“And yes, DoD should be notified of such things, given they are in charge of the actual system, including its financial aspects.”

This is an important note. I had a close friend that received a lump sum of money through inheritance, and chose to pay off their home. It certainly helped them, but the following year their tax situation became pretty ugly. There mortgage rate was 3.5%. Meanwhile there were a dozen different options that would have…

“Did we hand out any green cards, Justin. I’m only seeing red ones.”

“doubling that amount on his own accord wont work,”

“Mattis is broken.”

“US Government’s policy. POTUS is not the only one involved in the decision making, and policy doesn’t get automatically set to the POTUS’s desires and wishes once he takes office.”

I completely agree with you. I think McMaster is being very smart here. However, I would also say, for a career officer he’s putting his personal needs in front of those of his country. I prefer Mattis’ approach to Trump. He doesn’t necessarily agree with him, but he does his best to manage his boss privately because…

Look at the balls on you!

Look at the balls on you!

If it were actual anarchy then POTUS would have actually accomplished something in his first 100 days. As you can see his one and only accomplishment has been passing another CR. He hasn’t gotten a wall, he hasn’t repealed and replaced, he hasn’t defunded anything, and he hasn’t gotten a travel ban. Turns out this…

“claims that are not in line with the actual policy”

You’re right. Because POTUS disregards SOP so should everyone else. I’m sure that won’t lead to anarchy. Don’t be thick.

Reston has xenophobes?

“A good adviser will disagree with his boss privately, and if that doesn’t work, he will take it publicly/to another authority.”

Now you’re making a case against the POTUS (need a hand with those goalposts?), while I’m claiming the adviser is in the wrong. The two aren’t mutually exclusive here. McMaster is well out of line. A good adviser that disagrees with the POTUS would either correct him privately through his advisers or step down in…

The list of people that advise the POTUS without briefing him in person is endless. You clearly have no concept of how things work in the beltway. You’re presence is requested by POTUS (unless it’s an emergency), otherwise you CYA by advising his people. The SOP is to correct the POTUS privately through the proper…

I have. You seem to think that an appointment’s role is to serve the country’s policy publicly. That’s patently untrue. Their role is to advise the POTUS, not the public. What McMaster is doing borders on insubordination.

“Isn’t that the whole point of democracy” 

“ but if you feel like you are entitled to a reward just for doing the right thing, that is just self-interest”
 
True. In which case, better to be the wealthier self-interested type, than the one that sent back 11 cards on his own dime.

“Moral of the story: If you find something you think somebody has lost or had taken from them, return it.”

You realize she was previously deputy secretary of the DOT, right? I would argue that there aren’t many people that are better qualified to lead that dept. You can argue that there’s someone better qualified on autonomy, but that person would likely suck at the rest of their job as SECDOT (i.e. the majority).