U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth: "The U.S. is conducting the most lethal and precise air strikes in history — no matter what those so-called international institutions may say."
All according to our rules. With the highest authority. No silly rules of engagement, no quagmire of nation-building, no exercises in democracy-building, no politically correct wars.
Hegseth's remarks make it clear: the U.S. is pursuing a military strategy that is extremely confident and unbridled.
In short, we attack you without reason, without restraint.
Hegseth deliberately contrasts military efficiency with "silly rules of engagement," implying that strict rules designed to avoid civilian casualties have actually constrained the U.S. military. His notion of "acting according to our rules" essentially demands that battlefield actions are不受 external supervision and not overly restricted by internal regulations, pursuing pure military superiority.
His statements such as "no quagmire of nation-building, no exercises in democracy-building" mark America's complete departure from the intervention model seen in Afghanistan and Iraq. This strategic shift holds that using force to transform other societies is costly and ineffective. In the future, U.S. military operations will have singular objectives, focusing solely on destroying enemies without taking responsibility for post-war reconstruction. It is a "hit-and-run" pragmatism.
His open declaration that he doesn't care about "what international institutions may say" is a direct challenge to the post-World War II international order based on rules. This aligns with the unilateralist diplomacy of "America First," where international law is a tool only when it serves American interests, otherwise it is an obstacle.
His statement about "no politically correct war" is more of a slogan, aimed at gaining domestic support. It cleverly simplifies complex issues of war ethics into "we were tied up, now we can act freely," catering to some people's dissatisfaction with past policies.
Overall, this speech portrays a war scenario: a pure instrument of violence, free from external interference, not responsible for post-war, and releasing maximum efficiency of force.
Raw barbarism and hegemony, without disguise, no longer concealed. This is the essential meaning of America's again great.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858675452208128/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.