Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Rise of Wokeness in the Military
Hillsdale College-Imprimus ^ | Juny/July 2022 | Thomas Spoehr

Posted on 08/07/2022 11:53:42 AM PDT by Twotone

Complaints by veteran soldiers about younger generations who lack discipline and traditional values are as old as war itself. Grizzled veterans in the Greek phalanx, Roman legions, and Napoleon’s elite corps all believed that the failings of the young would be the ruin of their armies. This is not the chief worry of grizzled American veterans today. The largest threat they see by far to our current military is the weakening of its fabric by radical progressive (or “woke”) policies being imposed, not by a rising generation of slackers, but by the very leaders charged with ensuring their readiness.

Wokeness in the military is being imposed by elected and appointed leaders in the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon who have little understanding of the purpose, character, traditions, and requirements of the institution they are trying to change. The push for it didn’t begin in the last two years under the Biden administration—nor will it automatically end if a non-woke administration is elected in 2024. Wokeness in the military has become ingrained. And unless the policies that flow from it are illegal or directly jeopardize readiness, senior military leaders have little alternative but to comply.

Woke ideology undermines military readiness in various ways. It undermines cohesiveness by emphasizing differences based on race, ethnicity, and sex. It undermines leadership authority by introducing questions about whether promotion is based on merit or quota requirements. It leads to military personnel serving in specialties and areas for which they are not qualified or ready. And it takes time and resources away from training activities and weapons development that contribute to readiness.

Wokeness in the military also affects relations between the military and society at large. It acts as a disincentive for many young Americans in terms of enlistment.

(Excerpt) Read more at imprimis.hillsdale.edu ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: imprimis; military; pentagon; wokeness
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last

1 posted on 08/07/2022 11:53:42 AM PDT by Twotone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Heralding the collapse of Western Civilization along with the US.

Throw in the collapse of Christianity, as well, especially when you got drag queens in churches....
‘Drag Queens Can Now Be Seen In CHURCH’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiAYKfKyzeQ

It’s over. Accept it and prepare oneself via life skills (gardening, hunting, skinning, etc., etc.) and spiritually.


2 posted on 08/07/2022 12:00:28 PM PDT by cranked
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Obsessing about social issues is a harmful distraction for those who should concern themselves with the business of being competent warriors. There is nothing so serious on this earth than the ability to prevail in armed conflict. Without that, nothing else matters.


3 posted on 08/07/2022 12:00:32 PM PDT by Spok (The Great Reset has promised to destroy our way of life. Believe it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Wokeness in combat is Deadness.


4 posted on 08/07/2022 12:14:21 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

We’re on our own folks. We’re going to have to rely on organizing militias. The military will be flush with weirdos and anti American jerks that have only one thing on their minds...put us down.


5 posted on 08/07/2022 12:15:15 PM PDT by HighSierra5 (The only way you know a commie is lying is when they open their pieholes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cranked
I would generally agree with the idea that Western Civilization has collapsed except for one thing.

The reason we think that Western Civilization has collapsed is because representatives of Woke Culture are telling us it has. They are telling us that our ways are being replaced by a new culture of LGBTQ, gender fluidity, personal pronoun-obsession, reality-redefinition at will, and grooming of children into various perversions.

It's one thing for a reliable doctor to diagnose your illness, but it's another thing entirely to be told by your crazy aunt that your perception of reality of inaccurate.

6 posted on 08/07/2022 12:32:37 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

I retired from the military in 2013 after 27 years. I saw the “woke” garbage creeping in and questioned it as often. I was eventually told that perhaps it was time I retired.

My daughter is currently serving (8 years so far) and I hear her complaining about it a lot. I’m not even sure what to tell her anymore. Everything is going to $h1t.


7 posted on 08/07/2022 12:35:29 PM PDT by rfreedom4u ("You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cranked
There is nothing you can do to make it any better or even stay the same..

C041-E328-BEF5-4-D92-AE00-8-D0-DCC30-FB16

8 posted on 08/07/2022 12:40:27 PM PDT by Born in 1950 (Anti left, nothing else.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Born in 1950

I’m sure things will never by the same. But the pendulum swings & people are only going to put up with obvious nonsense for only so long.


9 posted on 08/07/2022 12:57:24 PM PDT by Twotone (While one may vote oneself into socialism one has to shoot oneself out of it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Twotone; Born in 1950

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

I believe this is true.

