If a officer promises a foreign adversary information on military movements is that treason or sedition or is it something else?

GySgt Dawson Webb - No sweat. Mumford was hung for damaging a US Flag, during Civil War. Some see an AUMF as enough. If so, contrasting the 1/6/21 event where does that leave the perps? No charges of treason or sedition. Want to weigh in Greg? Capt Gregory Prickett

If he's tried it falls on the UCMJ. Art. 103, 103a, and 103b of Manual for Courts-Martial (MCM) would likely apply, but would have to be proven. I don't see NJP in his future. CINC would just fire him, most likely. https://jsc.defense.gov/Portals/99/Documents/Section4PunitiveArticles.pdf?ver=2017-07-19-103116-810

Capt Gregory Prickett - Thanks for clearing that up. I stand corrected. I wrongly assumed it because it's not been done. He can promise too, as long as he does not deliver. Other POTUSs since FDR then had the option of charging under AUMF, such as Bergdahl, or the fragging incident before. Or they chose not to go for treason. Same with all the hackers and spies. Espionage not treason for them. GySgt Dawson Webb

Background on undeclared war in US. I know, it's wikipedia, but feel free to challenge. Changes nothing for Milley. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undeclared_war

So your theory is that from November until January 20th, the US should basically do nothing - nothing at all - anywhere. Because if the argument is that a lame-duck President should not be authorizing military force, then the same argument goes for trade negotiations, treaties, state visits, executive orders, pardons, etc. Either the President is the President... or not. Either the President has the full authority of the office... or not. If you want the President to simply sit there and do NOTHING for 2 1/2 months, just because they are on the way out the door, then it must also be OK for EVERYONE to do this.

Change of Command in 2 1/2 months? That Company is not training. 2 1/2 months after the CO Changes Command, Bn CDR does - another 2 1/2 months of no training. YAY! Field time. but only for two weeks - because 3 months after the BN CDR goes, BDE CDR is headed out. BDE does nothing for 2 1/2 months. Oh! and 2 months later, there goes the DIV CDR. And the Corps CDR 2 1/2 moths after that. And... guess what... Company Commander has now done 10 of his 12 months, so the *new* CO is changing out in 2 months, now. And after that we are getting a new Chief of Staff. And then a new CJCS. And then a new POTUS. Oh.. and back to CO, Bn CDR, and Bde CDR.

But hey, we will then have 6 whole months before the next Change of Command ceremony. Get 'er done! Unless, of course, we also consider the PLs, PSGs, SLs, and TLs rotating through.



Yes, that was an exercise in ridiculosity. For a reason. Saying a lame-duck President should stop being President - either voluntarily or through the refusal of others to obey the Presdient / follow his orders - is just as ridiculous. And if we are going to advocate for that level of ridiculous, then refusing to advocate for that level of ridiculous all the way down is just hypocrisy.

SFC Casey O'Mally - It's amazing that you can take one sentence and extrapolate it into absurdity, I didn't say that a lame duck president should stop being president, but please continue to infer on things I never said.

Personally, once the election is over, things should go into a maintenance mode until the election is certified and continued if the incumbent loses. Obviously if something critical happens that wasn't caused by the president happens, then things can happen, but otherwise he should only be able to do the day to day tasks, no appointing judges, no making critical military decisions without congressional approval, just signing or vetoing bills that reach his desk and responding to critical situations if they pop up. If you're okay with people on the way out being able to critically affect the country, that's up to you, but remember the door swings both ways and it may not always be in your favor. The fact that once lame duck period hits, outgoing presidents can start handing out pardons like Halloween candy, and throwing anything against the wall that will stick, is utterly ridiculous, because those last minute decisions will affect the country long after their stay, to which that person will not face any consequences for.

Lets not pretend that the federal government doesn't sit in a state of gridlock for months on end as it is on many issues. I just don't think anyone, Democrat or Republican should be able to make a critical decision on their way out.

If I give a two weeks notice at a job, obviously things happen to make the transition happen. I still have to do my job while I'm there, but I can't start making critical infrastructure changes to the network, or start changing how all the virtual servers are setup, because that would be asinine and have far reaching consequences beyond the point that I leave, and would leave everyone else to clean up the mess.

At the end of the day, the presidency is a job. Someone goes in and fills that job. No one man or woman is bigger than that job. They aren't monarchs, they aren't dictators. Conservatives are supposed to be the party of smaller government, so why aren't we appalled by how much the office of the president has gained in meddling with the affairs of other branches of government?

Sgt Jude Eschete - You are advocating for a semi-President. Which is absurd. Either the President is the President or he is not. Period. The President is relieved of neither authority nor responsibility until January 20th, regardless of who wins the election.

I extrapolated it because I refuse to be a hypocrite. If the President it "out of commission" for the last 2 1/2 months, then EVERYONE is out of commission for the last 2 1/2 months. Period. Again - you either are, or you are not. We have no "half-Commanders", "almost-Commanders" "not-quite-Commanders" or "soon-to-be-gone-Commanders." We have people who are the Commander, and people who are not. Period.

As far as the size and scope of the Presidency - that is a completely separate debate. And one which, frankly I agree with what appears to be your view. I am appalled by the size and scope of the Presidency, and with the size and scope of federal government. I am pissed off that Congress has abdicated almost all of their responsibility to the executive branch. But that is not the question at hand.

SFC Casey O'Mally - I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on the first point, which is the best part about this country is that we're allowed to disagree.