1 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: On this episode of news World. The issue of critical 2 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: race theory has now taken hold in the United States military, 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: and I have to say I find it perplexing. My 4 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: father served for three decades in the US Army, and 5 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: I grew up understanding the military is about forming a bond, 6 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: a unit, a team working towards the same goals and 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: protecting each other while achieving them. So you can imagine 8 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: my shock when I started to learn how seriously the 9 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: leaders at the Pentagon were starting in a great critical 10 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: race theory in their curriculums. In fact, a professor at 11 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: the US Air Force Academy, Lenn Chandler Garcia wrote in 12 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: a Washington Post op ed quote, I teach critical race 13 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: theories to our nation's future military leaders because it is 14 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: vital that cannets understand the history of racism that has 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: shaped both foreign and domestic policy. And, as Mark davi 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: us O pined a Newsweek quote, finding such warped content 17 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: in today's liberal college classrooms is not surprised, but finding 18 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: it at the US Air Force Academy is unacceptable. I 19 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: couldn't agree more so, I've invited to discuss critical race 20 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: theory in the United States military a great guest. Dakota Wood. 21 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: He served two decades in the United States Marine Corps, 22 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: retiring as a lieutenant colonel, and he is currently the 23 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: Senior Research Fellow for Defense Programs at the Heritage Foundation. 24 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: Dakota Wood, thank you for joining me. It's a great pleasure. 25 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me on. I wish we were talking 26 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: about something more positive, right, Yep, it's something more designed 27 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: to help America continue to be safe and to be 28 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: the leading country in the world. But I have to 29 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: ask you, since I grew up as an Army bread, 30 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: I understand that you graduated from the Naval Academy with 31 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: a degree in oceanography, then earned a master's degree in 32 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: National Security and Strategic Studies from the os Naval War College, 33 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: and then chose to be a United States Marine. That's 34 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,399 Speaker 1: obviously an option coming out of the Naval Academy. Well, 35 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: what led you to switch from the Navy to the 36 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: Marine Corps. Well, going into the Academy, my dream was 37 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: always to be a US Marine. I mean, it is 38 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: a commissioning source for certain percentage for both of those services, 39 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: Navy Marine Corps. But it's just kind of been an 40 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: internal part of me to seize the biggest challenge, you know, 41 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: can you measure up right? Yeah, this big daunting sort 42 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: of thing of the Marine Corps and all of its 43 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: legacy and how they comport themselves and all. For me, 44 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: that was just the greatest challenge. And so I wanted 45 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: to challenge myself that I have what it took to 46 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: make it in the Marines and the whole bit. And 47 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: I think that's what we all kind of do as people, right, 48 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: You find something that scares you and take it on 49 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: and see if you up to the task. It's the 50 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: greatest privilege in my life to serve as a US Marine, 51 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: and with so many other Marines. Now you remind me 52 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: of my dad who decided as a grandfather that he'd 53 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: become a Paratrooper's fantastic, that's great. So he finds himself 54 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: down at Benning and Paratrooper School and as he said 55 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: to me the very first time, he's going to jump. 56 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: He's on this airplane and is rumbling down the runway 57 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: and he's thinking, no, wait a second, I'm on a 58 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: perfectly good plane, the plane is going to land. What 59 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: am I doing jumping out of it? But I think 60 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: he was driven by the same thing you were, which 61 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: is a desire to test yourself and to really have 62 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: an impact. Now, he served as a senior fellow at 63 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, and you really 64 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: put together a number of seminar style war games. And 65 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: before he joined Heritage, he served as a strategist for 66 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: the US Marine Corps Special Operations Command, which is really 67 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: quite a trip to you because that is a remarkable 68 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: organization and the quality of the people that they can 69 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: bring in when they picked you to be their strategists, 70 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: it really speaks highly of you. I'm curious for a second, 71 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: as you watch what's happening, for example, in Afghanistan right now, 72 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: what's your general assessment of what we have to learn 73 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: to do to be more capable in a place like Afghanistan. 