3 days ago
One time possibly Pete Hegseth will make nan news for doing thing worthwhile, thing that makes his mother proud. One time possibly we’ll spot a header astir nan defense caput that doesn’t impact allegations of sexual misconduct aliases bigotry, claims astir past drinking on nan job, imaginable war crimes, Christian nationalism, aliases his weird fixation connected antheral facial hair.
Alas, coming is not that day. Rather, we are gathered present coming because Hegseth is very het up astir testosterone. On Wednesday, nan defense caput proudly announced a caller screening programme for “war fighters” 30 and older that would guarantee they had nan “right testosterone levels”. In a video posted on X, captioned “the High-T Department of War”, Hegseth explains: “By addressing these wellness markers early, we’re keeping you connected nan starring separator of lethality.”
Who precisely is “you”? Does this argumentation see women? The video doesn’t spell this out, but nan New York Times said successful its reporting that women would besides be screened for testosterone. While nan specifications of this caller argumentation are fuzzy, I wouldn’t beryllium amazed if Hegseth, who has made his disdain for women successful nan subject clear, utilized debased testosterone arsenic an excuse to purge women from his alleged High T Department of War. Hegseth utilized to categorically reason women successful combat roles but reversed that position during nan defense caput confirmation process – perchance because nan senators voting connected his information urged him to do so. Nevertheless, he still seems opposed to elevating women and minorities and recently blocked nan promotions of 7 elder navy officers, 5 of whom are women aliases group of color, to two-star admiral rank. The New York Times notes: “The highly different move intends that for nan first clip successful much than a decade, nary female active-duty naval officers are apt to beryllium promoted to admiral this year.”
So what happens if a work personnel is recovered to person levels of testosterone which Hegseth considers suboptimal? Again: nan afloat specifications haven’t been disclosed. However, successful his small video, Hegseth explains that nan authorities will connection opt-in testosterone replacement therapy. There isn’t an FDA-approved testosterone curen for women, truthful presumably this curen would conscionable beryllium for men. Some mightiness telephone it gender-affirming care.
In nan past, nan Trump management has been leery astir spending money connected hormones for subject troops. The president has been doing his champion to try to ban transgender group from nan military, pinch 1 statement being that providing gender-affirming attraction to troops is too expensive. It’s unclear really overmuch money Hegseth’s caller testosterone argumentation is going to cost, but I’m judge they’ll beryllium capable to find nan money without immoderate problem. After all, nan defense section spends astir 10 times arsenic overmuch money connected Viagra and different erectile dysfunction medications than it spends connected healthcare services for transgender troops. There’s ever money for a definite benignant of gender-affirming care.
And of people there’s ever money for war. Hegseth’s testosterone-screening announcement would beryllium eyebrow-raising astatine immoderate constituent successful time, but it’s peculiarly ludicrous correct now, fixed nan escalating warfare pinch Iran. On nan aforesaid time that Hegseth made his testosterone announcement, Iran threatened to halt each power exports from nan Middle East arsenic nan US reimposed a blockade connected Iran, and Trump warned he would escalate strikes connected nan country. This unnecessary and unlawful warfare – which has nary extremity successful show and already cost tens of billions – is making life much expensive and much vulnerable for everyone. Doesn’t Hegseth person alternatively much important things connected his sheet than testosterone screening policies?
Of people he does. But whether he is tin of delivering connected those alternatively much important things is simply a different story. Hegseth tin pump himself and his troops pinch arsenic galore hormones arsenic he likes, but perfectly thing is going to make nan erstwhile Fox News big qualified for his occupation arsenic defense secretary. As I deliberation he mightiness beryllium realizing, geopolitics is difficult. Military strategy is difficult. Diplomacy is difficult. Rampaging astir screaming astir “beardos” and trying to food up your testosterone-obsessed manosphere fans pinch videos astir hormone screenings, however, is easy. Forget screening troops for testosterone; nan US should beryllium screening its defense caput for basal competence.
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Arwa Mahdawi is simply a Guardian columnist
