First, he doesn't come across as a guy who will listen to generals. He comes across as a guy who shoots his mouth off first and thinks later. During my time around the military (albeit in a civilian role), I've met some generals and some admirals, and my grandfather was a captain in the Navy. None of them talked or acted like Trump. They were pretty erudite and measured people. Even guys like Douglas MacArthur and George Patton who advocated some pretty aggressive actions and had pretty harsh personas weren't stupid or reckless men. They were sharp men whose plans were well-considered and thoughtful.
Second, saying he'll listen to generals is a cop-out. Generals don't speak with a single voice. They often disagree. Which generals will he listen to?
Third, military strategy and deployment aren't the only facets of foreign policy. Economic and diplomatic policy are big factors, and this stuff isn't always simple. We have a State Department for a reason.
Finally, the "generals" aren't always right and don't always have the right motives. There's a reason why the military is ultimately commanded by a civilian.
I'll give you an example that incorporates #3 and #4. Before relocating to Germany, I volunteered in the legal office at Lajes Field in the Azores (a group of islands in the mid-Atlantic in case you're not a geography buff) for about 18 months. Anyway, the "generals" want to close Lajes Field. They say it's redundant, because much of what it does can be done at Moron Air Base in Spain and think it's a waste of money. Congress overrules them and keeps it open.
So are the generals right, or is Congress right? Seems like a goofy question. Of course, the generals are right, and Congress is a bunch of dumbass, self-serving politicians who should let the Pentagon do its job, right? Well, maybe not. In fact, the "generals" are putting the US and NATO at risk of China gaining a military base in the Atlantic Ocean close to mainland Europe, and they're completely BSing the cost savings to justify spending a fortune on a new facility in the UK. Link. At least these particular generals didn't give a crap about the taxpayers money. So in short, they're not considering the diplomatic and economic impacts of their decisions, and their intentions are bad.
The point isn't that our military leaders are generally bad people who shouldn't be listened to. The point is that saying you'll listen to them as a way to avoid stating a coherent foreign policy of your own isn't a serious position. It's not always the smart move.
Sorry, but there's too much at stake to have a President who gets "caught up in the moment."
Just because the Left and media say something doesn't make it per se wrong. We can listen to Reagan talk foreign policy and quickly see that he wasn't ignorant and wasn't reckless. That's not the case with Trump. The media is often wrong about how they describe Republican politicians (Reagan, Dan Quayle, etc.), but sometimes the evidence shows them to be right (Sara Palin, Donald Trump).
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Last edited: Oct 26, 2016