Why won't Republicans investigate white supremacists in uniform? We know why
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Why won't Republicans investigate white supremacists in uniform? We know why
Chauncey DeVega 5 days ago 13-16 minutes
A man hold his hand to his heart as a Proud Boys organizer recites the Pledge of Allegiance during a Proud Boys rally at Delta Park in Portland, Oregon on September 26, 2020. MARANIE R. STAAB/AFP via Getty Images
In the years since the civil rights movement, open white supremacists have largely been stigmatized, marginalized, condemned and all but banished from mainstream American society. That's especially true for neo-Nazis, who have existed mostly on the extreme outer boundaries of American public life.
That has changed. The Age of Trump has given permission for the worst of human behavior, and those kinds of norms have been twisted, bent or broken. Donald Trump's regime, the current Republican Party and the larger white right have been willing to amplify such voices, bringing them into the highest levels of government and power and, through "narrative laundering," into the mainstream of American society and politics. Trumpism and American neofascism are at once a reflection, a cause and a symptom of growing racial authoritarianism and outright white supremacy, both in the United States and around the world.
Note this most recent example: Last week, all 208 Republican members of the House voted against investigating white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity in the military and exploring how to address it. Those 208 Republicans included Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee and hero to the mainstream commentariat and entirely too many liberals. Tess Owen of Vice summarizes the situation, noting that this amendment passed the House on a strict party-line vote:
If the amendment survives Senate scrutiny, it would mandate the chiefs of the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense to produce a report assessing the extent of white supremacist or neo-Nazi activity in their ranks and how they plan to address it. They'd have 180 days from the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act to compile that report.
The stark divide between Democrat and Republican support for the amendment is a reminder of how the genuine national security problem of white supremacist infiltration of government agencies has instead been turned into a partisan football.
"We just voted to combat neo-Nazis in our military and every single Republican voted no," tweeted New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr.
In more normal times, voting to investigate Nazis and members of other white supremacist hate groups in uniform would be an easy political win for both Republicans and Democrats. What respectable public figure would want to risk being viewed, correctly or not, as sympathetic to Nazis, Klan members or other far-right racial terrorists?
But today's "conservative" movement has become a big tent of the worst possible type. Many are ready to welcome or embrace white supremacists and other right-wing extremists. Others are content to look the other way, while demonstrating a shared affinity for many of the same fundamental values, beliefs and goals. Republicans in the Age of Trump are not willing to alienate their most enthusiastic supporters, even at risk at being seen as aligned with hate groups.
I asked antiracism activist and author Tim Wise for his reaction:
As usual, the MAGA-fied GOP has shown its true colors: unwilling to openly condemn or investigate white supremacists and nationalists in the military despite warnings that these are becoming significant problems among the enlisted. Why? Because too many of their base endorse those ideologies, or at the very least are comfortable with them. To condemn white racism is to condemn huge swaths of their voter base. It literally puts their electability in question. It would be like a Democrat announcing they were for segregation; only, please note, the difference between Democrats and Republicans is that being for segregation and racism gets you in trouble if you're a Democrat. Being against Nazism and racism sinks you as a Republican. Fascinating.
Meanwhile, their inaction puts the nation at risk. Racists admit they are targeting such folks for recruitment because they want battle-tested (or at least trained) soldiers for their race war. Neglecting to investigate this issue proves that the GOP cares nothing for national security, and only for their own reactionary base of neofascists.
David Neiwert , one of America's leading experts on right-wing extremism, highlights the incremental creep of the Republican Party's inexorable slide toward avowed white supremacy and right-wing extremism:
This vote in the House is really just the latest action cementing the Republican Party's ardent embrace of the same right-wing extremism that overtook the Capitol on Jan. 6. The GOP now openly and undeniably defends the politics of sedition and insurrection, and has become a fundamentally antidemocratic entity. At some point, Americans who believe in democracy need to awaken to this reality and treat it with the deadly seriousness it deserves. But it's escaping our notice because it's happening brick by brick.
The Republican Party's refusal to support efforts to deradicalize the U.S. military and federal law enforcement is part of a much larger pattern. The right-wing movement is working to end America's multiracial democracy and replace it with a pseudo-democratic Christian-fascist plutocracy, where a small minority of wealthy white men and their allies will rule over American society without resistance or challenge. In local, national and state elections across the country, various kinds of right-wing extremists are seeking office as Republicans. They understand today's Republican Party to be their natural home.
A large proportion of Republicans and a majority of Trump voters buy into the most important claims of the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which holds that white people in the U.S. and other Western nations are being "replaced" in "their own countries" by nonwhite immigrants, as part of a deliberate strategy by "global elites" (which tends to mean Jewish people). That conspiracy theory has repeatedly led to violence, including white supremacist mass shootings in Buffalo, El Paso, Pittsburgh and numerous other places.
