Pentagon chief to generals: "To ensure peace, we must prepare for war."

WashingtonThe mysterious meeting to which American generals from around the world had been summoned, and which had them on edge, turned out to be a warmongering harangue by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. "We train warriors, not defenders," Hegseth argued at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia. "To ensure peace, we must be prepared for war." Hegseth reveled in the essence of the slogan Donald Trump first uttered after bombing Iran's nuclear facilities: "Peace through strength."

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump has already renamed the Department of Defense, as the "War Department" in a symbolic gesture about the new way the United States approaches geopolitics. Hegseth stressed to the generals and admirals sitting next to him that "the only new mission of the restored War Department is war, to fight and to be prepared for war."

The name War Department is the one initially established by George Washington in 1789 and dropped after World War II. Its reinstatement once again signals how the United States is retreating from its hegemonic role in multilateralism to make way for a new international order where it seems the maxim has once again been dictated by Hobbes: man is a wolf for manForce trumps dialogue, and Trump's contempt for the UN last week was further compelling evidence of this.

Hegseth was not one to dismiss pacifism, calling it "naive" and almost calling it hippie stuff. "History teaches us that the only people who deserve peace are those willing to wage war to defend it. That's why pacifism is so naive and dangerous. It ignores human nature," Hegseth said, at his most philosophical.

"Our enemies are gathering, the threat is growing, and this is no time for games. We must be prepared," the secretary warned. Therefore, "this moment calls for restoring and refocusing our defense industrial base, our shipbuilding industry." The Secretary of Defense announced that he will soon give another "speech" on the threats facing the country, "including China." At the end of the speech, Hegseth cited a war example that he considers a model for the United States: the Gulf War, in which US troops and their allies stopped an Iraqi invasion and the annexation of neighboring Kuwait in a matter of months.

The testosterone-fueled language at eight in the morning veered from warmongering to a harsh critique of diversity and equality policies within the military. Hegseth's other major theme, which he lamented, was that "the military has been forced by stupid politicians to focus on the wrong thing." "We became the woke department, but that will no longer be the case," he asserted, before immediately announcing that he will restore "the highest male standard" to the requirements for entering the combat forces.

"If a woman can do it, great. If not, that's the way it is," said Hegseth, who added: "Even weak men won't qualify for the position. This is going to fight [...] Having the actual physical ability to do what is necessary." Needless to say, the promise is a nod to the sexist discourse that has been in vogue for a few years and that is dedicated to attacking differentiated entrance exams for men and women for certain jobs.

For a moment it seemed that the sergeant of Sheet Metal Jacket possessed Hegseth's body, who announced new aesthetic standards for all soldiers, tired of seeing "beards." "We'll cut our hair, shave our beards, and meet the standards," Hegseth said, adding, "If you want a beard, you can join the special forces. If not, you shave." He almost missed calling him a "hippie" again. "Honestly, it's exhausting to look at our combat formations and see fat soldiers," he added.

Trump warns of a military race with Russia and China

The US president made the high-ranking officials gathered at Quantico wait for half an hour before he took the stage. The silence in the room didn't please Trump, who seemed clearly uncomfortable. "I've never walked into a room that quiet," he said, accustomed to applause at rallies and presidential events. "If you want to applaud, applaud."

In a much more subdued and monotonous tone, Trump once again repeated his usual speech. The UN General Assembly is of such use or his country's military leadership, it's always a good time for the president to revisit his campaign rallies. As usual, he has boasted about his economic management, tariffs, troop deployment in Washington, and border management. "We're suffering an invasion from within, no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways because they're not in uniform," the president said, referring to migrants, who are increasingly blurred and dehumanized under his administration.

In this new warlike approach to a much more hostile and turbulent world, Trump has asserted that "recently we were somewhat threatened by Russia," referring to the deployment of a nuclear submarine in early August. Last week, the US military revealed that it had to deploy fighter jets due to the presence of Russian aircraft in Alaskan airspace. The president has exulted in the country's cutting-edge military technology, but warned that "we can't possibly be 25 years ahead of Russia and China in [nuclear] submarines," adding, "Five years from now, they'll be on par. They're moving forward."

As with other institutions of the US government, the Pentagon leadership is concerned by Hegseth's actions, which are clearly aimed at ending the military's neutrality. In recent months, Trump has already made the military his solution to every problem: managing domestic issues, policing the border, or bombing alleged drug boats.