Even Tucker Carlson has a right to bash the military

The notion that only veterans can weigh in on military matters is a strange new standard for progressives to embrace (and a very convenient one for the Pentagon to advance). It’s dangerous, inasmuch as civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of our nation. And it’s a stupid rule for progressives to establish, since sooner or later, a less progressive administration might manipulate this same narrative to spread a different sort of agenda.

Still, many progressives have been cheering on the response for several reasons. One is simply the reflexive desire to attack Carlson—and defend women. A more strategic motive might be to peel away the GOP’s military support—something that began during Trump’s tenure as he attacked Gold Star families and mocked prisoners of war. It may very well be that Carlson’s comments will cost him some viewers who are sensitive to this issue, just as the military’s attack on Carlson might drive a wedge between the military and its base.

In an all-volunteer military, it’s especially dangerous for the military to surrender its apolitical image. Because we have self-sorted politically, the attack on Carlson risks alienating a geographic section of the country that is the most likely to sign up to fight our wars. The military is one of the few institutions that still enjoys fairly broad public confidence. That won’t last if it wades into pissing matches with tv pundits.