Social science researchers have repeatedly shown that white racism and racial animus are determining factors in support for Trump and the Republican Party.
White Republican voters also believe that white people in America are the "real victims" of racism. These delusions and fantasies are central tenets of white supremacist ideology as espoused by neo-Nazis and other hate groups.
Many Republicans also believe that Trump's coup attempt and the Jan. 6 Capitol attack were at least partly justified, and view the people who attacked the Capitol as "patriots" who are being unfairly persecuted by Democrats and the federal government.
Members of right-wing extremist and paramilitary groups, most notably the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys , were integral to Trump's coup plot and the terrorist attack on the Capitol. In practice, these groups functioned as Trump's personal stormtroopers on Jan. 6, and hoped to go much further during the reign of terror that might have followed his seizure of power after nullifying the results of the 2020 election.
I asked Jenn Budd , an author and former patrol and intelligence agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, for her perspective on the escalating dangers from the Republican Party and the growing neofascist movement:
On Jan. 6, our democracy was almost overthrown not just by radicalized white Americans but also by many in Congress who are Republican leaders. Democrats are trying to investigate and prevent future acts of terrorism with the very people who took part in the coup. The threat of terrorism is coming not just from white nationalists outside but from within the government itself.
We should not be surprised by any of this. The largest federal police forces are CBP, Border Patrol and ICE. They are literally based in white nationalist ideology, as they are constantly looking for people who "don't belong" to deport them, i.e., Black and brown bodies. The entire reason political leaders have militarized our borders is to keep "those people" out while opening the door for white migrants like the Ukrainians. The truth is that both sides created these agencies to enforce the laws that ensure white supremacy. It is difficult to address white nationalism and terrorism when our entire system is based on that ideology.
Right-wing extremism, including neo-Nazism and other white supremacist ideologies, is a long-standing problem in the U.S. military and law enforcement. Repeated efforts to confront this security challenge, as we have just seen, are repeatedly resisted by Republicans and the mainstream right. Stephanie Foggett , a resident fellow at the Soufan Center, provided further context, noting that domestic terrorism "has been recognized as a top national security priority by law enforcement," and that there's no valid reason why addressing that threat should be a partisan issue:
That lawmakers must address means to combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the armed forces and law enforcement should not come as a surprise: Violent extremist groups highly value having service members and veterans among their ranks. In recent years, current and former service members have been linked to these groups and movements; some participated in the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.... On the one hand, violent extremist groups seek to recruit among this demographic for operational and tactical reasons. They hope to benefit from both the skillset these members would bring, like weapons training, as well as combat and other types of "real-world" experience. On the other hand, individuals with extremist beliefs and affiliations may seek to join the armed forces or law enforcement, so it's important to have policies for screening new recruits for extremism.
Another concern is among veterans; America's history already shows a worrying intersection between war and far-right extremism. The reality is that the armed forces and law enforcement are uniquely vulnerable to this threat, from extremist actors looking to recruit among the demographic to extremist actors looking to infiltrate these institutions to the vulnerability of veterans to recruitment following their service. It is a security imperative to root out far-right extremism in the military and police, for the benefit of the institutions themselves as well as for the country they serve to protect.
The conservative movement's incremental embrace of white supremacy and racial authoritarianism is part of a much larger global phenomenon. Today's Republican Party has more in common with right-wing extremist and fascist political parties in Hungary, Poland and Turkey than with mainstream conservative parties in Germany, France or the U.K.
Leading "conservatives" view Vladimir Putin's Russia and Viktor Orbán's Hungary as models for the type of anti-democratic and anti-pluralistic order they want to enforce on America. CPAC held a gathering in Hungary last May that drew far-right figures from all over Europe, and Orbán will be a featured guest at the next CPAC gathering in Dallas later this year.
I asked James Scaminaci III , a leading expert on right-wing extremism and political violence, for his insights into the Republican Party's refusal to investigate and monitor white supremacists and other extremists within military and law enforcement:
I served four years in Bosnia-Herzegovina after the genocidal war and covered the war in that country from the start in the late 1980s as a civilian military intelligence analyst. The GOP is balkanizing this country like the ethno-nationalists did in the former Yugoslavia. Under the ethno-nationalists, you could only trust members of your own ethnic-religious group. The GOP is doing its utmost to ensure that social and political polarization goes to the extremes. We are in the gravest of dangers, and while a large majority of the public, both GOP and Democrat, realizes the dangers, we have one political party driving us towards Christian-nationalist fascism. We have no fail-safe measures.
Today's Republican Party and the larger "conservative" movement and white right are a clear and present danger to American democracy and American society. The Trump cabal's 2021 coup attempt was no aberration. It was part of a larger pattern of violence and radical extremism with the goal of ending America's multiracial pluralist democracy and replacing it with right-wing minority rule. The Republican refusal to monitor, deradicalize or purge white supremacists and other right-wing extremists from military and law enforcement is one obvious aspect of that larger strategy.
Too many members of the mainstream news media and larger political class remain committed to the self-soothing fiction that contemporary Republicans and "conservatives" are capable of being responsible partners in government and democracy. They are not, and it's long past time to abandon that delusion.
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Is the gop now for allowing Nazis into our army forced?
Why stop with the military? Congress should compel every agency of government to report agency leaders responded and will respond to past or planned incidents connected to white supremacist or neo-Nazi activity. They should also annually report total number of people who were discharged from the agency because of their links or support of extremism.
Maybe they wont stop, but you've gotta start somewhere.
What if there was concern about communists in the military? Do you think it wouldnt be investigated?
Wanna place bets on that?
They were investigated by HUAC over 60 years ago
Why stop with white supremacists and neo-Nazis?
There is a whole world of leftist radicals out there that are just as eager to engage in sedition against this country. Democrats refer to them as "mostly peaceful protesters."
You forgot Brownshirts
Thank you for adding it for me.
Must be proud of them to remember.
Republicans know who their base voters are.
They should have voted no and, in my opinion, you can blame the Left for that. Since the Left has a track record of redefining what words mean to suit their political needs, who would be labeled as a neo-Nazi would be like giving the Left a blank check. Considering the Left's drive to politicize the military with it's CRT derived BS, likely anyone in the service who resisted such propaganda would be labeled a neo-Nazi because, the argument would go, only a neo-Nazi would not accept the propaganda.
So, what we have here is Dems pulling the same old neo-Marxist play they've been using for a while now. You put something out there that, on the surface, no one would object to. Something popular. Who doesn't hate Nazis, right? At worst, it gets shot down by the Right and you get to club them with the BS that they support neo-Nazis. At best, it passes and now they have a tool they can use to move the military to the political Left by getting rid of the more conservative in the ranks. They are already attempting to do so with the CRT derived propaganda the Chaiman of the Joint Chiefs Milley is helping the Dems inflict on servicemembers.
True, the right don't seem to hate Nazi's. We saw many of them march side by side with their fellow white supremacist confederate defenders not that long ago, carrying tiki torches, waving their swastika flags and confederate flags and chanting "Jews will not replace us!".
You have to be practically brain dead not to recognize how the right wing and conservative Republicans have allowed white supremacists and Nazi's to infiltrate their party if not outright embrace them for their support. Right wing conservatives were the first to jump and defend the tiki torch crowd and other groups of right wing militia and the January 6th insurrectionists, some are just unwilling to admit how they share many of the same prejudices, they just don't want publicly known because they fear getting canceled. Many came out of the woodwork when Trump ran for and won the 2016 election on an anti-immigrant pro-white conservative Christian agenda which gave his base cover to be themselves without fear of being 'canceled' for being the racist self-absorbed assholes they really are.
What I find strange, however, is that you don't seem to recognize the white supremacy in the Left wing or Dems, who certainly do more to keep people of color down than the Republicans do. I see no other way to explain how decades of Dem control of major population centers and people of color are no better off now then they were before. Dem policy seems geared toward culling the black population rather than do things that might actually benefit them.
And Left wing progressives were the first to jump in to defend Antifa and BLM rioters. BLM, by the way, seems to want many of the same things as white supremacists want and they have no shortage of racists among their ranks. This would be a reason all by itself for Republicans to not vote for this obvious attempt concerning this bill. Why have a bill that only targets one specific kind of extremist but doesn't touch others? Because they want their extremists, maybe?
Do you have proof that the democrats are pushing CRT in the military?
That's because your claim is nothing but ridiculous laughable bull shit. While I don't claim Democrats to be perfect, they make plenty of mistakes, but one thing is true, they have been pushing for equality and have given minorities far more opportunities and helped lift all boats FAR more than right wing conservative Republicans who only know how to pretend racism doesn't exist as they turn their noses up at those who don't look like them or worship as they do.
That's just more rhetorical bull shit.
" In 1940, 60 percent of employed black women worked as domestic servants; today the number is down to 2.2 percent, while 60 percent hold white- collar jobs."
" In 1958, 44 percent of whites said they would move if a black family became their next door neighbor; today the figure is 1 percent."