74 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: We have to be more realistic in really not just assessing, 75 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: but understanding and engaging with the world as it is. 76 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,679 Speaker 1: You would prefer to have the world that you would 77 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: like to have, right, because then you set an objective 78 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: and you work toward that and you try to do 79 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: the things that shape it to your interest. You know, 80 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: it's like a marriage or business or a football team 81 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: or something. I mean, you want to know what perfection 82 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 1: is that if you don't realistically assess the terrain that 83 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: you're going across, the enemy capabilities and whatever battle plan 84 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: you might have is just absolutely going to fail. And 85 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: so I think where this failure, I think it's a 86 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: strategic level with Afghanistan pertains is understanding the nature of 87 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: culture of people, of what is normal to them. You know, 88 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: we might view that handing out favorites and having your 89 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: son being your exo or whatever that might be as 90 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: nepotism and corruption and those sorts of things. But in 91 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: another world, in a different culture, if you're taking care 92 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: of tribe and family first, if your responsibility is the 93 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 1: long term longevity and viability of your particular clan, well, 94 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 1: then from a US perspective, how can you leverage that 95 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: as opposed to changing it into a liberal Western democratic 96 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: representative government sort of order, right, I mean, they have 97 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: systems that work for them. We weren't good at all 98 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: in appreciating a thousand years of history and how you 99 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: can work with that as opposed to changing it so 100 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,720 Speaker 1: successful in every military engagement on the ground, we certainly 101 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: try to convey liberal Western ideas and Christian principles and 102 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: getting your girls into school and working power grid and 103 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: all those sorts of things. But if you're dealing with 104 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: a culture for which that isn't natural, you have to 105 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: plan to be there a heck of a lot longer 106 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: than twenty years. So I think it's a mistake at 107 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: the strategic level and how we carried out twenty years 108 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: of effort fully appreciating that sanctuary can be given to 109 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 1: terrorist groups. And with the withdrawal, we won't have eyes 110 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 1: on what's occurring in western China with the Wagers, or 111 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: Pakistan or Iran. You won't have Bagram Airbase, So it 112 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: makes it extraordinarily hard to maintain a close understanding into 113 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: shape events in our direction. I was looking at just 114 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: a few minutes and I didn't realize. But they still 115 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: have a plan to have about six hundred and fifty 116 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: Americans in Shanistan. Isn't that extraordinarily dangerous? It depends on mission. 117 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 1: So those six hundred and fifty are going to be 118 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: focused on diplomatic security, security of the US embassy staff. 119 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: They're in Cobble, very very localized. These are not people 120 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: they're going to get out into western Afghanistan or continue 121 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: to serve as advisors to the Afghan military. So you 122 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: want a diplomatic presence, you want an intelligence presence. What 123 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: can be derived from locals in the area. What might 124 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: the Taliban or al Qaeda or some cousins of Islamic 125 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: State might be up to, What are the Pakistani's doing? 126 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: Who really cultivated the Taliban into being what it is. 127 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: So it's that kind of presence localized in Cobble that 128 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: will dictate that six hundred plus the US personnel. But 129 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: it isn't there some significant danger that if in fact 130 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: the airport goes down, that we literally become isolated denbienfu 131 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: You're a historian right by trade, so look at French 132 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: d China, and you can get isolated in bad Guy territory. 133 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: And it's an eight hundred mile flight from an aircraft 134 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: carrier off the Pakistani coast to Cobble. So yeah, there 135 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: is a danger. The Turks are supposed to be providing 136 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: security for the international airport. It doesn't strike me with 137 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: a lot of confidence right there. But we won't do 138 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: this blindly, and the Biden administration just has to step 139 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: up to the plate that if we were going to 140 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: maintain a US presence at any size, you have to 141 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: guarantee the safety of US citizens because I understand it, 142 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,719 Speaker 1: and again I did served watch my father literally for 143 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: twenty seven years. When you're in a place and you're 144 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: risking combat, small unit cohesion is really really important. Somebody 145 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: once said, people don't fight for some general theory. I 146 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: fight for the person next to them and fight for 147 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: the sense of the integrity of the team. Isn't this 148 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: whole current going after basically racist book The Navy's Professional 149 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: Reading program has books that portray America systematically racist, argues 150 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: that the Constitution was written just to perpetuate white supremacy. 