SecDef Hegseth says “toxic leadership” has been weaponized. But the real weaponization is his redefinition—shielding abuse, sanctifying toxic masculinity, and weakening the force.

After a reporter asked Donald Trump about the “eyesore” tent, he ordered it dismantled. The Peace Vigil, which had outlasted multiple administrations, wars, and Cold War threats, was silenced because its persistence offended the aesthetics of power.

We live in a moment of performative cruelty. We are governed by people who mistake sadism for strength. If you feel sick watching it unfold, as I do, that’s not moral confusion. That’s moral clarity.

It was a communion of purpose, divided by a barrier but united by conscience. Police reinforcements poured in—helmets, zip ties, radio chatter. But no violence came from our side. That was the point. This was not about provocation. It was about presence. A moral interruption. Civil disobedience at its clearest.

Through a thorough investigation of media reports, court records, and military documentation, Lembcke found no credible evidence that anti-war protesters spat on returning soldiers. In fact, many in the anti-war movement viewed soldiers as victims of the war machine, not its enemies. Some veterans even became anti-war leaders themselves.

This isn’t governance. It’s message-sending. These actions don’t just punish individuals—they warn the rest of us. Organize, and you’ll be audited. Speak, and you’ll be charged. Align with the wrong cause, and you may be erased.

In our fight to resist authoritarianism, we must also resist the dehumanization disguised as innovation. Because the future we’re being sold isn’t just a vision—it’s a transaction. And someone always pays.