" 40 percent of African Americans now consider themselves members of the middle class. Forty-two percent own their own homes, a figure that rises to 75 percent if we look just at black married couples."
In a Gallup poll " about one-fifth of all whites, but almost half of black respondents, said that at least three out of four African Americans were impoverished urban residents. And yet, in reality, blacks who consider themselves to be middle class outnumber those with incomes below the poverty line by a wide margin."
Black Progress: How far we’ve come, and how far we have to go (brookings.edu)
Of course there is still a long way to go, and not every decision made in an attempt to help shrink the gap between white and black standards of living worked. But since the 1960's Democrat's have been at the forefront of pushing for diversity and equality which is why they have far more minority representation among their elected leaders and officials than the near albino make up of elected conservative Republicans. And don't bother trotting out the handful of exceptions as if they're representative of the whole, only those with severe brain damage would believe right wing conservative Republicans embrace any sort of real diversity.
I've never defended any of the violence, vandalism or looting that occurred at a handful of protests. I did point out the fact that 93% of the protests were peaceful and those protestors who wanted to express their opinions by peacefully marching while asking for justice to be done should never be lumped in with the violent extremists agitators and opportunists, many of whom were in fact from the right wing looking to start a civil war, some even shooting cops as we saw happen in Oakland or even planning bombings at the protests.
Just more racist horse shit. Are there some angry and bitter black Americans who hold prejudice against whites in their hearts? Of course there are, but BLM's message from the very beginning has simply been one of asking society to value black lives as much as they value white lives, not more than. Only the white supremacists and many right wing conservative white nationalists see BLM as trying to usurp their 'white culture' and privileged position in American society. They see being on a level playing field with black Americans as an insult to their white Christian heritage, equality to them means lowering themselves to those they see as inferior.
Because the Black Panthers and other minority extremist groups aren't actively recruiting from the military or encouraging members to join the military so they can learn warfare for their desired second civil war where they believe the "South will rise again!" and defeat all the inferior races and faiths leaving only a pure white Christian nation to rule over as is their dream and what many imagine when they pray for their Gods Kingdom to come. You pass laws to address problems and there is no black supremacy problem that has taken root in our military, only white supremacy.
Oh. You're right. That explains why pretty much every Democratic controlled urban center is basically a third world shithole and getting worse. In my opinion, the only people of color the Dems support are the ones they keep down and impoverished by their policies. That way, they have a manufactured voting block and, at the same time, poster children for how 'unfair' everything is.
Great. Now, give me evidence that this is due to Democrats. You're just stating statistics, otherwise. I'd be very curious to know how these people feel politically. My guess is that most of them lean right. What you're describing are people who go out and make their own way, not those who sit around and wait for Dems to give them everything.
Further, your first statistic is probably crap. Sixty percent of black females hold white collar jobs? Great, if it's true, but that isn't true of even white females, which is what one would expect if the Dem insistence of institutional racism is correct.
The second statistic would be an argument against CRT's insistence that racism is institutional. Same with the third.
The fourth makes no sense at all. It argues that whites have a better understanding of black economic reality than blacks themselves have. More, it indicates that Dems are simply making it all up if the margin of black people who feel they are middle class differs so greatly.
Don't worry, I won't. Not being a Republican I feel no need to defend them. However, I can unequivocally say that you can take your 'diversity' and shove it. In my opinion, pursuing diversity for diversity's sake is the task for morons. If I were Ketanji Brown I'd have a few words for my 'supporters.' I'd tell them they could go and do anatomically impossible things to themselves for supporting my success as a black woman rather than my acumen as a legal professional.
That said, I think what you call a "handful' of exceptions has less to do with race and more to do with political positions. I suspect that you won't be able to say this for much longer, though. I think more and more people of color are waking up to the crap Dems are trying to push on them.
My bad. I didn't realize this was about you.
Irrelevant. What is relevant is "Black Lives Matter,' which is the exact opposite of what they are supposedly trying to achieve.
Ideally, one aspect of a perfect world would be one in which skin color simply didn't register. It would simply be background information. The sky is blue, water is wet, people come in different colors. But that isn't what BLM is after. What they want is to shape the world around their skin color. "I am black so I deserve X." This is racism. Policy based on race is racism. It is why BLM reacted the way they did to "All lives matter," which, if they were really interested in equality, they would have adopted, rather than BLM. Instead, they went with identity politics, which is by nature, racist.
Racist horse shit? Excuse me but any position that rests on race is by definition racist. My position is that a person's value rests on a person's character and what that person does. BLM's problem is not simply that it's racist but they expect people to believe their crap when anyone with a brain knows that the greatest threat to black people dying is other black people. The likelihood of a black person being killed by another black person is orders of magnitude greater than being killed by someone of another race. Statistically, being killed by a cop barely registers.
