Mark Milley, top US general, hits back against 'offensive' GOP criticism and defends Pentagon diversity efforts
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The most senior general in the US military, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, offered a forceful rebuke of renewed efforts from Republican members of Congress to question the Defense Department's diversity efforts and alleged embrace of "critical race theory."
Responding to a question by Rep. Mike Waltz about the appropriateness of a seminar at the United States Military Academy at West Point called "Understanding Whiteness and White Rage," Milley responded: "I want to understand White rage. And I'm White. And I want to understand it."
Tying the question to the January 6 insurrection, Milley asked: "What is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America? What caused that? I want to find that out. I want to maintain an open mind here."
Milley called it "offensive" that service members were being called "quote, 'woke' or something else, because we're studying some theories that are out there."
"I've read Mao Zedong. I've read, I've read Karl Marx. I've read Lenin. That doesn't make me a communist," Milley said. "So what is wrong with understanding, having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend?"
Milley's forceful pushback came as military officials have faced a chorus of GOP voices questioning the Defense Department's efforts to promote diversity and combat extremism in the ranks.
The exchange took place during a House Armed Services hearing on the Defense Department budget, where Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faced similar questions on "critical race theory," a decades-old academic concept that recognizes systemic racism as part of American society, that has become a political talking point for Republicans nationwide.
Embattled Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was seen shaking his head during Milley's comments, later tweeted a video of Milley's remarks, writing in the tweet: "With Generals like this it's no wonder we've fought considerably more wars than we've won."
Gaetz had earlier asked Austin about the stand down he ordered regarding extremism, claiming he had heard complaints from service members from "majority minority" units, as well as what Austin thought of critical race theory.
Austin responded by calling the GOP-driven conversation about critical race theory "spurious" and said that he had received far more positive feedback on the stand down than Gaetz's "anecdotal" negative feedback.
"I have gotten 10 times that amount of input, 50 times that amount of input on the other side that have said, hey, we are glad to have had the ability to have a conversation with ourselves and with our leadership, and that's what we need," said Austin.
Gaetz questioned whether Austin was only receiving feedback from subordinates "concerned about criticizing your decision," which led to Austin speculating that the feedback Gaetz was receiving were from people who "are telling you what you want to hear."
"I trust my leadership from top to bottom that they will give me fair and balanced and unvarnished input," Austin said.
The strong responses from Milley and Austin come a week after Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday fired back at Republican members of Congress who criticized his recommendation of the book "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi on a voluntary reading list for Navy sailors.
"What this is really about is trying to paint the United States military, and in this case, the United States Navy, as weak, as woke," Gilday said. "We are not weak."
Gilday further defended his recommendation as part of a national security concern, arguing that conversations about racism and diversity in the military are necessary to combat misinformation by US adversaries.
"Everybody has to be in a position to weigh fact from fiction, even our sailors. They're bombarded every day by misinformation -- much of it comes from China and Russia -- on this issue that's getting at our national psyche," said Gilday. "I'm trying to get after it in the Navy."
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The Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff kicked the rightwing Congressmens ass, like they were little boys.
This is a big deal.
Responding to a question by Rep. Mike Waltz about the appropriateness of a seminar at the United States Military Academy at West Point called "Understanding Whiteness and White Rage," Milley responded: "I want to understand White rage. And I'm White. And I want to understand it."
Tying the question to the January 6 insurrection, Milley asked: "What is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America? What caused that? I want to find that out. I want to maintain an open mind here."
What caused it? Is he kidding? Trump, Rudy, and complicit R congressmen did.
Exactly that is what a real leader does. The simpletons in congress would be best served just STFU.
It's interesting that Gaetz who has never served a day in his life is an expert on military leadership.
“Rommel, you magnificent bastard! I read your book! ”
― George S. Patton Jr.
Does he recommend our troops read Mao or Marx? What about Mein Kampf?
If you want to understand your enemy read what he does. War is not only fought with guns.
I get that. So you believe Milley is arguing Ibrham X Kendi is an enemy of America?
I’ve read some of all 3, don’t really see the problem.
read some of all 3, don’t really see the problem.
So you believe the military leadership's job is to promote the likes of Mao, Marx and Hitler to its' members?
No. Have you read Kendi or are you just jumping on the 'righteous' wagon of the day?
