Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has ignited a contentious debate by defending his Pentagon plan to address recruiting challenges within the military. Here’s the full story.
The ‘Woke’ Policies
In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, the 2024 presidential candidate argued that the military’s focus on so-called “woke” policies alienates potential recruits and contributes to the recruitment crisis.
His Plan
DeSantis unveiled a comprehensive plan that seeks to eliminate diversity initiatives, punish former military leaders engaging in politics, and end programs related to climate change preparedness for national defense.
He Wants to Revoke the Policy
Also, he proposed to revoke the policy allowing transgender personnel to serve in their preferred sex, reinstate personnel dismissed for refusing vaccines, and cease Department of Defense efforts to combat extremism.
Implementing Gender-Neutral Standards
The plan also calls for implementing gender-neutral standards for women and men in the armed forces. It also opposes the inclusion of women in the military draft.
Has Wokeness Become a Problem?
While DeSantis maintains that “wokeness” is a major deterrent for potential recruits, research conducted by the Army and obtained by CNN suggests otherwise.
“Wokeness” Is Not a Barrier to Entry
According to the research, concerns over discrimination against women and racial or ethnic minorities ranked higher than worries about the Army emphasizing “wokeness” as a barrier to entry.
There Are More Significant Barriers
Respondents identified “putting the rest of my life on hold” as the most significant barrier, followed by concerns about discrimination.
‘Wokeness’ Ranks Low
Worries about the Army’s emphasis on “wokeness” ranked lower on the list.
DeSantis Defends His Proposal
In the face of contradictory research, DeSantis defended his stance, saying, “Well, but I think there’s an issue about, like, not everyone really knows what wokeness is. I mean, I’ve defined it, but a lot of people who rail against wokeness can’t even define it.”
There’s No Definition of Wokeness?
The Army’s report, however, clearly defines “wokeness” as diversity/equity training and marginalizing those with conservative views.
His Policies Align With His Actions
The Governor’s anti-woke policy proposals align with his actions in Florida, where he banned universities from spending on diversity and inclusion programs, prohibited training on privilege in society, and eliminated certain teachings about race.
The Problems in the Military
DeSantis said, “Go to a [Veterans of Foreign Wars] hall, go to an American Legion. There’s a huge amount of concern about the direction– that the military is going with all this. And here’s the thing, things like DEI and all that stuff, it hasn’t worked in other aspects of society.”
Military Leaders Pushed Back
However, senior enlisted US military leaders pushed back against such claims in a congressional hearing, asserting that the force is not being politicized by “woke” initiatives.
It Really Has Nothing to Do With That
They emphasized that focusing on diversity and inclusion efforts was not among the primary reasons young Americans were not joining the military.
What Type of Military Is He Looking For?
Several social media users shared their thoughts on the incident. One Twitter user wrote, “Lol, what military does he think he’s going to have?”
Just Putting on a Show
Another user commented, “He doesn’t believe it either. It’s all for show.”
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The post ”Is ‘Woke’ a Right-Wing Weapon? DeSantis Vows to Man-Up the Military and Put an End to Diversity “Wokeness” – Critics Say That’s NOT Why Americans Aren’t Joining Up!’ first appeared on Wealthy Living.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Hunter Crenian. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Edition. CNN