151 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 1: Isn't there a real danger that a military which begins 152 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: to be divided by arguments about the nature of social power, 153 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: in the nature of whether you're black or white or brown, 154 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: That it's almost the opposite of how you would like 155 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: to grow a military. It's the antithesis of everything I 156 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: came to appreciate twenty years in the Marine Corps and 157 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: now another fifteen plus in a retired capacity, continue to 158 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: work with the national security establishment. The antithesis of that, 159 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: you're just spot on. It's small unit cohesion, trust among 160 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: marines or soldiers or airman. If you're a crew on 161 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 1: a ship and take a torpedo in the side, and 162 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 1: you've got to battle flames. Who's giving orders to whom 163 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: to go into congested spaces? If you have a lieutenant 164 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: or a captain or a major or a first sergeant 165 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: directing actions, do you want the junior personnel questioning that 166 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: chain of command? And the urgency of white man need 167 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: to be done because the person issuing the order or 168 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: to whom the order is being issued happens to be 169 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: Latino or Black, or German or Filipino. I mean, is 170 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 1: that where we're coming back to is looking at people 171 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: by their skin color, their ethnicity, religious background. I mean, 172 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 1: you recall the days when John F. Kennedy was coming 173 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: into the presidency and there was questions about his Catholicism. Right, 174 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 1: would that be the Vatican that's running things here in 175 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 1: the United States instead of Washington, DC. So we've made 176 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,439 Speaker 1: such strides over the last one hundred and fifty years 177 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 1: plus at getting past all of that, and my experience 178 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: as a young lieutenant, and we'll go back maybe nineteen 179 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: eighty seven, nineteen eighty eight and had a motor transport 180 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: platoon and an infantry battalion with the Marines are in Hawaii, 181 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: and my maintenance chief was an American samoan, My operations 182 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: chief was a black American. Maintenance crew is Hispanic and 183 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: white cowboy kids from Texas and New Jersey. I mean, 184 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: it was just this wonderful mixture of Americans from city 185 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: and rural, different ethnicities, different racial backgrounds, different religious convictions. 186 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: And the whole idea of going through basic training through 187 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 1: boot camp is you shed all of that. You became 188 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: a US Marine and because everybody advanced by merit. Could 189 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: you run a physical fitness test, did you know how 190 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 1: to fix the could you aig in a machine gun? 191 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: I mean, these are all tasks and if you could 192 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: show that you were up to the task, people trusted you. 193 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: So to your point, you know, both specified or explicit 194 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 1: and implied. If you're wounded and you call for medical support, 195 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: do you really care who the corman is coming up 196 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 1: to render aid? Or a helicopter evacuation, who's piloting that aircraft? 197 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: So this idea of segmenting or a military and having 198 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 1: black Americans look at white Americans who might look at 199 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: Asian Americans through this lens of race breaks everything apart. 200 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: When you look at that and it will cause disaster 201 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: on the battlefield. I would think of the five services, 202 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: counting the new Space Corps, but the Marines maybe the 203 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: unit most dedicated to cohesion and to the idea. I mean, 204 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:55,959 Speaker 1: I think of the extraordinary historic march from the Chosen Reservoir. 205 00:12:56,520 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: You had to have a Marine Corps that had drilled 206 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 1: into people so deeply that you don't leave people behind, 207 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: that you work as a unit, etc. That I would 208 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 1: think in many ways, the Marines would be the most 209 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: threatened by this kind of approach. Any unit on the 210 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: ground is going to do a fireplan. Where are your weapons? 