INCLUSION? Republicans battle to protect right-wing extremism in the military

Republicans battle to protect right-wing extremism in the military

The GOP’s war on anything “woke” has created a safe space for right-wing extremism and white nationalism in the United States military.

During the first months of President Biden’s administration found it critical to root out white nationalists in an effort to unite the fighting force under one flag, especially in light of the political environment surrounding January 6th.

In response, the Pentagon formed a program called the “Countering Extremism Working Group,”

But according to a new report by CNN, GOP politicians did all they could to destroy the program before the Pentagon had time to really address what military leaders also see as a significant problem.

Jack Teixeira — the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman and white nationalist who leaked critical secret military documents — represents a minuscule but predictable result given the breadth of the problem.

Even in light of the dangers firmly established by the Capitol insurrection, the GOP effectively destroyed the effort.

The GOP’s position forces one to conclude that Republicans see “white nationalism” as preferable to anything they see as “woke.” According to a report by CNN.

“CNN interviews with multiple sources familiar with the working group reveal that the Pentagon largely abandoned the effort to combat extremism in its ranks, as senior officials folded under political pressure from Republicans who lashed out at the initiative as an example of so-called wokeism in the military.”

During its existence, the working group made six recommendations to the Pentagon.

By the end of 2021, however, only one was implemented across the Defense Department.

Despite the fact that the program is now effectively over, it remains a sufficiently political tool that Republicans continue to reference the “woke” military as terrible and weakened.

Instead of rooting out white nationalism and right-wing extremism, the GOP is consumed with rooting out anything they perceive as woke.

The GOP’s definition of “woke” is sufficiently expansive to include nearly anything they perceive as a problem.

But according to The Military Times, the GOP is running up against a resistant Pentagon, one that sees dangers associated with white nationalism vastly outweighing the imperceivable and unproven problem with “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” often used as an alternative term to refer to “wokeness.”

The Military Times states these “woke” programs are necessary to strengthen our fighting forces:

“At several congressional hearings over the last month, top department officials and military officers have attempted to swat down GOP attacks that diversity and inclusion efforts are distracting from warfighting, arguing that the efforts are needed to attract a younger, more socially conscious generation — and in some cases are required by law.”

To be sure, the Pentagon remains under the President. It will follow the Biden administration’s stated priorities, but the military’s rebuttal to the GOP criticism rings true without regard to the President’s order.

There is, however, no way to drive politics out of this issue.

Just last week, The Washington Post pinned Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) down regarding his priorities in rooting out white nationalism from the military, and Tuberville responded by saying, “They call them [white nationalists], I call them Americans.”

The thing is that no one claimed that white nationalists are not Americans.

The problem, obviously, is what happens when this group of hate-infused Americans populate the military.

Tuberville’s comment essentially proves that the military needs to address white nationalism.

And as far as Teixeira and the serious leaks he committed go, the situation could have resulted in a much worse scenario.

Teixeira allegedly asked another online user for advice on how to carry out a shooting “in a crowded urban or suburban environment.”

There are a lot of crowded environments on military bases and a lot of guns. It has proven to be a problem in peacetime.

But imagine trying to fight a massive war against China with a disunited military force.

The Pentagon’s concern seems that much more legitimate.

I can be reached at jasonmiciak@gmail.com and @JasonMiciak

Editor’s note: This is an opinion column that solely reflects the opinions of the author.

Jason Miciak

Jason Miciak is an associate editor and opinion writer for Occupy Democrats. He's a Canadian-American who grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He is a trained attorney, but for the last five years, he's devoted his time to writing political news and analysis. He enjoys life on the Gulf Coast as a single dad to a 15-year-old daughter. Hobbies include flower pots, cooking, and doing what his daughter tells him they're doing. Sign up to get all of my posts by email right here: