Althouse: "Pete Hegseth wants a manly military. And he really, really wants you to know how badly he wants a manly military."

16 జులై, 2026

"Pete Hegseth wants a manly military. And he really, really wants you to know how badly he wants a manly military."

"In his 2024 book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth worried that the military risked becoming 'effeminate, and apologetic'; he insisted that what liberals really want is 'soft men, and a weak military,' and he scolded 'Pentagon pussies' who refuse to stand up for soldiers on the battlefield. As secretary of defense, Hegseth has blocked the promotion of female military officers, removed the first woman to lead the Navy, and ordered a review of women’s 'effectiveness' in ground-combat roles. He has also used the Defense Department’s social-media channels to post a steady stream of tougher-than-thou videos...."

So begins the Atlantic article, "Pete Hegseth Wants YOU to Test Your Testosterone/The secretary of defense has a questionable plan to monitor the hormone levels of every service member over 30" (gift link).

67 కామెంట్‌లు:

Wasn’t me చెప్పారు...: Ridiculous, everyone knows that a super feminine military is the futur; 16-07-26 2:20 PM
Wince చెప్పారు...: Pete Hegseth is our “Big Toe.”; 16-07-26 2:25 PM
Dude1394 చెప్పారు...: Now if we could only do the same thing on TV and media. The grunting/screeching women beating up the 250 pound seals is really getting tiresome. I just check out as soon as I see the promo.; 16-07-26 2:26 PM
Leland చెప్పారు...: As Secretary of Defense, Austin blocked the promotion of men and fired any service members that refused to take a rushed experimental vaccine. Austin argued that diversity and inclusion made the army stronger without evidentiary study of that assertion.; 16-07-26 2:28 PM
Wince చెప్పారు...: ”So, you better hit them testosterone supplements my little babies. Or, Secretary Hegseth with the big toe is going to see how far he can stick it up your ass!"; 16-07-26 2:30 PM
RideSpaceMountain చెప్పారు...: "Hegseth has blocked the promotion of female military officers...and ordered a review of women’s 'effectiveness' in ground-combat roles."

The best time to do this was before I received my commission. The second best time is right now. Bout. Damn. Time!; 16-07-26 2:32 PM
Aggie చెప్పారు...: "...The secretary of defense has a questionable plan to monitor the hormone levels...."

But: Who says the plan is 'questionable' ? C'mon, be manly and own it ! Who says?

What I thought. The pussy that wrote the article actually doesn't refute anything, but points to the standard benefits of testosterone therapy in training studies, which are fairly clear. But then comes the boilerplate that admits, well, no, you won't become Superman, so.....

This is another one of those articles where the case for support is there, but mostly ignored, while the doubts are emphasized and presented as the principal content. Every benefit listed is followed by a paragraph starting in 'But....'

It's the latest fad in shabby journalism, again. Another story being put into the pen where it can be safely pointed to as a 'debunking' example as a way of containing the issue in future discussions. You can't hate them enough, but please keep trying.; 16-07-26 2:33 PM
Mason G చెప్పారు...: "As secretary of defense, Hegseth has blocked the promotion of female military officers..."

Have the promotions of male officers ever been blocked? Are men's effectiveness in ground combat roles ever reviewed?; 16-07-26 2:43 PM
Spiros Pappas చెప్పారు...: He should start at 20. Something is off with the young men.; 16-07-26 2:43 PM
Enigma చెప్పారు...: Tit-for-tat and turnabout is fair play versus the Biden DEI transgender military era, yes. Still, this struck me as from The Onion when I saw it this morning. For 5,000 years of written human history there was no military testing of testosterone or Toblerone or Tostitos or Tostones. Yet now it matters?

It's a quack-friendly requirement on the face of it, and perhaps will result in shocking data for those highly sensitive or insensitive to it. I thereby suspect this is a negotiation tactic and effort to dissuade future DEI military efforts.

"Don't go there."; 16-07-26 2:43 PM
rehajm చెప్పారు...: I suspect I have unhealthy levels of toblerone…; 16-07-26 2:49 PM
Big Mike చెప్పారు...: I agree with Aggie. You get pretty deep into the article before you encounter the following:

“Checking the testosterone levels of military members isn’t necessarily going to hurt anyone.”

And there’s nothing wrong with fat-shaming fat slobs with star on their shoulders. Back when I was a grunt — in the early 1970s — the army discovered that soft, overweight officers were not able to function in combat roles and started pruning them out. What Hegseth is proposing is something that the army, at least, discovered the hard way during the Vietnam War over a half century ago.; 16-07-26 2:53 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit చెప్పారు...: ..."liberals really want is 'soft men, and a weak military,'"

Tucker Carlson has a conspiracy theory? on the subject.

