Mattis on war: ‘It’s a hell of a hoot’

Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said North Korea was “begging for war,” and Secretary of Defense James Mattis warns of a “massive military response” if North Korea threatens the U.S or our allies. As our government threatens war with North Korea, there are three things we should remember.

First, the Clinton administration had signed a communique with North Korea agreeing that there was no hostile intent between the two countries, and was quite close to an agreement that would freeze North Korea’s nuclear program. But the Bush administration refused to continue the talks.

Second, with a president who is completely unhinged and incapable of diplomacy, Mattis, when a Marine general, said, “There are some people who think you have to hate them in order to shoot them. I don’t think you do. It’s just business.” And, “Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people.”

And finally, historian Howard Zinn wrote that war brings wealth to the merchants, glory to the generals, and death to the privates.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Mattis on war: ‘It’s a hell of a hoot’."