You should consider thinking for yourself rather than simply regurgitating Dem propaganda. I'm definitely in the conservative camp but I don't know anyone who fits what you describe here. Being a conservative, you might think I discuss the "problem" of black people all the time. I can tell you that we don't. I'm sure there are those who do and you do your best to lump us all together but it simply isn't the case. What we mostly talk about is the Left as a whole, regardless of what color their skin happens to be.
You don't know what you're talking about. Having spent more than 20 years in the military, the military's biggest concern was gang bangers entering the military for the training, which, apparently, the gangs thought would be useful in their members. White supremacy was not a factor. That isn't to say that there were no white supremacists in the military but in all of my years in the Army, I never met one. Or, to be more accurate, I never met anyone who espoused their white supremacist views. In actuality, it was one of the nicest parts of being in the military. Nobody cared what color anyone else was. We were all brothers and sisters who depended on each other.
All I can say here is, wow. You apparently believe this crap represents the right. I hope you don't put down Q'anon types, since you're pretty much just like them.
Well, I know you never served or you wouldn't have said something so egregiously stupid.
Yes. Try Googling it.
Huh? Chicago is hosting one of the largest music festivals in the world this weekend. People come from far and wide to Grant Park for Lollapalooza. If they had only known the city is a third world shithole I'm sure they would have stayed home.
Well that's a trough of horse shit. The facts show the top 5 cities with the highest economic output are all Democrat run cities.
The top cities of economic output in the United States | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
9 out of the top 10 happiest cities in America are Democrat run cities.
Happiest Cities in America (wallethub.com)
12 most federally dependent States are all Republican majority States. 8 out of 10 least federally dependent States are Democrat majority States.
Most & Least Federally Dependent States (wallethub.com)
Just because a bunch of whiny right wing conservatives think the big cities are "third world shitholes" does not make them so, it just shows their ignorance and likely bitter jealousy of Democratic run cities who have GDP's larger than most red States.
Liberals and progressives aren't pushing diversity just for diversities sake but to break the barriers that sadly still exist in our country. We push for diversity because it makes us a stronger nation, not some weak minded white supremacist piss ant Aryan Christian Nation.
That's complete nonsense. They are saying "I am human so I deserve to be treated as one". The facts show a huge racial disparity in the justice system with blacks especially when it comes to drug enforcement where they are profiled, targeted, searched, arrested, convicted, serve longer sentences and are less eligible for parole than their white counterparts who use and deal/sell illegal drugs at the same rates. BLM isn't asking for extra rights, just the same treatment as any white American would expect to receive when confronted by the police.
I've seen and heard it coming from many right wing religious conservatives, though most were hard line Christian fundamentalists living in Arkansas and had confederate flags pasted over just about everything they owned.
So I take it you are claiming there is a black supremacy movement in our military? Oh, please do tell.
I read your post in it's entirety but when I read this I realized trying to engage you further would be a waste of my time.
And how surprised will you be if there is a subsequent news story about someone shooting someone else at this event?
Yes, Tessy, that's what I mean. Now go back to your finger painting.
Next time you go, be sure to visit Garfield Park, it has a striking field house known as the Gold Dome Building and a beautiful Conservatory with every variety of palm trees. I especially liked the desert exhibit filled with succulents and cactus. Afterwards, you can walk on Madison and enjoy some jerk chicken at Jerk 48. Just make sure you leave the neighborhood before dark.
Their weed shops will make a killing this weekend. I heard that Verilife is running a shuttle every 20 minutes between Grant Park and the River North shop. They also will have a pop up smoking lounge right outside the shop. The place will be buzzing.
That's not how this works. You make a claim. You back it up. Did you never do any kind of debate in high school?
We need to denazify our military. And when we are done maybe we should bomb texas to denazify them too.
You are gonna piss some people off with that statement, right as it is..,sans the bombing part of course. Sarcastic or not…never sure with you.
The comment is a reflection on the article, not to be taken seriously.
Ah. Defending the inherent racism within the ranks…whether it our military or your party. In either case, indefensible.
Ah, when all else fails make shit up and accuse people of being nazi sympathizers because they dont buy into the hysteria. How typical and predictable.
While I am sure there extremists in the military, they are a fringe minority. I believe they should be gotten rid of but the liberal left seems to want to tar those that are not as well with the same brush just to fit their agenda.
“…because they dont buy into the hysteria.”
Self-gratifying pablum.
That is exactly what some on the left are great at. This article is a great example
How many do you think there are in each Service?
