Lock Flynn Up!

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Retired US Army Lt. General Michael Flynn is a poster boy for scandal and corruption at the highest levels of government, and even though he is currently not employed by our government, he is drawing a substantial public income in the form of military retirement - and he is still managing to maintain a high profile in the news, but not in a good way.

The old general has the rare distinction of having been fired by two United States Presidents.  Obama dismissed Flynn as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency over "management and temperament" issues, and Donald Trump was less than one month into his presidency when he fired Flynn as his National Security Adviser over allegedly lying to the Vice President.

Flynn, who worked on behalf of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, famously led the "Lock her Up" chant against Hillary Clinton at the 2016 GOP convention.  Michael Flynn was the only person charged over the findings of the Mueller Commission - in relation to his contacts with Russian officials on Trump's behalf during the 2016 presidential race - and Flynn eventually pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in connection with that matter.  It wasn't long however, before Flynn regrouped and started fighting charges against him.  His slate was eventually wiped clean with a presidential pardon from Trump in November of 2020.

Today Michael Flynn is a free man, unencumbered by consequences for his past actions, but he still exhibits a penchant for stirring controversy.  Last weekend Flynn was speaking to a gathering of QAnon kooks in Dallas when one participant asked him a question - while cameras were rolling.  The fellow asked, "I want to know why what happened in Myanmar can't happen here?"

(The military in Myanmar staged a coup on February 1st of this year, and the country's democratically elected leader was arrested.)

The question drew applause from conference attendees, and retired Lt. General Flynn, a man currently drawing a very substantial retirement from the US government, stepped forward and gave this reply:

"No reason.  I mean it should happen here.  No reason, that's right."

That answer apparently went over quite well with the QAnon malcontents, many of whom share a delusion that Trump was somehow cheated in his bid for re-election and is the rightful President of the United States.  Flynn was working within the moment as he told the crowd exactly what they wanted to hear.

But others were more shocked than motivated by Flynn's response to the question.  It sounded to many as though a retired US general had just called for a military coup in the United States.  Politicians from both parties quickly spoke up against what the general had said, and his remark became fodder for news commentators.  Flynn himself hastily regrouped, denied that he had made the comment, and then blamed the news media for twisting his words.  Now the repentant general is clearly stating that a military coup should not happen here.

The only problem, of course, is the pesky video of the question and answer at the Dallas event.  It's all over the internet.  Flynn said it, but now it is inconvenient for him to own it.

To paraphrase Lt. General Mike Flynn, a man who lives well on a bloated US military retirement, "Lock him up!  Lock him up!  Lock him up!"

Sedition should have consequences.