Decades of DOD efforts fail to stamp out bias, extremism

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:

The Associated Press
@AP
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*

[WhiskeyGrinder]

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.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Not hard to imagine some of the military going rogue.

Using their military training and weapons, installing a racist white supremacist leader.

[RockRaven]

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

[onecaliberal]

4. 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

[uponit7771]

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.

[Solly Mack]

5. K&R

[modrepub]

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).

[ProfessorGAC]

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.

[Nevilledog]

8. I agree with you 💯%