Neither do I. So your point doesn't make sense.
ave you read Kendi
Yes.
I've read all 3 and have never carried their flags. Moving onto economics, how can one argue the advantages of capitalism if one has not studied the opposing theories from Mao's ramblings to the Austrian School's Libertarian musings.
'No' does not make sense?
Is that what our troops do?
So you believe our military brass should recommend anti-vaxx reading material to enlisted troops, so they can argue the advantages of vaccination.
You are good at playing dumb!
I have you as a mentor.
Who said they were being promoted by military leadership? They aren’t, and no one has suggested as much. But I see no problem in learning about ideas or ideologies you disagree with. Of course I can also be an adult about it.
How did Milley 'promote' ANY of them Sean?
Merely citing the fact that one has READ someone's writing doesn't imply that one is promoting that author.
Hell, I have read Fountainhead, Mein Kampf and 4 versions of the bible. I don't promote any of them...
Did I claim he did? [deleted]
Did I claim it did? Where are you getting this from?
His defense for promoting the work of Kendi is that he's read works by other other horrible people who inspire anti-American ideologies. Do I need really need to explain the difference between those two things?
So your question is utterly disconnected from Milley's statement?
That makes it irrelevant.
Thanks for the clarification.
The implication of your comment Sean.
Milley stated he read Mao, Marx and Hitler .
You asked whether promoting Mao, Marx and Hitler was the job of military leadership.
No implication on your part at all.
Lol. Sorry it's over your head.
What's sorry is you and yours' constant need to make that bogus claim in a sad attempt to save face.
hat's sorry is you and yours' constant need to make that bogus claim in a sad attempt to save face.
I'm sorry a logical and consistent argument triggers you so much. [deleted]
Sean, what you claim is a 'logical and consistent argument' is actually a confused conflation.
Your comment:
The entire discussion in this thread is about Gen. Milley's comments which do NOT include a fucking thing about Kendi's book.
Do I really need to explain the there are two DIFFERENT Generals Sean?
So much for your 'logical and consistent argument'.
I don't know but if he did what is the big deal. I would hope that he's read everything by General Vo Nguyen Giap and Ho Chi Minh as well and recommends them as well. It's called knowing your enemy but that seems to be way above your paygrade.
Just as a sidebar , it appeared to seem like Milley said that both he and Matt Gaetz had been "Green Berets", but that must have been a misspoke line. There is nothing on Gaetz wikipedia page about him having served in the military, let alone been a Green Beret.
Gaetz was a Marjorie in the Greene Berets.
... he was Taylored for the job.
Uh no, pulling wank.
She's got bigger balls than Gaetz
Gaetz tried to be a Girl Scout leader but that didn't turn out well for him.
I didn't realize the military was this politicized and race obessesed until seeing this political general's testimony. The "recommend reading list" is dominated by left wing politics. So much for a non political military.
I heard he uses The Art Of The Deal to wipe his ass.
Oh knock it off Sean... You don't know dick about our military. And the truth of the matter is you really don't care what it takes to make a cohesive professional fighting force. Keyboard hero's like you are a dime a dozen should stick to commenting on cheesecake recipes.
TY for stating the truth to Sean, he doesn't know a damm thing about the military.
Of course, you don't realize much of anything about the military or its leadership. You've made it obvious that you have no idea of what you're talking about.
Always the people who have never served who think it is okay to shit on those who do as being “soft”. Yet again the GOP taking a dump on the military to try and impress their voters.
When they need advice on techniques for drugging and committing human trafficking of underage girls I am sure they will give Gaetz a call.
Milley calmly and honestly rebuked the conservative clichés and even more honestly simply asked the question of why and not one of the Trumplican gerrymandered public servants had the chutzpah or intellect to offer their belief in reply. Which of course they could have done.
Near as I can tell, Gaetz and others are blowing things way out of proportion. what I get from the general is that he is saying it is a good thing to read the works of people in order to understand their view. The man never said he agreed with them! Kudos to the General.
Spot on Ed.
In an after action report on a recent simulated engagement with the Japanese Navy and Airforce (where they were once again caught by surprise at tactics used), the response of one of their pilots was. "American aviators are extremely aggressive, and dangerously unpredictable!" I would bet the same can be said of all of our military branches. Measured audacity makes your advisory pause and think twice. A wonderful advantage to have over them.
