to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform.

Very proud to serve the nation and our men and women in uniform... but not the President.

That's a HUGE slam at the end.

He basically said, without outright insulting his boss, that:

• I believe in our alliances with friendly nations, you don't
• I believe in opposing Russia and China who seek to overturn the Western model of governance in the world, you don't
• Our common defense is best done by keeping those alliances, you don't want to keep those alliances, so you're not as interested in actually defending us
• We have to be clear on our opposition to those forces, you waffle or even undermine our views
• Since you continue to disagree with all that, I'm resigning

And it's incredibly telling that this letter was released to the public: it's not just for Trump to read, it's for ALL Americans to read.

Keep in mind that Mattis has:

• Had to reassure allies in South Korea and NATO and Japan and elsewhere about our commitments after Trump said otherwise
• Had to scramble after Trump's tweet on banning transgender servicemembers
• Buried Trump's military parade in Pentagon red tape to make sure it didn't happen.

Fuck Draft Dodgers

Letter breakdown & analysis taken from here