‘Wokeness has gone too far’
By J.M. Phelps
U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Triston Gryniewski, left, and Sgt. Colin Rowan fire a stinger-launch simulator during a live-fire range event at Setermoen, Norway, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, to prepare for Nordic Response. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Orlanys Diaz Figueroa)
Across most branches of the U.S. military, recruitment numbers continue to plummet. As is widely known, lack of trust in senior military leadership as well as “woke” ideology now plague America’s armed forces. But the ultimate question remains: Can the U.S. still win wars?
To find out what the rank and file of the United States military believe in 2024 about fighting a major war against a near-peer threat, this writer conducted an informal survey, at random, of over 200 current members of the U.S. military.
When asked if the U.S. could win a war against a near-peer threat like China, Iran, North Korea or Russia, 188 of the survey’s 229 participants replied “No.”
WND interviewed one participant in the survey, on the condition of anonymity due to concern over reprisals. Emphasizing that his views don’t reflect those of the Department of Defense or Department of the Army, Sgt. First Class (SFC) Robbie Barnes (a pseudonym) admitted he is “not overly confident” the United States could win a war against a foreign adversary.
“There’s a good chance we could win, but it would come at a great cost,” he explained, referring to the loss of life in combat.
Ten to 15 years ago,” Barnes said, “we could have won any war in the world, but I’ve lost a great deal of confidence in our superiority in conflict over the last decade.” His change of faith can be attributed to well-known issues surrounding recruiting and retention.
“Recruiting numbers are down more than ever, and [service members] are leaving the military because they see the direction we’ve gone since the Obama administration,” he said. Progressive policies have repeatedly been blamed for the military’s recruiting shortfall.
Apart from dwindling personnel numbers, Barnes argued, “Many [service members] don’t have the same level of ability or aptitude in maintaining our equipment anymore.” In that regard, 74% of the survey’s participants said their units are not well enough equipped to go to war, and 72% also said their units are not sufficiently trained for actual combat deployment.