211 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: You have a defensible perimeter, even if you're postured for 212 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: offensive action. And I'm just going to use this as 213 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: a metaphor that if you have individuals and fighting positions, 214 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 1: and you account for the weapon that they're carrying, they 215 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: will have a left and a right lateral limit. You know, 216 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,199 Speaker 1: how far a left should they train, how far right 217 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: should they train? And if they focus in that area, 218 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: then they're going to be very effective and they won't 219 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: miss something. Well. The reason they can do that is 220 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: that the next marine to their right or left is 221 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: also covering their area. So if you can't trust that 222 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: your fellow marine is doing what they're supposed to be doing, 223 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:58,719 Speaker 1: you can see how that whole system breaks down. And 224 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: so this is an example of the broader community that 225 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:05,320 Speaker 1: these small units going out have to trust that air 226 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,199 Speaker 1: support is going to be there, that the logistical resupply 227 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,439 Speaker 1: is going to occur, that the mechanics are going to 228 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: show up to thick broken equipment. And if you have 229 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: to start doubting that because some structure is in place 230 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: that keeps the white guys in charge and the black 231 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: guys aren't going to account for anything, or if you're 232 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: Hispanic and you speak with a funny accent and somehow 233 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: you're going to get less support. I mean, it just 234 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: destroys cohesion, unity, trust, loyalty, the focus on mission. You're 235 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: not so much concerned about mission because you're concerned about 236 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: your own personal safety and security. I mean, it up 237 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: ends everything that we try to teach these young Americans 238 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: coming into the military, regardless of service. Do you know 239 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: of any other country that's funny it's military through something 240 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: like this? Now, in fact, the opposite. I mean, if 241 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: you look at some of the recruiting videos from Russia, 242 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: it says very manly. I'm going to defend hearth and 243 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: home and go off to fight the enemies of Mother Russia. 244 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: The Chinese are on record is becoming concerned about the 245 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 1: feminization of Chinese males, that they're not manly enough. And 246 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: I don't want to make this a man versus woman 247 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: sort of thing, but the idea is that other countries 248 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: want their militaries focused on the war fighting aspect of 249 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: being in the military. That if you have to be 250 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: concerned about the trustworthiness of those around you, or that 251 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: you're not looking at war fighting competencies, and what the 252 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: heck do you have a military for in the first place. 253 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: You know, the Israelis, I mean, you know, it's a 254 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: daily survival fight for them, so they can't get distracted 255 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: by these sorts of things. And I think this is 256 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: a consequence of the geographical kind of isolation of our country, 257 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: where you know, we're protected by big oceans who don't 258 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: have a problems with the Canadians. Stuff coming up out 259 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: of Mexico is more the drug trade, very unlike so 260 00:15:57,360 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: many of the countries in the world, and that since 261 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: the end of the Cold War, we have had thirty 262 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: years of incredible peace and prosperity here at home. So 263 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: it's given us the luxury of getting distracted by all 264 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: of these completely stupid sorts of things and losing focus 265 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: on the core mission of the military, which is defending 266 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: the country and what is implied in terms of capabilities, cohesion, 267 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: and identity within that military itself. And we start messing 268 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 1: with that, I think the long term viability of the 269 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: country comes into question. It strikes me that the whole 270 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: process that we're now going through isabel very, very high 271 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: risk gamble, because I mean, first of all, I think 272 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: to myself, you're a Chinese or Russian analyst and you're 273 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: reading all this American stuff and you're thinking to yourself, 274 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: is this a military that I'm afraid of? Or is 275 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: this a military this is going to fall apart? And 276 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: I think it has to lower our relative prestige. Despite 277 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: the fact that we have far and away the most 278 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: advanced and most sophisticated and best trained military in the world, 279 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: that we're now going down a path that most of 280 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: our competitors will think, is it literally I'll imagine why 281 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: that suspect they said around and try to figure out 282 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: is this all actually kind of fake? Are the Americans 283 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: trying to sell us on something that isn't true because 284 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: I suspect for someone that it is going nobody could 285 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: be this dumb. Yeah, you look at Afghanistan. Going back 286 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,879 Speaker 1: to that, the Afghan National Army is four times the 287 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: size of the Taliban. They're better equipped, they've had American 288 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:44,120 Speaker 1: advisory support for eighteen or nineteen years, They've got access 289 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,880 Speaker 1: to air support, all the things that the Taliban don't have, 290 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: and yet you see them melting away on the battlefield, right. 