I say conspiracy because I don't know if he has evidence backing that up.; 16-07-26 2:54 PM
Iman చెప్పారు...: How about all of that healthcare, childcare, etc., fraud, the Atlantic. You’ll get right on that, amirite!?

Fucking useless far-left media…; 16-07-26 2:56 PM
n.n చెప్పారు...: We want a capable military fit to purpose.; 16-07-26 3:02 PM
gilbar చెప్పారు...: so, tell me? who owns The Atlantic?
i'm guessing some divorced white woman?
that made her money by
a) marrying into it..
and
b) divorcing her husband?; 16-07-26 3:02 PM
gilbar చెప్పారు...: not that there's anything Wrong with that..
but it would Kinda Explain WHY she has a problem with men; 16-07-26 3:03 PM
RideSpaceMountain చెప్పారు...: "Have the promotions of male officers ever been blocked?"

They've been blocked daily since the Congress was instituted.

"Are men's effectiveness in ground combat roles ever reviewed?"

"I review men's effectiveness ruthlessly!" - Mr. Combat; 16-07-26 3:04 PM
n.n చెప్పారు...: DEIsm is an umbrella doctrine incorporating class-disordered ideologies with social, political, etc motives unfit to purpose, civil or human rights.; 16-07-26 3:08 PM
JK Brown చెప్పారు...: Audie Murphy need not apply; 16-07-26 3:16 PM
mccullough చెప్పారు...: He’s the Secretary of War.; 16-07-26 3:16 PM
mccullough చెప్పారు...: The biggest problem with the military since World War 2 is the Careerists.

Flag officers mostly are politicians.

The military academies are outdated. Get rid of them and turn them into golf courses.; 16-07-26 3:19 PM
Lazarus చెప్పారు...: "so, tell me? who owns The Atlantic?
i'm guessing some divorced white woman?
that made her money by
a) marrying into it..
and
b) divorcing her husband?"

Close, but Steve Jobs died before he could divorce her.; 16-07-26 3:28 PM
RideSpaceMountain చెప్పారు...: "Get rid of them and turn them into golf courses."

Most ring-knocking occurs on golf courses. It's perfect.; 16-07-26 3:34 PM
Big Mike చెప్పారు...: “mccullough said...

The biggest problem with the military since World War 2 is the Careerists.”

They all tell you “Duty, Honor, Country,” but first comes their career.; 16-07-26 3:43 PM
Lazarus చెప్పారు...: Checking testosterone levels seems to be going too far (it does suggest that Hegseth has been seeing the same commercials I see on TV though), but it's clear that Western militaries aren't as tough as they used to be.; 16-07-26 3:44 PM
Mason G చెప్పారు...: "They've been blocked daily since the Congress was instituted."

Good to hear. I suspect the writer (I hesitate to call him a reporter) expects that the military is like any other government operation, where once you get yourself installed in a position, it's yours for as long as you have a pulse.; 16-07-26 3:48 PM
ronetc చెప్పారు...: I agree with Hegseth. However, as long as the policy seems to be no combat operations will be allowed in Iran or anywhere else where an American serviceman might ever possbily be wounded or killed, it just really doesn't how manly the "warriors" are. But maybe testosterone levels need to be high for the drone warriors in their gaming seats.; 16-07-26 3:54 PM
n.n చెప్పారు...: Hegseth is following the letter and purpose of the Second Amendment in preparing with purpose and fitness lest it be necessary.; 16-07-26 4:04 PM
BG చెప్పారు...: I welcome a manly military. I have numerous male relatives who were part of a previous manly military. (My dad was kick@ass in WWII.) However, I did not feel "safe" with the military we had during the Biden years.; 16-07-26 4:18 PM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper చెప్పారు...: Present Arms take on New Meaning; 16-07-26 4:21 PM
Mason G చెప్పారు...: "Pete Hegseth wants a manly military."

And this is problematic... because?; 16-07-26 4:22 PM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper చెప్పారు...: testosterone levels need to be high for the drone warriors in their gaming seats .... While Musk wires up joysticks via NeuraLink; 16-07-26 4:25 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ చెప్పారు...: American soldiers to receive gender-affirming care; 16-07-26 4:27 PM
rsbsail చెప్పారు...: He didn't remove the first woman to lead the U.S. Navy. He removed the first woman to lead the U.S. Naval Academy. Just a little bit of difference there. But this is The Atlantic, which is notorious for false reporting.; 16-07-26 4:31 PM
RideSpaceMountain చెప్పారు...: There are certain factions in society that - regardless of however much it has been degraded - vehemently despise the small number of organizations like militaries that must function on the basis of merit, accountability, and effectiveness for survival.