In the Persian Gulf war, it didn't take long for the Iraqi pilots to look at their aircraft and see coffins.....
I remember a story from the 1st Gulf War about a captured Iraqi officer noticing a picture of Irwin Rommel on the rear hatch of a M-1 Bradley fighting vehicle and asking a young Army trooper why they had a picture of a enemy general in their vehicle? The young GI told the Iraqi officer something to the effect that if Iraq had paid more attention to Rommel's book, they might have won!
I would hope that our military leaders today study everything written both on the military side and the political side by General Vo Nguyen Giap and Ho Chi Minh
Agreed.
Gen. Mark Milley presented the military's focus to 'know the enemy'. Milley didn't cite Mao Zedong, Karl Marx, and Lenin as examples of military efforts to address diversity. Those are examples of the military's mission to understand the ideology and motivations of an enemy to effectively conduct psychological warfare.
An education course entitled "Understanding Whiteness and White Rage" isn't about diversity. That type of coursework isn't about interracial relations. The attention is on ideological motivations of a group considered a threat; an enemy.
Gen. Mark Milley just informed Congress that the US military is preparing to fight a war with the United States.
And as usual your attempt to use logic Nerm is twisted to where 2 + 2 = 97.357
All I can say is that the conversations within your own head must be stellar..... uninformed, but stellar none the less.
Tacticians only see 2+2. Strategists address the 93.357 that tacticians cannot see. Generals don't become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs by being great tacticians.
Can you explain what a course entitled "Understanding Whiteness and White Rage" has to do with diversity and interracial relations? Can you explain how the examples of Mao Zedong, Karl Marx, and Lenin provide a model for addressing diversity within the US military? Do the examples of Mao Zedong, Karl Marx, and Lenin suggest the military was concerned about integrating Socialists/Communists into the ranks?
Gen. Milley was informing Congress of the military strategic need to understand the threat, know the enemy, and strategically prepare to confront that threat. Gen. Milley really did inform Congress that the US military is preparing to fight a war with an enemy inside the United States.
Geez, Nerm, it's almost as if you didn't bother to read the article. Here's what Gen Milley said:
His reading choices were presented as examples of what he has read so can better understand what is going on around him. That makes him a well-rounded leader who probably listens to his subordinates about personnel policies.
All that can be answered by carefully listening to what General Milley actually said instead of grabbing a few sensational words and running around with your hair on fire.
That's correct, Mark Milley did not read Karl Marx to become Socialist/Communist. But Mark Milley also did not read Karl Marx to understand Socialists/Communists within the military ranks and to alter personnel policies to accommodate Socialist/Communist ideology.
Gen. Milley is strategically preparing for another Red Scare. The military's involvement in the Red Scare wasn't highly visible but the military wasn't passive participants, either.
Gen. Milley also cited the attack on the Capitol as a visible manifestation of an emerging threat. Milley indicated that he (and the military) need to understand that threat.
Gen. Milley presented 'white rage' as a threat within the historical context of the Socialist/Communist threat.
I didn't say that, did I?
And what Red Scare is looming on the horizon? I am a Cold War veteran, Nerm, so I think I have a pretty good idea what we were doing during those years
The advice is sound, listen carefully to what Gen. Mark Milley actually said. So, why try to fit Gen. Mark Milley's remarks into a political narrative about diversity? That's not really what Milley said.
Oh? So what did he 'really say?'
No, you didn't say that. I said that. In fact, that's what I have said throughout the discussion. Just because you made a comment doesn't allow you to hijack the point I'm making.
We're following the same progression. White privilege became white supremacy became whiteness became white rage. The presentation of the threat has been steadily escalating to fit a political narrative. The 'white' threat has grown from a social problem of inequity into an existential threat against the government and democracy. The 'white' threat is now being presented as a direct assault on the United States.
The 'white' threat is following the same arc of psychological propaganda as that of the Red Scare. And the military was not a passive participant in efforts to shape public opinion during the Red Scare.
What point exactly is it that you're making with all of your gobbledygook?
I didn't try to fit his remarks into anything. I listened to his reasoned words and took them for what they were.
No offense meant, but if you had served in the military for any length of time, you would realize just how outrageous your last sentence above is.
Just about every sentence he writes is outrageous, regardless of the subject.
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