WHAT WE NEED TO WIN WARS

Have the Rules Really Changed?

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

― Ronald Reagan

I lived at a time when my friends were getting called up by lottery to serve in Viet Nam.  My husband volunteered so that he could be a fighter pilot, not a ground-pounder.  But the military knew what worked.  They put people in positions best suited for them and the standards were high.

Why was this important?  Because in a battle, you have to rely on your team to protect you.  It is literally a matter of life and death.  You need to know that any member will be there for you and will be capable of taking the action needed, whether it means carrying you off the field, protecting you with accurate gunfire when you have to run or, as in the case of pilots, help you take off and land safely on the aircraft carrier.

But Then, Things Changed

A few years back, the military started having trouble getting people to join.  The draft and lottery were over, but that wasn’t the full story.  More and more young people couldn’t qualify, even if they wanted to join.  They weren’t in shape or they didn’t have skills that the military could use.

In addition, the Left had been working hard to make heroes of people who had done nothing heroic in their lives, dumbing down the idea of patriotism.  Those who fought in earlier wars often felt an obligation to serve; it was part of their responsibility as citizens.  But now, it was easier to try to be an influencer or community organizer and get recognition, rather than serve in our military.  Those coming back from Nam were treated like garbage, blamed for decisions largely made by elected officials, not themselves.  We had forgotten the valor of our veterans, assuming that America was always going to be safe.  No one needed to join up.

For a while, people joined the reserves, but then got upset when they were called up.  Service stopped being a responsibility and an honor and became a hated task instead.

But it Gets Worse

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the military now claims that “diversity” is required to win wars.    People who went to military academies spoke of the service as being color-blind.  Everyone had to meet the same standards and was treated equally; this fostered camaraderie and unity.  If asked how many of which type of people where in your unit, the right answer was “Sir, I don’t know.”

In a newly discovered email, Lt. Gen Richard Clark, the head of the Air Force Academy, noted, “If we lose our limited window to reshape the racial diversity of each incoming class, it would affect our ability to meet the warfighting imperative of fielding a diverse, inclusive workforce.”  He was upset when he saw that affirmative action in college had been stricken down by SCOTUS.

One of the characteristics of the military had always been fairness.  You got promoted based on capability, not skin color.  You got offered special training if you showed talent.  Being a fighter pilot or a sniper requires certain innate talents. But for many years now, anyone showing those talents was readily offered the option.  The question we should all be asking is, how does diversity help us fight wars?  Like so many directives from the Left, diversity is favored because…diversity is good, whatever that means.

The new policy affects job options and promotions.  So instead of finding the best and brightest, we now have to push forward people based on their victim status.  It’s all about equity (equal outcomes) not equality.  See how well that works in other industries in the link below.

DEI is actually illegal, as federal law states that employment decisions may not be based on race or sex.  Interestingly, Lt. Gen Clark is leaving the Academy to direct the new 12-team college football playoff. Will he use DEI to field teams for the playoffs?  Or will he pick the best?

Another general, Lt. Gen Rod Bishop, challenged Clark’s decisions.  He noted that the reason athletic teams pick the best is “because they want to win games.”  Meritocracy always rules in sports.  But losing a game is NOT the same as losing a limb or your life.  Or the war.

This kind of behavior further discourages military candidates, especially the best and brightest.  We need to deep-six all DEI and equity admissions, as well as mandated DEI training to keep our country and its soldiers safe.  The DEI policies represent a serious threat to our security as a country.  And let’s face it – focusing on diversity is a racist approach.  It says that minorities of any stripe can’t compete on a level playing field.  Does anyone really want to say that out loud?

DEI - Dangerous in Other Professions