These factions despise merit. They especially despise accountability. They love excuses, defend ineffectiveness, and hate mission-orientation. Were they actual battlefield enemies you'd expect them to act no differently than the partisans they are, and an unsettlingly large proportion of them are women, in and out of uniform.; 16-07-26 4:36 PM
rhhardin చెప్పారు...: Males behaving badly turns out to be a marker for a good fighter pilot, tail hook notwithstanding.; 16-07-26 4:42 PM
Tina Trent చెప్పారు...: Jesus, why not. Most of the women in combat, and I know some, had to be defended. There are lots of good jobs for women in the military who excell. Combat is not one of them; 16-07-26 4:43 PM
Koot Katmandu చెప్పారు...: Atlantic I will not bother. You really do not need a study to find out if women are as effective as men in combat. On population level women are not as effective. There are some women who would be as effective as the average man. Women should be promoted on merit and matching skills for the particular job. No DEI.; 16-07-26 4:46 PM
tcrosse చెప్పారు...: I subscribed to The Atlantic back in the days when Mark Steyn (!) had a column at the back of every issue. Plus ça change, moins c'est la même chose.; 16-07-26 5:10 PM
RideSpaceMountain చెప్పారు...: @rsbsail, it's just like an old Russian proverb: "They'll go on and on about what happened to someone, but they'll never tell you why!"; 16-07-26 5:12 PM
Ampersand చెప్పారు...: A frighteningly high percentage of the American public regards the Atlantic as a reliable provider of high quality news and opinion.; 16-07-26 5:16 PM
tcrosse చెప్పారు...: The trouble with Hegseth is that he lacks Empathy for our country's enemies.; 16-07-26 5:31 PM
Leland చెప్పారు...: Regarding women as relates to the article, I'm going to go on a limb and assume The Atlantic article is accurate in stating "ordered a review of women’s 'effectiveness' in ground-combat roles". I've worked with one of the first women to fly the B-1, which is a combat role. She is quite effective and not much about the job would make her less effective than most men. The key word is "ground". Ground combat is about the ability to move lots of heavy equipment, long distances, essentially by hand/legs/back. Yeah, you can use trucks to carry things, but the trucks don't load and unload themselves.; 16-07-26 6:00 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ చెప్పారు...: I thought these guys were against gender-affirming care. Is low T why we are losing to Iran? Maybe bump it up a bit with a dose
of Dexedrine.; 16-07-26 6:00 PM
tcrosse చెప్పారు...: Maybe it's low T that causes some to believe, or hope, we're losing in Iran,Whatever makes Trump look bad.; 16-07-26 6:07 PM
David Duffy చెప్పారు...: “thought these guys were against gender-affirming care.”

We are all for gender-affirming care. We double down on gender affirming care. That’s why more testosterone for men and we are against the gender denial of the trans movement.; 16-07-26 6:14 PM
Quaestor చెప్పారు...: ఈ కామెంట్‌ను రచయిత తీసివేశారు.; 16-07-26 6:43 PM
Quaestor చెప్పారు...: I recall an incident not too many years ago; one of our small coast petrol craft was taken over by an IRGC vessel. Our boat was crewed by five or six, at least two of them female. The men deported themselves honorably, but the women wept in abject terror like over-stimulated little girls in a nursery school pageant. I was ashamed for our corrupted navy, so far removed from the selfless heroes of the USS Samuel B. Roberts. War demands the ultimate sacrifice. It's the lucky ones who manage to elude that toll booth, but they all remember those who paid in awe and love.; 16-07-26 6:44 PM
RJ చెప్పారు...: “Forget it, Jake. It’s The Atlantic.” ( I do not know why our host keeps posting garbage articles from this leftist vanity project.); 16-07-26 6:56 PM
Rustygrommet చెప్పారు...: Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...
"I thought ..............."
That's the thing. You don't.; 16-07-26 7:04 PM
Howard చెప్పారు...: Testosterone testing should be part of every annual physical, including females. TRT may not be the perfect solution because it shuts down the bodies natural production, like any other steroid.

**Medications like Clomiphene Citrate, Enclomiphene, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), and Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs) (like Anastrozole) can boost free testosterone. These options stimulate your body's natural production, making them popular for preserving fertility.Alternatives function primarily by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis or lowering the binding proteins that lock up testosterone in your blood:Clomiphene & Enclomiphene: Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) that trick the brain into producing more Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), stimulating the testes to make more testosterone.Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG): Mimics LH, directly signaling the testes to produce natural testosterone and sperm.Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs): Medications like Anastrozole block testosterone from converting into estrogen, which helps shift the hormonal balance and increase available free testosterone.Over-the-Counter Supplements: Options like DHEA, Boron, and Tongkat Ali are sometimes used to modestly increase free testosterone by lowering Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) or acting as hormone precursors**; 16-07-26 7:08 PM
Goldenpause చెప్పారు...: Hegseth wants a U.S. military that can win wars. The Atlantic objects because it wants the U.S. military to be one more lefty social project where winning wars is an embarrassment to be avoided.; 16-07-26 7:09 PM
Howard చెప్పారు...: Man Juice optimizes high performance.

