12/02/25 Afternoon CommStock Report – Pride Versus Arrogance

There is a huge difference between having pride and being arrogant. I have pride in the US military. I appreciate and thank Veterans for their service. My dad’s old uniform with his 4rth Infantry Division insignia hangs in my open closet where I can see it every day. An uncle who served 28 years in the US AirForce was my childhood idol. Nothing wrong with pride. Nothing wrong with self-confidence that accompanies pride. Arrogance is dangerous. The arrogant tend to be careless and their judgement clouded by hubris. Being arrogant is not a good thing for a Commander-in-Chief, Secretary of Defense or of War, or General or Admiral to be. War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent speech to the Command Officers at Quantico was generally well received by some whose opinions that I respect and I defer to them. The speech being noted, they also hold many serious misgivings relative to the Secretary’s job performance overall. They did not have the same tolerance, however, of the president’s rambling address. The president’s message to the command assembled was essentially “do whatever I say or there is the door”. The command 4-star Admiral in charge of Southern Command overseeing the Caribbean and…