291 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: And so what this does is it punctures the idea 292 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: that the Afghan military is credible, incapable, and it emboldens 293 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 1: the Taliban to be even more aggressive. So using that 294 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: as an example, we go back to the United States. 295 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: You know, nuclear deterrence hinges on the idea that others 296 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: believe that we would actually use nuclear weapons if it 297 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: pushed to that level. When you stop believing that America 298 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 1: would actually willingly use these sorts of things, and the 299 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 1: whole idea of deterrence falls apart. If we want other 300 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: people on our team as opposed to China's, then these 301 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: friends or partners have to believe that the United States 302 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: is going to be there for them. If you're a 303 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: competitor like in Iran, North Korea, China, Russia, and to 304 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: your point, start to believe that the United States really 305 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: maybe isn't what we have made ourselves out to be 306 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: in spite of the high tech edge and all the 307 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,119 Speaker 1: cool equipment we bring to the field. If there isn't 308 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: a trustworthiness within the military, then how would that military 309 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: stand up in the struggles of high intensity combat. So 310 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: I think when we start calling into question these things, 311 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: it harms our relationships with friends, which translates to trade relationships, 312 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: which is quality of life and living in jobs and 313 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 1: all those sorts of things back home, and it emboldens 314 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: your competitors. And what is Russia doing in the Baltic 315 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 1: Sea and in the Black Sea and in the Arctic. 316 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 1: What is China doing in the South China Sea as 317 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: it pushes into the Middle East and into Africa. So 318 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 1: the more latitude they have and the more of an 319 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 1: idea that they have that the United States is breaking 320 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: apart back at home, it amplifies these problems and it 321 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: causes more difficulties abroad when we should be doing the 322 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: exact opposite of that you wrote about. Lieutenant Colonel meth 323 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: Hilmar who was fired or criticizing critical race theory. What 324 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 1: was your whole take on that incident and why did 325 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: they go after him so aggressively Because he was effective 326 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: in getting his message out. You know, he was doing 327 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: things on his own time. He self published a book, 328 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: He was on various talk shows. I listened to some 329 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: of those podcasts. He was always very respectful of the 330 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 1: chain of command. He tried to present a balanced argument 331 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: about what is this critical race theory, what is it 332 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: trying to convey? And then he would raise concerns that 333 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: you and I are talking about, you know, how this 334 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 1: can ultimately be damaging to the military that he had 335 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:42,920 Speaker 1: joined and was raised in. But this kind of criticism 336 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: doesn't sit well with higher authorities if they have an 337 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: agenda that they want to push forward. Right that if 338 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: you have an agenda for combating climate change, for example, 339 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,679 Speaker 1: and you tell the military to account for this and 340 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:59,199 Speaker 1: everything it does, well, it might imply then that you 341 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,119 Speaker 1: need to spend wore money on the military so that 342 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: it's a sufficient capacity to deal with displaced people and 343 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 1: larger storms coming across the horizon, and maybe different forms 344 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,360 Speaker 1: of equipment. But here we have a mandate to account 345 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 1: for a combating climate change, and yet you don't see 346 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: the funding that comes along with that. So I know 347 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,479 Speaker 1: that sounds as kind of a weird example. But now 348 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 1: when you look at critical race theory, you have somebody 349 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,640 Speaker 1: down in the ranks saying this doesn't make sense. What 350 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:30,120 Speaker 1: you're telling me doesn't match the organization that I'm seeing. 