When US Defence Secretary silences generals

While civilian control of the military is one of the foundational principles of a democratic state, the recent aggressive actions of US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth presage a destructive fracture in the American civil-military equation. However, India’s experience offers a compelling counterpoint. On September 30, at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Hegseth announced a sweeping 20% cut in senior military ranks, besides other structural changes like creating an autonomous warfare command. The address also contained highly hostile criticism of the previous military leadership and the Pentagon bureaucracy. His language was particularly offensive, unparliamentary and inappropriate: “We are no longer…