Donald Rumsfeld, keeper of the flame

The Center for Security Policy mourns the passing this week of Donald Rumsfeld, truly one of Americaโ€™s most remarkable men.

A longtime friend of the Center for Security Policy, the Center was proud to honor Rumsfeld in 1998 with its prestigious โ€œKeeper of the Flameโ€ Award.  He was fond of observing that his long-life (he died at age 88) spanned roughly one-third of the history of our country โ€“ a history to which he contributed profoundly.

โ€œRummyโ€ will be particularly remembered for his extensive and distinguished service to our country: in the uniform of a naval aviator; in the Congress to which he was elected four times; as NATO ambassador; and in such key executive branch positions as White House Chief of Staff and twice as Secretary of Defense.

Don Rumsfeld was equally impressive during his time as a successful business leader. Notably, as G.D. Searleโ€™s CEO, he introduced the artificial sweetener aspartame, which revolutionized the food industry and transformed the diets of countless consumers world-wide.

Drawing on such public and private sector life experiences, the Secretary developed Rumsfeldโ€™s Rules โ€“ a handbook filled with wry insights and practical prescriptions, informed by hard experience and the help of his friends. His travails โ€“ and the countryโ€™s โ€“ following the brilliant success of the campaign to liberate Iraq affirmed one such rule: โ€œIt is easier to get into something than get out of it.โ€

Another of Donald Rumsfeldโ€™s most trenchant maxims was widely condemned when he uttered it, but is as true today as ever: โ€œYou go to war with the Army you haveโ€”not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.โ€

While many American leaders indulged in the delusion that China would be, at worst, an economic competitor, Donald Rumsfeld regarded it as a potentially formidable adversary โ€“ one that would be prepared, in due course, to threaten U.S. allies and interests in the Western Pacific and far beyond.

That understanding โ€“ and his clear-eyed assessment of Russian ambitions โ€“ informed his seminal work leading two congressionally mandated commissions, one concerning ballistic missile defense and the other outer space.

Under Don Rumsfeldโ€™s leadership, the former warned that missile threats were proliferating and intensifying. His commission report established the basis for President George W. Bushโ€™s subsequent, courageous decisions to withdraw from the obsolete Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and begin deploying national missile defenses.

For its part, the second Rumsfeld Commission identified in 2001 the real possibility of a โ€œspace Pearl Harbor,โ€ one that would neutralize the various military and commercial satellites there that are essential to national and economic security. President Trumpโ€™s decision to establish a Space Force to protect U.S. equities in the High Frontier and counter hostile actors seeking to use that domain against us is, arguably, a response โ€“ at last โ€“ to Donald Rumsfeldโ€™s prescient warnings.

We will never forget Rummyโ€™s feisty championing of Americaโ€™s national security interests and his witty repartee with journalists, legislators and others who challenged him. And we will always cherish the memory of his friendship and leadership. Rest in peace, Donald Rumsfeld.

By Frank Gaffney, Jr.

Read Original Article on CenterForSecurityPolicy.org

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Columns

Viewers like you

There is no constitutional authority for any spending on public broadcasting โ€“ period. Any questions: See Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Trans-wormal

No worm ever said "I am anthropomorphizing, I am a butterfly" to a toad or flock of geese and expected acknowledgement and support.

In Greenlandโ€™s Icy Capital, Past Troubles Haunt Hopes for the Future

As geopolitical realities and ongoing economic growth raise the stakes, U.S. interest in Greenland and the dream of independence may change things in a big way.

How a Chinese Government Statistician Was Forced to Report Fake Data

Chinese local govt employee produced a non-authorized report on bees and was visited by police and threatened with being sent to a mental hospital.

โ€˜This One Time, at Groomer Campโ€™

All Camp Brave Trails programs focus on helping LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion.

News

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Dismantling of Education Department

Trump admin asked Supreme Court to allow it to resume dismantling U.S. Dept of Education, following a lower courtโ€™s previous order halting process.

FTC Warns of Rising Student Loan Scams, Says Fraudsters Took Millions From Borrowers

FTC is warning borrowers to steer clear of student loan debt-relief scams, after shutting down group of companies that allegedly charged millions in illegal fees and left customers worse off.

Court Orders Trump Administration to Restore AmeriCorps Funding to States

Federal court ordered Trump admin to restore AmeriCorps funding to states. The ruling comes as part of a lawsuit filed by 24 states and DC.

Tax Deductions You Can Take Without Itemizing

Itโ€™s not always beneficial to itemize. With IRSโ€™s current standard deduction for 2025 most Americans who canโ€™t itemize go with standard deduction.

US Economy Adds 139,000 New Jobs in May, Topping Market Forecasts

U.S. economy added 139,000 new jobs last month, surpassing economistsโ€™ expectations and indicating U.S. labor market remains in a robust position.

Guatemalan Deportee Arrives in US After Judge Orders Trump Admin to Facilitate Return

โ€œAmericaโ€™s asylum system was never intended to be used as a de facto amnesty program or a catch-all, get-out-of-deportation-free card,โ€ McLaughlin said.

Trump-Musk Feud Escalates Over Spending Bill: 5 Things to Know

A public feud between Musk and Trump took a turn for the worse. Musk claimed president wouldnโ€™t have won without him and president suggested Muskโ€™s subsidies could be pulled.

Supreme Court Rules 9-0 Wisconsin Violated First Amendment by Denying Tax Exemption to Catholic Charity

Supreme Court ruled unanimously that WI violated the First Amendment by not granting Catholic charity an exemption from paying unemployment tax.
spot_img

Related Articles