There is a minuscule number of white supremists in the general population, it only stands to reason that there is a miniscule number of white supremists in the military. They have always been there, the number is not exploding at the present time. The authors attempt to demonize a whole political party because they are not screaming "The sky is falling" is just throwing some red meat to the "everything is about race" crowd.
It is pathetic
People like you and I who spent many years of our adult lives in the military serving our country in uniform and who maintain contacts with such have a much better idea of what goes on in the military than someone who has never served in a military uniform a day in their lives and who depends solely on what they are spoon fed from the liberal MSM and have little or no clue.
Just a little bit of personal experience.
I spent 20 years in the Navy, retiring in 2005.
During that time, I was stationed on 2 different carriers based in Japan, the Midway and the Independence. There was no white supremacy or nazis or whatever the left wants to accuse the military of these days. We were all ship mates and that never changed.
However, after I retired, my wife and I went back to Japan to visit my son and his wife, where he was stationed and married a Japanese girl.
At the time, the Reagan was the carrier based in Yokosuka, and been there for several months. I asked why there were no Reagan sailors to be found on base and was told it was because of the black and hispanic gangs that came from sountern California have caused trouble for the locals and the ship was in lock down because of it. No mention of whitey anywhere.
The left especially white liberals. wants you to believe that is non leftist conforming whites that are causing problems, however, evidence shows it is more black and hispanic gangs that are causing the problems.
The left, in no way whatsoever, want to address this because they themselves will be looked at as the racists.....and probably rightfully so.
It just fits their agenda. Blame the whole for the wrongs of some.
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I hear you. I retired from the Navy in 1993 out of Pearl Harbor. In the early 80's I was stationed at the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendelton and there was a instance of where white Marine KKK white supremacists went after black Marines and they had it out. The base security people stepped in and arrested all the white Marines and every one was tried by courts martial and booted with the Big Chicken Dinner. No muss no fuss, just got rid of them as they should have. That was the only major incident I ever saw or heard of.
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Yea I am not denying there are supremacists or whatever, in the military. Fact is, there are black supremacists, hispanics that are racist towards black and whites, but what the loons on the left are pushing is straight bullshit.
Like I said above, calling out black and hispanic racism in the military will get them a "you're a racist" response. Fact is, if it is toward a white liberal, more than likely the description would be correct.
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" After 9/11, the country’s counterterrorism focus turns almost exclusively to Al Qaeda. But the election of America’s first Black president helps to spark a resurgence in the far right. In early 2009 (after Obama's election), Daryl Johnson, a Department of Homeland Security analyst, writes a report warning that home-grown extremists are organizing and targeting military veterans for recruitment."
Rise of the Far Right After the Election of President Obama (pbs.org)
"A 2020 survey found that more than one-third of all active-duty troops and more than half of minority service members reported witnessing first-hand examples of white nationalism or other ideologically-driven racism."
“The number of extremists in the military has increased due to a higher percentage of white supremacists attempting to join the military and the development of white supremacist leanings among some currently-serving personnel,” Mark Pitcavage, a specialist on far-right groups for the Anti-Defamation League, told the House Armed Services Committee last year .
The military has a hate group problem. But it doesn't know how bad it's gotten. - POLITICO
I get that the older military folk here would doubt such claims based on their own service, but times have changed. Starting with the election of President Obama there was a huge surge in white nationalist militia groups being formed and an surge in white supremacist groups recruiting veterans as well as grooming and encouraging members to join to get military experience for their hoped for second civil war.
Just because you didn't see it happening 17+ years ago doesn't mean it isn't happening now.
We need progressives to step up and raise their right hand.
So the Democrats and their pundits went looking for it; and they supposedly found it.
Now to their all encompassing definition of they consider to by a white supremacist or Nazi.
The left loves using a wide brush. I am sure there are several in the military that supported Trump; and would vote for him again should he run. Will that disqualify them from serving? I am sure many leftists would consider anyone supporting Trump to be far alt right and a threat.
I liked your statement all the way up to the "lliberal left...."
Let's get rid of the fringe in the military on both sides. There's no place for that bullshit in the military as we both know
That goes for quite a few folks here at NT...both conservative and liberal
Thankfully....the vast majority of normal and sane American citizens aren't buying into this race war propaganda bullshit.
You can tell because their propaganda is getting more ridiculous every day. Looks like they need to ratchet up the bullshit because they are not getting their desired results
Which is the ridiculous part? That we have neo-nazi's, white nationalists, Proud Boys, etc. in the military? Or that republicans are against removing them?
Trying to make a mountain out of a molehill to attempt to score political points is propaganda. Some do it so often they can't even see it anymore.
Why are you afraid to answer the question?
