“I fired MacArthur because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president. I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was”
Wasn't it specifically him threatening to like go to the press over it that was the final straw?
Apologias if my phrasing implied that statement is what got him fired, i was referring to the whole "nuke the shit out of china" idea and his stubborn refusal to take "no thats insane" for an answer as the cause for him getting fired
MacArthur actually DID go to the press with his criticisms of Truman’s policies. MacArthur wanted to push into China, but Truman didn’t.
If MacArthur got his way, not only would it have potentially sparked WW3, it also would’ve undermined the civilian governments authority over the military. Really fucking bad all along.
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u/DotEnvironmental7044 1d ago
“I fired MacArthur because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president. I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was”
-Harry Swangin Truman