It's all well and good to say people in the U.S. military should refuse unlawful orders.
But if you refuse an unlawful order and your chain of command (CoC) doesn't end up seeing it that way, you're looking at at least a ruined military career, and possibly also time in military prison, a court martial, and/or a dishonorable discharge.
And everyone in your CoC is incentivized toward that outcome, because if they gave an unlawful order, they're in deep shit.
#politics #USPol #fascism (1/3)

Just look at what just happened to Mark Kelly. Hegseth demoted Kelly, put a permanent censure in his record, and reduced his military pension, all because Kelly appeared in a viral video telling soldiers not to obey unlawful orders.
It was brave and courageous for Kelly to step up and do the right thing even though he doubtlessly knew he was putting himself at risk of something like this.
Most soldiers aren't in the position to do that. (2/3)