Decades of DOD efforts fail to stamp out bias, extremism

[dutch508]

Star Member Nevilledog (30,760 posts)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216192084

Decades of DOD efforts fail to stamp out bias, extremism



Tweet text:

The Associated Press

Last week, the Department of Defense announced plans to target extremism in the military. But an @AP investigation found that despite the new rules, racism and extremism remain an ongoing concern in the military.

Decades of DOD efforts fail to stamp out bias, extremism | AP News
In February, with the images of the violent insurrection in Washington still fresh in the minds of Americans, newly confirmed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin took the unprecedented step of signing a...
apnews.com
8:20 AM · Dec 29, 2021

https://apnews.com/article/business-donald-trump-lloyd-austin-veterans-arrests-aa564fe473dd4c347189bb39ad8a9201

In February, with the images of the violent insurrection in Washington still fresh in the minds of Americans, newly confirmed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin took the unprecedented step of signing a memo directing commanding officers across the military to institute a one-day stand-down to address extremism within the nation’s armed forces.

The stand-down came in response to the participation and the subsequent arrests of several veterans and at least one active duty service member, who along with thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, stormed the U.S. Capitol in a melee that sent lawmakers scrambling for safety, left one person fatally shot by Capitol Police and caused millions of dollars in damages to the building largely seen as the symbol of American democracy.

Austin’s order, which also came as America as a whole was grappling with how to address systemic racism, was the latest in a series of decades-long efforts by the military to purge its ranks of extremists and white supremacists. Last week, in response to the order the military issued new rules to deal with extremism that included social media usage policy updates where liking and reposting white nationalist and extremist content could result in disciplinary action. The DOD also updated its screening of recruits and is looking at how to prepare troops who are retiring from being targeted by extremist organizations.

But an AP investigation found that despite the new rules, racism and extremism remain an ongoing concern in the military.


*snip*

 

Star Member WhiskeyGrinder (14,969 posts)

1. It's almost as if -- now, hear me out -- the *entire country* is a white supremacy, and its

institutions are designed to replicate and protect that white supremacy.

 

RockRaven (9,797 posts)

3. Maybe stop blasting FUX on every TV in the building all hours of the day...

 

Star Member uponit7771 (80,296 posts)

9. +1, makes me think the military has moved the bar of racism to open hangings and burnings if FAUX

... news is being blasted to troops.

modrepub (2,492 posts)

6. Bring Back The Draft

No one will like it. Doubt Congress has the stomach for it either. But you're bound to get a much more diverse set of people than the current volunteer program has yielded.

Additionally, you really should be careful who you choose if you're training and giving people the "right" to terminate lives indiscriminately (whether military or police).

Star Member ProfessorGAC (51,499 posts)

7. Don't Buy It!

Not the part about the existence of bias & extremism, though.
The part about "decades of DoD effort" is a no-sale, for me.
Because the bias exists in levels they have been unwilling to purge (officers & career noncoms).
The real effort would have including wholesale launchings of anybody connected to ANY fringe, extreme, anti-government or supremacist groups, and activities, public statements or actions toward those aims.
If they were serious & if they have been at it for decades, this element would have been purged long ago.

 

[Aristotelian]

Let me get this right - so apparently the people who choose to serve in the military; that is to say, those who are willing to put up with some of the most challenging living conditions, surrender many of their legitimate freedoms, and lay themselves open to being killed in order to keep the country safe. Those people tend to be the people who are most concerned with the well-being of the country? (Given that loving one's country is now counted as extremism and racism.) Whodathunk it?

[dandi]

Just more fear mongering from the Left in order to ease the expansion of more social indoctrination and experimentation throughout the military. They'll be milking the "1/6" excuse for as long as they can.

BTW, I see they don't at all mention recent reports of increased gang presence and activity among minorities in the enlisted ranks.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Far too many US troops still believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and that is an existential threat to the government.

[SVPete]

The Hate-the-Military ravings of Star Moron Nevilledog, Star Moron WhiskeyGrinder, Star Moron uponit7771, et al should be read by every member of the US military, to let them see what mainstream Democrats really think of them. DU is often on the fringe of the Democrat mainstream, but they are in the Democrat mainstream with regard to their hatred for US military people.