1. Quite a few military leaders have recently been forced to retire due to alleged conflicts with the Department of Defense, most recently Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Randy George, who, by all accounts, demonstrated great fealty to the President's directives. What are your perspectives about the loss of these experienced leaders from among our military ranks?
Answer: The allegation was that General George attempted to defend the planned promotion of four officers to the rank of one-star generals, although there was an alleged attempt to obstruct their advancement due to race and gender.
2. In fact, that obstruction did take place, didn't it?
Answer: I would assume so.
3. What does it say to you that qualified military personnel are being held back on the basis of race and gender at this time?
Answer: It says to me that the FBI and the CIA are pulling rank over our military leadership, frankly. Military officers and enlisted service members who are women or people of color, or both, are being overtly marginalized at this time, a change we can ultimately expect to see reflected in American society as a whole.
Those who are students of history will recognize that victimization follows marginalization, so the Department of Defense is now signaling that military or law enforcement personnel who are women or people of color will not be protected in the future.
Military leaders who stand for their own provenance over their ranks are continuing to be forced out, leading me to conclude that rules of military engagement are likely to be summarily and consistently violated by the FBI and CIA. In other words, there will be no further rules of war, consistent military chain of command, or military justice that will be recognized as valid by the intelligence agencies.
4. Is this conflict over promotions reflective of the only disagreement between General George and the Department of Defense?
Answer: Almost certainly not.
I remain deeply concerned by the architecture of totalitarianism that may not be able, through reasoned and thoughtful engagement, to be deconstructed at any time in the future.
Alongside damage to our internal military governance, civilian structures of governance will be yet further decimated, to be certain.
5. What are the risks for us?
Answer: The risks include the vast diminishment of the level of human civilization -- not merely in our numbers, but in our determination to stand separate from barbarism, and our ability to rise above barbarism once it fully manifests.
6. Do you see other warning signs?
Answer: It is notable that, whatever one may think of their performance, two high-level female staff members have recently been forced out of their positions: Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary Kristi Noem.
There are five other women in the President's Cabinet, but as women's human rights become more endangered within the United States, the FBI may dictate their removal as well.
7. Secretary Hegseth's minister reportedly disapproves of women's right to vote.
Answer: Duly noted.
8. Is this an insignificant detail pertaining to governance within the United States currently?
Answer: No. It represents radically regressive ideology that may well have dramatic effects on our nation as a whole.
9. How would you characterize the FBI's misogyny?
Answer: As murderous. Fairly frequently, if my hair is not perfect or I haven't applied my makeup, the FBI will send a death threat to my phone: "All dogs go to Heaven." In other words, if you're a woman, any worth you might have from the FBI's perspective depends on your attractiveness on any given day. Of course, if a woman is too attractive, she might be murdered on the basis of her appearance as well. So, the FBI regularly signals a mindset that involves the stalking and killing of women for entertainment, at least in the context of threats sent to me.
10. Do you think General George would have approved of that mindset?
Answer: I do not. I think General George likely demonstrated superior character and integrity throughout his long career, and I think he would have made that clear. Beyond that, I think his expectations for the conduct of his troops manifested meaningful standards for ethical conduct in every way possible. That personal and professional honor may have made the FBI uncomfortable.
11. What would you do if you were a member of the United States Congress at this point?
Answer: I would be interested in hearing from every high-level military leader who has been forced to retire or resign over the last year. I would want Congress as a whole to be asking difficult questions in closed sessions with these individuals so that I could gain a clear picture of what has occurred here.
I think we need to understand that when our military leaders are holding the line in matters of ethics and integrity, we need to be supporting their ongoing service to the nation.
If the FBI is even partially involved in dictating the removal of certain military leaders -- and I do believe this is a concern, given alleged communications between military intelligence and the FBI -- then we need to halt that overreach.
12. Should certain military leaders be reinstated?
Answer: Congress has a critical role to play in insisting that our military leaders have the freedom and authority to uphold ethical standards and military codes of conduct without losing their commissions. The Congress as a whole needs to determine how they will support the military leadership in this regard, but I do think they need to consider meaningful steps that will guarantee that our military leaders can safely raise objections to misconduct, overreach, or gratuitous harm.
We are depending on our military to exercise restraint when restraint is possible. That means we need to give them the standing to do so.
Without this, our whole society will suffer declines from which our long term recovery is deeply imperiled.
13. Your father served in the U.S. Army, did he not?
Answer: Yes, he did. And I think he felt that the military reinforced his sense of innate discipline and integrity throughout his illustrious scientific career.
14. Does it surprise you that our military leaders may be holding the line when it comes to critical matters being discussed behind the scenes?
Answer: Not at all. But again, we need to ensure that our elected officials defend them in turn.
15. Today is Easter Sunday. Do you have any words for us on this occasion?
Answer: Happy Easter for all those who are celebrating. We draw hope from the knowledge that, despite great travails, we can find sustenance and renewal in benevolence, generosity, compassion and abundant good faith with one another.
16. Thank you for speaking with us this evening.
Answer: You are most welcome.
Lane MacWilliams