Which is the ridiculous part? That we have neo-nazi's, white nationalists, Proud Boys, etc. in the military? Or that republicans are against removing them?
Maybe you just accuse everyone and if their response does not meet with the liberal standard it must be because they are white nationalists.
No evidence that's true
It is easy to find evidence of something if you start with a conclusion and then look for things you can interpret as supporting your pre decided conclusion.
I am not, I did.
Not my problem if you don't like it
You are, and you did not.
Must be horrible to go around making claims then running and hiding when someone questions you about those claims.
We also have black supremacists and a whole host of other racists of different races.
When are you going to call them out?
i am not and i did.
Still not my problem and your accusations are lame. Predictable but lame.
The repub party has nothing to do with discharging military members any more than the dem party has,
An Orwellian approach.
You are absolutely correct. That falls under what is known as the UCMJ. Generally, only people with a military background have any clue of that that is or how it works. Pretty sure it falls under Article 134 as Prejudicial To Good Order And Discipline.
What accusations? I asked a simple question, you refused to answer that question. 2 possible reasons, you are a troll or you are too afraid to answer.
When someone brings out the "You're making a mountain out of a molehill" defense it's almost certain they are desperately trying to keep anyone from investigating the molehill.
Answered and you don't like it. Draw your own conclusion. It is not like you haven't made them up without any facts before.
Is that the 2020 peaceful protests?
When Congress brings out the the need for a DoD report that was already provided to them only months earlier, it's almost certain that they are looking for headlines.
That's hilarious. I asked you a simple question in 6.1.8 and......gasp, no surprise.....you refused to answer it.
Hypocrisy wears you well.
Sadly, the only evidence that might convince the new American right that racism actually exists will be non-white bodies hanging from tree limbs in large numbers. Until then, it’s all just left wing hysteria. Party and politics over clear evidence at all costs.
I have not heard anyone say racism doesn't exist, only that there are not 50 million+ racists in America like some on the left want you to believe.
“…only that there are not 50 million+ racists in America…”
Quantifying is not diminishing. No such thing as an acceptable number here. From both sides or any side.
Didn't say there was, try not taking part of the comment out of context in order to try and make a point..
Minorities continually get arrested, disenfranchised, killed, etc. over infractions that white people routinely get a slap on the wrist over. Antifa and BLM are routinely characterized by white conservatives as violent thugs, while actual right wing organizations exist to openly claim white racial superiority. Pretending these realities are not true isn’t making you look any smarter.
Are you saying there are over 50 million racists in the US? That was my comment you seem to be replying to since I also said no one says there are no racists.
I'll say it, there are more like 300+ million racists in America. Just about everyone is racist to one degree or another, it's just 250+ million of us recognize our prejudices and most try hard to work on being more open minded and accepting of other cultures, colors and faiths. The other 50 million gnash their teeth, fly confederate flags, defend confederate monuments while pretending their favorite brand of white supremacy doesn't exist and that they're not really prejudiced at all and that their 'white Christian culture' is really the victim here even though their actions, votes and those they vote for say otherwise.
Exactly, there are likely fewer than 30 million Americans that are racists.
How long have you thought that most Blacks, Hispanics and Asian Americans are racists like our white people?
It is very difficult to put a number on it. There are appx 200 million adults in America, so your figure would place it at about 1 in 7. I think the real number is considerably higher, although we have to recognize there are different levels of racism, ranging from pure racial hate and white supremacy down to those who simply dont like to be around people of color for various reasons.
My mistake, I meant to say in my sarcastic reply that there aren't likely fewer than 30 million Americans that aren't racists.
I think one would be pretty foolish to believe minorities didn't hold racist feelings as well, especially those that have historically been the victims of prejudice all their lives. The difference is that these minorities have never been in power making the laws, setting the standards and norms for a society as white conservative Christians have been. The prejudice many minorities feel is often quite justified as anyone would have bitter feelings towards the ones kneeling on their necks.
However, there are many who do their best to overcome their prejudices and understand that an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. Sadly, the continued denials by many white Americans of any responsibility for the treatment of minorities since our founding and the continued systemic racial injustice found in our society no doubt make it very hard for some to forgive and forget.
There is also a sea of difference between someone who is prejudiced because of the mistreatment and injustice they have experienced at the hands of others and someone who is prejudiced because they've been taught since childhood that their race and religion is superior to all others and thus feel justified in lording it over those who look different or pray different. Hating someone who treats you like shit is different than hating someone simply because you believe their race or faith inferior to your own. But regardless of its origin, hate and prejudice is still something we should all attempt to overcome.
Especially in the Northeast, upper Midwest and West Coast.