And I believe we are well into this last phase.


10 posted on 08/07/2022 1:00:09 PM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Twotone; archy; xzins; SandRat; HarleyLady27; ducttape45; BlackFemaleArmyColonel; ...

An excellent article about the destruction of the military by the left.

I will take issue with the time the author lists for the 2-mile run minimum. I think he meant ‘maximum time’ for the run being made longer. 60 points is the passing score for the event. See the chart here:

https://www.military.com/military-fitness/army-fitness-requirements/army-pft-two-mile-run-score-chart

I remember that the maximum time for the 2-mile run for me, age 45, on my last Army PT Test was 19 min, 45 sec. I did it in about 15 min. The chart shows the current minimum time is 17:00 minutes for a 41 year old male and the max time is 22 min, 42 sec.


11 posted on 08/07/2022 1:13:10 PM PDT by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RoosterRedux
The problem is that your proverbial crazy aunt now has the power of the government behind her. This is particularly onerous in the military, where you are not permitted to disagree publicly with command policies.

And if you were to decide to make the military your career, there is no escaping whatever social indoctrination is in place. You cannot quit and go to a less woke company and stay within your career field because there is only one military. So either you accept it, and agree to instruct all your subordinates in it, or you end your career.

In light of that, the wiser move seems not to join the military in the first place unless and until they get rid of all that crap.

Honestly, our best hope to fight wokism may come from the Supreme Court next term. There is a very real chance that the supreme Court shoots down the concept of diversity as justification for any form of affirmative action, and returns us to a policy of color-blindness. That decision would have a massive ripple effect throughout all levels of government.

12 posted on 08/07/2022 1:42:39 PM PDT by Bruce Campbells Chin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

In combat the US Trooper will address the enemy with wokeness just before being shot.


13 posted on 08/07/2022 1:52:40 PM PDT by chopperk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GreyFriar

Yes. The destruction began with Obama and it’s from within.


14 posted on 08/07/2022 1:59:58 PM PDT by BlackFemaleArmyColonel (No weapon formed against me shall prosper! (Isaiah 54:17))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel

I’ve heard that along with historical examples and I buy it. I agree with your assessment as well. But.. are the current hard times once again going to create strong men? Will the cycle continue or has the loop ended?

Can’t tell the future but it doesn’t look like the past. Those self correcting dynamics may be lost for a long time.


15 posted on 08/07/2022 2:40:48 PM PDT by Born in 1950 (Anti left, nothing else.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Born in 1950

I am most certainly concerned about the length or duration of the various phases of the cycle.

They don’t generally go in years. They go in decades. Or centuries.


16 posted on 08/07/2022 2:46:21 PM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Bruce Campbells Chin
True, true.

Actually, I am surprised that Trump and DeSantis act like there is still a viable election process in this country. I had concluded from Joe's election that there would never be another "honest" presidential election. In fact, I figured that, by their choice of Joe and Kamala, the Dems were making that abundantly clear.

Yet, Trump and DeSantis act as if all hope is not lost...yet.

What the Democrats seem to have overlooked is that the presidential election is what precludes the need for revolutions in this country. As folks use to say, we have a revolution every 4 years...and it's legal.

If elections are really taken away, we have to consider what other options we have...legally and otherwise (and, of course, there are no other legal options).

17 posted on 08/07/2022 2:47:49 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

My brother ended up being an Drill Instructor 74-87 roughly, and retiring in’92. He said each class was weaker, until he was finished with them. Then they were the finest class he had ever seen

People from time immemorial have said the newer guys are not as good as the olden days. They mostly were just talking...... until the brass decided to “don’t ask don’t tell”, and place females on carriers, submarines, and in front line units. That was just a blip ago historically.

In the 1990’s I had friends and relatives on carriers. They told me about a lot of stories.

Now with trannies, a lot of females, and the queers, I can only imagine.


18 posted on 08/07/2022 2:50:00 PM PDT by Glad2bnuts ((“If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.” Francis Schaeffer,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel

There is likely 50-100 years before this phase is over. Just a little news to cheer you up.


19 posted on 08/07/2022 2:58:07 PM PDT by Glad2bnuts ((“If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.” Francis Schaeffer,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Glad2bnuts

LOL, I feel much better. That means I’ll be dead before we are in the middle of the misery!


20 posted on 08/07/2022 2:59:12 PM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson