That means we have nothing to shoot at, no efficacious response. So we do something pointless. And we feel better. - Charles E. Gannon

You are to be congratulated on your talent for deception.

They still grumbled, of course, but never within his earshot. Besides, grumbling was the true anthem of every military unit that had ever existed. And their current grumbling was simply aimless grousing about the food, the cramped quarters, and anything else that struck them as modestly annoying. It was, in summary, both a harmless and timeless bonding ritual.

So what you are characterizing as conspiracy is merely an unfortunate coincidence.