Who here has said it does not exist? I am of Mexican/American and Native American extract on my mother's side. I grew up in a small rural town on the Southeast AZ/Mexico border in the 50's, 60's, and early 70's where the town was run with an iron fist by a minority of devout white Mormon families who owned most of the businesses, ran the city government from the mayor on down and were some of the most racist folks I ever saw. Believe me I know racism exists pretty damn well.
Are there white supremacists in the military, of course, there are and there always have been. How many are there today, I don't know since they don't wear a sign on their foreheads. But they didn't wear a sign on their foreheads back in the day either but I sure as hell experienced a lot of them.
Getting rid of them in the military or any other government agency should be a priority, not a pissing match on how many are there, who are etc etc. They don't do anything to enhance our military or any other agency that they are in they are a destructive entity within our country.
Seems that pissing, moaning, and denial are the order of the day.
Carry on.
Do you feel the same about black supremacists or hispanic gang members that are in the military, or do you only want to get rid of the white boys?
The article is on white supremacy so that is what I addressed, also having first hand experience with it gives me a bit of an insight. Something that you don't seem to have, bugsy.
Anyone that has an understanding of what I stated should know that any racial supremacist organization or gang members in the military or any government agency would be totally against what I believe in.
I hope that is clear enough for any of the white boys that have a question on where I stand on the matter.
Fair enough. Thanks for being honest.
I remember in the mid 1970's being a young hard charging Fleet Marine Force Navy Hospital Corpsman assigned to the 3rd MAW at MCAS Yuma, AZ. In those days we all had to go to mandatory "race relations" classes once a year. In one class, I was the only Navy guy in the room full of black, hispanic, and white Marines, and one Native American who was a White Mountain Apache. All the blacks, whites, and Mexicans were bad mouthing each other while I just kept my mouth shut. When things had settled a bit, the moderator asked the Apache guy who stayed quiet in the back of the room as well what he thought. The gentleman was quiet for a minute with a thoughtful look on his face and said. "I truthfully say that my people were here long before any of your people's ancestors and this was our land. That being said, f#*k you. Goodbye." He proceeded to get up and calmly walk out of the room. Everybody else just sat there in shock. It was all I could do to keep from laughing my head off.
Classic
Yep, I talked to him later and he told me that after what he went through growing up and attending one of those government run schools in Arizona, the guys in that room were a bunch of total lightweight wannabes.
Indian Boarding Schools, there were a number of them in AZ. One of the main streets in Phoenix is named after one of them. ''Indian School Rd.'' He was absolutely correct on the lightweight wannabes.
Much of Indian School Road is actually in Scottsdale. When my late son was going to culinary school at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, he lived just off the corner between Indian School Road and Camelback Road.
No, Indian School Road runs across the entire valley. It runs from 126th Street (almost the Beeline Highway) to Verrado Way in the West Valley which is around 210 Ave.
Okay, my thanks for the correction.
It starts or ends at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community. I've been on that section of it a few times.
I had to look it up it's 41 miles long.
Since 1969, DoD has provided policy guidance that enumerates the prohibition of specific activities, and has routinely updated its guidance to clarify prohibited activities, clarify the investigative authorities that commanders have at their disposal, and ensure that all military departments implement training on these policies.
Around 2012 DoD built a program to detect, deter, and mitigate such threats to the Department, its people, and its mission.
In 2019, Congress directed DoD to review existing policies and capabilities with the aim of closing gaps in personnel security reviews.
In 2020, the Army revised Army Command Policy to address the use of social media to support extremist activities and provided guidance to commanders for addressing prohibited activity that crosses the line into misconduct.
In February 2021, SecDef Austin directed a Department stand down to educate DoD personnel on the threat posed by extremist activity.
In April 2021, Austin issued a second memorandum to implement immediate actions identified by subject-matter experts within the Department and directed the establishment of the Countering Extremist Activity Working Group (CEAWG) to implement these urgent steps and develop additional recommendations.
In Dec 2021, DoD issues it's Report on Countering Extremist Activity within the Department of Defense . It recommended the following immediate actions: \
Not in DoD
I wasn't speaking of the DoD but of the some of the comments on the article.
The measure that the House passed requires DoD to prepare a report. They already did that 7 months ago. Do the House Dems think that the DoD efforts are insincere or insufficient? Maybe they wanted headlines like "Republicans apparently have no problem with Nazis in our military"
Yes, I'm aware of that which has nothing to do with my response to you.
Since I don't have any inside information on either the dems or repubs on this issue, perhaps you do and can give us some inside information. Are there Nazis or white supremacists in the military?
Yes, and in plumbers as well.
Good to know that the military is hanging in there. That confirms what my lifer nephews have told me.