It isn't the receiver's fault if someone receives a nuisance telephone call. Like junk mail, anyone waved a flag, shouting, "Hey, over here? I want more junk mail. Please send it."
It seems US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth disclosed war plan messaging by telephone to the Atlantic Monthly editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, announcing detailed, time, place, secret step-by-step plans ("…plans rivaling a Door Dash delivery," described comedian Jon M. Chu) for the US to bomb the Houthis terrorists in Yemen.
Naturally, the Atlantic Monthly editor-in-chief thought it was a joke. What kind of a dope leaves a telephone message disclosing secret war plans?
Say a dumb joke like: "The US plans to bomb Macy's on Thanksgiving Day with thirty F-16 air force planes, each carrying megaton bombs, to be dropped at exactly 12:53 AM, flying in from the Hudson River, rain or shine."
After dismissing the telephone message as a joke, a few days later, the telephone message became a reality: The Houthis terrorists in Yemen were indeed bombed. Of course, Mr. Goldberg was shocked. What to do? Write? Report? Or ignore? He wrote.
Arrest the messenger. Jail the messenger. The messenger is a traitor. The traitor should have kept his mouth shut. Who does he think he is?
A writer.
Bravo, for the owner of The Atlantic Monthly.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (who can tap out words faster than a River Dancer can tap) said that somehow, (without explaining how), Mr. Goldberg's telephone number got swallowed into Hegseth's Zoom call.
He might just as well have announced the Houthis's surprise attack on Fox News.
A better excuse: He was appointed by Donald Trump.
Case closed.
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