351 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 1: My understanding of small unit leadership, of camaraderie, of mutual respect, 352 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: doesn't comport with this divisive ideology of critical race theory 353 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: in pitting one group against another. And so he raises 354 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 1: these very compelling and credible arguments, and the command structure 355 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: didn't like that. And so what is a natural reaction 356 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: to dealing with a problem is you try to get 357 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,239 Speaker 1: rid of the problem instead of addressing the criticism's head on. 358 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: In a way, it's kind of odd and that in 359 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: the CRT world, somebody should be able to question these 360 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 1: structures that somehow or other are keeping them enslaved or 361 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: repressed or down. But when we have then criticism coming 362 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: up that questions that whole anti structural argument, the first 363 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,159 Speaker 1: thing they want to do is squash the person raising 364 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: the criticism. I mean talk about hypocritical, so it makes 365 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: all the sense in the world, and it doesn't make 366 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: any sense at all. Have you been surprised by how 367 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:37,200 Speaker 1: aggressively the Chairman the Joint Chiefs General Millie has defended 368 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: this initiative, I am. I mean he comes from the army, right, 369 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: I mean a very long career, so he knows this stuff. 370 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: Then you know, we're talking about calling things into question. 371 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 1: Where is the senior military leadership at when if you're 372 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: the chief of Naval Operations, for example, and you put 373 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,360 Speaker 1: books in your professional reading lists that carry forward these ideas, 374 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: Now you can have this excuse that I'm not saying 375 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:04,920 Speaker 1: that this is accurate. I'm merely providing it for broader 376 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: awareness of the various issues that America is dealing with. 377 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 1: But you are sanctioning it in some way by saying 378 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 1: that you think it's important enough for people to read 379 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: and digest and understand, and so that carries some weight 380 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 1: by virtue of the fact that the head of that 381 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: service put it on a professional reading list. So, in 382 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 1: the same way, the Secretary of Defense defending this exposure 383 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 1: to critical race theory as being something similar to as 384 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: we've heard from other general officers studying Marxism or studying 385 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 1: Communism doesn't make you a Marxist or a Communist. But 386 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: I think they're missing the point that studying political ideologies 387 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: of chief competitors so we know how to combat that 388 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 1: is different than saying critical race theory, which has employed 389 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: it in it the differences between the races and power structures. 390 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 1: And yet when you call in to question the whole argument, 391 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: you're fired. Right, So again it's this kind of hypocritical thing. 392 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: And I just don't understand how Secretary Austin or General 393 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: Millie or Chief of Naval Operations guil Day can in 394 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: good conscience say that all this is good. Let me 395 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 1: ask you, despite all of this, and as troubling as 396 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: it is, some young person come up to you and said, 397 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: do you spend all those years defending America? Do you 398 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 1: recommend that I go in despite all the confusion? Or 399 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: do you recommend that I skip joining the service because 400 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,679 Speaker 1: it's too confusing. Now I would still recommend joining. There 401 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: aren't many things and I think that are nobler than 402 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 1: serving one's country. So we will never have a perfect country, 403 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,679 Speaker 1: a perfect military. I mean half the commanding officers I 404 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: work for the Marine corps I thought were kind of jerks. 405 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: They weren't bad people, but it was a leadership style 406 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: that I didn't really care for that much. But I 407 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: think the larger point is taking on challenges and put 408 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: yourself in service to the country that you love and 409 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: respect and that you're trying to help grow. So when 410 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: we talk about military readiness or capacity underfunding of defense, 411 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: and we could talk for another hour about the sort 412 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 1: of stuff that we write about all the time they 413 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: try to measure it makes them more important. The people 414 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: who are serving in the military when so few are 415 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:26,440 Speaker 1: either eligible. I mean, seventy two percent of American youth 416 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 1: aren't even eligible to join the military because the criminal record, 417 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: substance abuse, overweight, poor physical health, a number of issues. 418 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: They're not even eligible. So you're dealing it. Then with 419 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 1: twenty eight percent of those how many are inclined to 420 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: serve in the military to serve their country right. And 421 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: so I wouldn't want to dissuade somebody or say now 422 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: it's not the time to join the military, because where 423 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: does that leave the country completely undefended? So I think 424 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: you wade into these battles, you roll up your sleeves, 425 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: you hear all the mayhem that's kind of going on. 426 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,080 Speaker 1: But you say, I want to be a United States 427 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,639 Speaker 1: airman or a soldier, or a marine or a space 428 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: guardian and get to work, you know, I mean, serve 429 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: the country, developed lifelong relationships, and somehow we're going to 430 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 1: get past the CRT stuff. I'm convinced looking at moms 431 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,920 Speaker 1: and dads taking on school boards for trying to impose 432 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: this sort of stuff and k through twelve education is nonsense. 