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The Strategika Podcast: Tom Donnelly on Political Correctness in the Military
In the newest installment of the Strategika podcast from the Hoover Institution (subscribe via iTunes here), I talk with the American Enterprise Institute’s Thomas Donnelly about political correctness in the military — or, to be more precise, the lack thereof.
How is it that the armed forces have largely been able to avoid the PC fad while still successfully integrating an increasingly diverse fighting force? And is there a gap between the military brass and the average soldier on this issue? Those are just a few of the questions we deal with below:
Published in Military
I can’t find a link, but I read a couple of months ago that a long-time SEAL trainer had quit, feeling that he was no longer training warfighters, but that his main job was to tick off that all the appropriate diversity, inclusiveness and harassment workshops had been conducted.
I wish y’all had gone into greater depth about the implications of military leadership being coopted by politicians.
I have heard many times from soldiers that it’s not a situation of sensible commanders obeying orders and paying lip service to political correctness. Promotions to leadership positions are commonly selected because of political inclinations.
How does that affect rules of engagement? How does it influence interactions on the ground during campaigns in the Middle East? Does friction between generals and politicians help to hone strategies and priorities?
The same voices that have been floating the “rape epidemic” lie about college campuses have taken the same narrative to our military. Being leftists, radical feminists hate the American military. Supporting the troops is not nearly as politically safe as being tough on rape. The military may be more resistant to PC than other institutions, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t vulnerable.