**Men with high-normal free testosterone are generally more stable, motivated, and energized, but not necessarily "calmer" in the traditional sense. Balanced testosterone optimizes mood and focus. However, the hormone can also increase impulsivity and emotional responsiveness to social feedback.A closer look at how free testosterone affects behavior:Energy and Confidence: Optimal free testosterone levels help reduce brain fog, fatigue, and depressive symptoms, which promotes a level-headed demeanor. Men in this range typically report higher baseline motivation.Reactivity and Impulsivity: Higher testosterone is associated with heightened emotional vigilance and faster snap judgments. Rather than making a person universally "calm," it can make them quicker to act on impulses and more sensitive to both positive and negative social cues.

The Danger of Low Levels: True "calmness" is not achieved by minimizing testosterone. When levels drop below normal, men often experience severe irritability, anxiety, and mood swings.**; 16-07-26 7:15 PM
john mosby చెప్పారు...: Quaestor, their male officer also teared up as he gave a coerced propaganda speech. I think it has less to do with testosterone and more to do with culture. Slavic women would just curse you out even if you were putting them thru a deli slicer, for example.

In the small boat crews’ defense, they knew no help was coming from Obama. CC, JSM; 16-07-26 7:21 PM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper చెప్పారు...: For all I know.... Trump akshually has YUGE T right there in his name; 16-07-26 9:19 PM
Smilin' Jack చెప్పారు...: “…and ordered a review of women’s 'effectiveness' in ground-combat roles.”

The closest simulacrum we have to ground combat is contact sports. No one believes that a woman would be at all effective on the field with any NFL team. Not even the Jets. Nobody even thinks we need to review that.; 16-07-26 9:41 PM
Marcus Bressler చెప్పారు...: Why is it "questionable"? Oh, that's the WhoreMedia framing; 16-07-26 10:04 PM
Iman చెప్పారు...: TinyTraitorEE®; 16-07-26 10:51 PM
Iman చెప్పారు...: Put that corksoaker back on Thorazine.; 16-07-26 10:52 PM
Tina Trent చెప్పారు...: Women have many roles in the military. Combat is not one of them.; 17-07-26 3:53 AM
Left Bank of the Charles చెప్పారు...: I’ve long said that I’d rather our country be defended by the women I went to high school with in Iowa than the men I went to college with at Harvard.

I do think women missed a step on the path to acceptance in combat roles, which is proving themselves in all-female combat units. That was the historical path for African-Americans.

If we really want to destroy the moral of the macho armies of our enemies, the psyops value of them being beaten by a bunch of girls should not be discounted.; 17-07-26 5:16 AM
Char Char Binks, Esq. చెప్పారు...: Wait, why not Audie Murphy?; 17-07-26 7:54 AM
Rustygrommet చెప్పారు...: LBC
You destroy the enemies moral by killing their soldiers and destroying their stuff. Men are better at that than women. That is why there are no female special operators.; 17-07-26 9:37 AM
Skeptical Voter చెప్పారు...: Audie Murphy was "vertically challenged" but he was a tough little farm boy from Texas who would not back down. My assumption is that he had a high T score. He would do just fine in Hegseth's army. General Millie--assuming that he was an enlisted grunt would not. Lloyd Austin--it is to laugh. You need mean hard edged, high T males in ground combat. Woman can and have done well piloting planes and helicopters--the machine helps. Unless they are like that unfortunate female F-14 p ilot who killed herself and her weapons system operator failing to land o n an aircraft carrier off the San Diego Coast. But heck even a male could panic and lose it.; 17-07-26 12:39 PM
holdfast చెప్పారు...: The Biden and Obama Admins showed us what the opposite of a "manly military" looked like.

We saw it.
It ain't pretty.
We saw it on parade.
We even saw it in action at Abbey Gate.

I'm with Pete.; 17-07-26 8:36 PM
holdfast చెప్పారు...: "Testosterone testing should be part of every annual physical, including females."

Agreed - abnormal Testosterone (high or low) can be an early indication of endocrine and other issues.; 17-07-26 8:39 PM

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Althouse

16 జులై, 2026

"Pete Hegseth wants a manly military. And he really, really wants you to know how badly he wants a manly military."

67 కామెంట్‌లు:

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Althouse

16 జులై, 2026

"Pete Hegseth wants a manly military. And he really, really wants you to know how badly he wants a manly military."

67 కామెంట్‌లు:

కామెంట్‌ను పోస్ట్ చేయండి

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