433 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 1: But the fact that there is his pushback, I think 434 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,720 Speaker 1: is very heartening and it's very encouraging, And so no, 435 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 1: I would not argue against joining the military. I think 436 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,640 Speaker 1: it's more important now than ever. My dad served briefly 437 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 1: at the end of World War Two, and then he 438 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: served in Korea and Vietnam. I think that he looked 439 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: back with a sense of great satisfaction that he was 440 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 1: there when the country needed him, and that he focused 441 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 1: on doing a pretty complicated, difficult job. He was in 442 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 1: the infantry. I think he was the most satisfying part 443 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 1: of his life. When he did retire, he wasn't quite 444 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: as clever as you would finding a job to keep 445 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: your hand in and keep you thinking and check me Ocasia, 446 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: and I think he really missed it very deeply because 447 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: such a fulfilling part of his life. Yeah, it breaks 448 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 1: my heart when we see these defund the police movements 449 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: and we see this resistance to law enforcement authorities. On 450 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: a domestic situation, if you were a serving police officer, 451 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: what is your motivation to stay in when you're afraid 452 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:36,680 Speaker 1: of lawsuits or cameras everywhere and twisting of an event 453 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 1: that might have occurred. And yet what would happen with 454 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: the country of all our police turned in their badges 455 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:44,200 Speaker 1: and hung up their uniforms and it would be chaos. 456 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: So it makes me respect all the more those who 457 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: continue to serve as police and firefighters and EMT technicians 458 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: and all these sudden sorts of things. So it's a 459 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:59,360 Speaker 1: domestic example of the importance of deciding what you want 460 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 1: to do to better society right and get involved in 461 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 1: things that can be very challenging. But what I have 462 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: found is that relationships that are born in adversity are 463 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: the longest lasting relationships that are profound or life changing, 464 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 1: and you just never forget those moments and you were 465 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: shoulder or shoulder with somebody you know, like I was 466 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 1: in Kuwait in two thousand and three, and we pushed 467 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: into our acts. These are memories that you can't undo, 468 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:31,120 Speaker 1: and it helps frame your perspective of a bigger world. 469 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: It's out there, larger than yourself, and what things are 470 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: important that need to be defended and promoted. I think 471 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: it's just a wonderful life experience. I couldn't agree more. 472 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: I want to thank you for having helped serve the country, 473 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 1: helping protect the country, and continuing today to contribute to 474 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: very important professional thinking and critical thinking, not just about 475 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: the issue we discussed on this podcast, but also I 476 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: know your work is across the board and that you 477 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 1: have an impact on a remarkable range of issues. I 478 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: want to thank you, Dakota. This has been fun and 479 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,760 Speaker 1: as an army brat, it has been the great enjoyment 480 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: to engage a marine and have this kind of conversation. 481 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: I thank you for joining us, and I thank you 482 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 1: for serving the United States. Thank you so much, and 483 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: God bless and please continue doing what you're doing. Thank 484 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: you to my guests, Dakota Wood. You can read more 485 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: about critical race theory in the US military on our 486 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: show page at newtsworld dot com. News World is produced 487 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: by Gingwish Street sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is 488 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: Debbie Myers, our producer is Garnsey Sloan, and our researcher 489 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the show was created 490 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: by Steve Pendley. Special thanks to the team at Gingwas 491 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: three sixty. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll 492 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: go to Apple Podcast and both rate us with five 493 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: stars and give us a review so others can learn 494 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: what it's all about. Right now, listeners of news World 495 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,240 Speaker 1: can sign up for my three free weekly columns at 496 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: Gingrich three sixty dot com slash newsletter. I'm NEWT Gingrich. 497 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 1: This is news World.