The Guardian obtained a copy of Noem’s soon-to-be released book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.” In it, she tells the story of the ill-fated Cricket, a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer she was training for pheasant hunting.

On the way home from the hunting trip, Noem writes that she stopped to talk to a family. Cricket got out of Noem’s truck and attacked and killed some of the family’s chickens, then bit the governor.

“At that moment,” Noem writes, “I realized I had to put her down.” She led Cricket to a gravel pit and killed her.

She writes, according to the Guardian, that the tale was included to show her willingness to do anything “difficult, messy and ugly” if it has to be done. But backlash was swift against the Republican governor, who just a month ago drew attention and criticism for posting an infomercial-like video about cosmetic dental surgery she received out-of-state.

  • inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    70
    ·
    7 months ago

    I grew up in the country, raised chickens with my folks, so I get that farm dogs are different than indoor pets, I’ve had to put down a few dogs in my day due to old yeller situations but I’ve never put a dog down for being a shitty dog trainer, something that Republicans seem to really love bragging about.

    • profdc9@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      45
      ·
      7 months ago

      The point is to show she can intentionally and decisively be cruel and mean, especially to an animal under her custody. This is seen as a desirable character trait to Trump’s followers.

      • meep_launcher@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        7 months ago

        I mean SS troops had to kill the dog that they raised as a puppy through their entire training to prove their dedication to Hitler.

        • TheRealKuni@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          7 months ago

          I think you’re thinking of Game of Thrones and the Unsullied. 😂

          (In all seriousness I know this is an urban legend told about many different military organizations around the world. I don’t know if there’s any truth to it.)

            • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              edit-2
              7 months ago

              The linked interview has one(!) offhand comment by Abram de Swaan about the alleged practise. The interview is in part to promote his book “The Killing Compartments: The Mentality of Mass Murder.” which of course features Nazi Germany quite a bit. So I went ahead and downloaded said book. The words ‘dog’, ‘puppy’ ,or ‘pet’ are mentioned zero times in the entirety of the book.

              Trying to find the book and more sources for the allegation I came up with nothing else.

              While “SS-Troops” (idiotic generalisation in this case) like the SS-Totenkopfverbände did many fucked up thinks and would be fucked up enough to feature the alleged dog killings in their training - there is so far no proof whatsoever.

              If this were the case it would be in every other movie about WW2. It’s in Kingsmen FFS, where the good guys do this as part of their training.

              Sorry, I have to call BS on this one.

              • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                edit-2
                7 months ago

                You’re comparing apples to Nazis.

                ELI5 for the intellectually challenged downvoting this:

                Apple: Ea-nāṣir - one random dude c. 1750 BCE.

                Nazis: The OG Nazis 1933 - 1945 that murdered millions of people.

                The comparison is incredibly stupid. You might just as well liken a speck of dust to a planet.

            • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              7 months ago

              Some of us have heard about it.

              https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/03/evil-in-the-making/#:~:text=DE%20SWAAN%3A%20For%20example%2C%20they,was%20necessary%20for%20the%20Volk.

              (Link from a few comments above)

              • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                edit-2
                7 months ago

                Initial answer when the comment had nos source: Source: Trust me bro.

                The linked interview has one(!) offhand comment by Abram de Swaan about the alleged practise. The interview is in part to promote his book “The Killing Compartments: The Mentality of Mass Murder.” which of course features Nazi Germany quite a bit. So I went ahead and downloaded said book. The words ‘dog’, ‘puppy’ ,or ‘pet’ are mentioned zero times in the entirety of the book.

                Trying to find the book and more sources for the allegation I came up with nothing else.

                While “SS-Troops” (idiotic generalisation in this case) like the SS-Totenkopfverbände did many fucked up thinks and would be fucked up enough to feature the alleged dog killings in their training - there is so far no proof whatsoever.

                If this were the case it would be in every other movie about WW2. It’s in Kingsmen FFS, where the good guys do this as part of their training.

                Sorry, I have to call BS on this one.

                  • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    2
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    7 months ago

                    The linked interview has one(!) offhand comment by Abram de Swaan about the alleged practise. The interview is in part to promote his book “The Killing Compartments: The Mentality of Mass Murder.” which of course features Nazi Germany quite a bit. So I went ahead and downloaded said book. The words ‘dog’, ‘puppy’ ,or ‘pet’ are mentioned zero times in the entirety of the book.

                    Trying to find the book and more sources for the allegation I came up with nothing else.

                    While “SS-Troops” (idiotic generalisation in this case) like the SS-Totenkopfverbände did many fucked up thinks and would be fucked up enough to feature the alleged dog killings in their training - there is so far no proof whatsoever.

                    If this were the case it would be in every other movie about WW2. It’s in Kingsmen FFS, where the good guys do this as part of their training.

                    Sorry, I have to call BS on this one.

            • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              7 months ago

              The linked interview has one(!) offhand comment by Abram de Swaan about the alleged practise. The interview is in part to promote his book “The Killing Compartments: The Mentality of Mass Murder.” which of course features Nazi Germany quite a bit. So I went ahead and downloaded said book. The words ‘dog’, ‘puppy’ ,or ‘pet’ are mentioned zero times in the entirety of the book.

              Trying to find the book and more sources for the allegation I came up with nothing else.

              While “SS-Troops” (idiotic generalisation in this case) like the SS-Totenkopfverbände did many fucked up thinks and would be fucked up enough to feature the alleged dog killings in their training - there is so far no proof whatsoever.

              If this were the case it would be in every other movie about WW2. It’s in Kingsmen FFS, where the good guys do this as part of their training.

              Sorry, I have to call BS on this one.

        • mojo_raisin@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          7 months ago

          Anyone who willingly wears a badge or military uniform would kill their mother given the order. These symbols are identification showing us exactly who is preventing societal progress.

      • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        7 months ago

        The point is to show she can intentionally and decisively be cruel and mean, especially to an animal under her custody.

        Combine that with Trump labeling groups he doesn’t like as a bunch of animals and it gets even scarier to think that they might join forces.

    • rusticus@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      7 months ago

      This. Dogs do aggressive things when they are stressed. Maybe the dog acted out due to all the beatings from the governor.