The main difference is that the US doesn't flex it's imperialistic attitudes on its own citizenry. That's reserved for the global periphery, where we can conveniently ignore it.
In the past there was a sense that certain kinds of war crimes needed to at least be done secretly and sparingly by the US military.
Although this statement might be seen as a new era of honesty, I'm not looking forward to the next stage. If Hegseth thinks the US war machine is too restrained now, imagine what things won't even be surprising in a few years.
We all have an understanding of the power of the US military and its foreign agencies
But itβs tough to square this quote with that - what is going to change ?
What does a nuclear superpower need to be untied ? Mass world surveillance, bombing foreign countries?
All of that has happened - what more is needed and why ?