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Home Front: Culture Wars
Top Marine Corps official orders removal of all Confederate symbols from bases worldwide
2020-02-28
  • Commandant General David Berger issued an order that Confederate-related paraphernalia be removed from Marine Corp installations worldwide
    Like it or not, they're suppressing both speech and culture. First they come for the guys you don't like, then for the people you disagree with. Eventually they'll come for you. The ghost of Thomas Jefferson is is saying some very bad words.
  • The decision comes after a survey revealed 36 percent of troops have experienced white supremacy or racism in their ranks
    "A = B" equation. If your description of "racism" is pretty loose, then 36 percent of everybody's probably experience "white supremacy or racism."
  • Half of minority service members had personally witnessed racism
    We're "racist" in a combat environment. In Vietnam, the enemy (and to lots of people the Vietnamese in general) were zips, slants, gooks, what have you. I have no doubt that Afghanistan, Iraq, and similarly unpleasant places are populated by rag heads, hajjis, and folks of that ilk. Under other circumstances we're more polite. I fear those witnessing the racism under other circumstance are including "microaggressions" in the total. In the course of twenty years in the Army, I personally saw two instances of actual racism, one of them on my second day of basic training.
  • Troops listed white supremacy as a larger threat to the country than immigration
    Yeah, buddy. It's those klansmen in uniform you gotta watch for. We have 1.3 million active-duty troops. Statistically, some of them are bound to be anuses.
  • Berger's decision also comes in the wake of high-profile incidents in which troops were shown to be engaged in extremism
    Crawling out the walls, are they? White supremacists under every bed? Senator McCarthy sez he has a list of 100 200 300 white supremacists in government!
  • Lance Corporal Vasillios Pistolis was kicked out of the Marine Corps in 2018. He was identified violently smashing a Confederate flag onto a counter-protester at the 2017 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville, Virginia
    They forgot Timothy McVeigh. Shucks, that was just 25 years ago.

I don't like racists, and if I ever met a white supremacist I probably wouldn't like him/her/it. Neither can I stand having my opinions scrutinized and "corrected." When I was a kid (in this case, anything under about age sixty) the Confederate flag could be seen on cars, in houses, on bathing suits, state flags, underwear, you name it. Lots of places used to fly both the national flag and the Stars and Bars. The implication wasn't white supremacy, but Southerness.
Posted by:Skidmark

#12  ummm, how many bases are named after Confederate Generals? me thinks a fair number.....

these people need to re read their history and have another look at the 1st amendment
Posted by: 746   2020-02-28 18:15  

#11  Interesting he only explicitly singles out the Confederate flag.

Troops listed white supremacy as a larger threat to the country than immigration

Which troops? How many? And how many are actual combat troops vs. future Buttgags and McMuffins?

Southern white men are disproportionately represented in our ranks -- going out of your way to alienate them seems like something a "perfumed prince" would do.

But hey, I confess to not being conversant with custom in these matters.

Was the Stars and Bars banned in World War 2?

Posted by: charger   2020-02-28 17:16  

#10  #7 Thanks MM.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2020-02-28 16:54  

#9  I like our Alaska state flag: the Big Dipper and the pole star in gold on a field of blue. Looks good along side Old Glory, too, properly placed of course.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2020-02-28 16:46  

#8  One question, Did he just order the removal of state flags with the confederate flag imbedded in it? IE FLA?
Posted by: 49 Pan   2020-02-28 14:56  

#7  Probably only one leftist administration away from jamming this down the memory hole.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2020-02-28 13:06  

#6  Again, lifelong civilian here. Everything I've ever read re mil hist says tradition is a big deal. And now it's not. Let's see how that works out.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2020-02-28 12:36  

#5  Silent Sam, other local statues are OK: these are monuments to history.

Got to remember that for many of them it was the United STATES of America with states being their tribe first. Echos of that come every fall when Georgia vs Alabama, Texas vs Oklahoma, Ohio State vs Michigan. Even though they were killing each other days before, those who had been doing the killing saw it different.

While Chamberlain’s role at Gettysburg is oft-repeated, his contributions during the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign of 1864-65 were of equal import. During that campaign Chamberlain sustained what was thought to be a fatal wound to the groin on June 18, 1864. Fearing his death was imminent, Grant promoted Chamberlain to brigadier general as a symbolic act of thanks. Miraculously, Chamberlain survived and returned to command in late 1864. He was in command of the Army of the Potomac’s 1st Brigade, First Division, V Corps on March 29, 1865, when he was severely wounded again, earning him a brevet promotion to Major General and the nickname “Bloody Chamberlain.” Chamberlain was profoundly honored to command the surrender ceremony. Writing to his wife just one day later, he stated:

For my personal part I…have been in five battles…twice wounded myself—my horse shot—in the front line when the flag of truce came through from Lee—had the last shot + the last man killed, in their campaign; + yesterday was designated to receive the surrender of the arms of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.

The ceremony itself deeply moved Chamberlain, who would later write:

Instructions had been given; and when the head of each division column comes opposite our group, our bugle sounds the signal and instantly our whole line from right to left, regiment by regiment in succession, gives the soldier’s salutation, from the “order arms” to the old “carry”— the marching salute. Gordon at the head of the column, riding with heavy spirit and downcast face, catches the sound of shifting arms, looks up, and, taking the meaning, wheels superbly…with profound salutation as he drops the point of his sword to the boot toe; then facing to his own command, gives word for his successive brigades to pass us with the same position of the manual, honor answering honor.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2020-02-28 06:27  

#4  What's going to replace it - vagina triumphant, gulles argent?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2020-02-28 02:05  

#3  One nation. One flag. Pick one.

If you prefer Jeff Davis's flag, then leave the US military and pursue your passion elsewhere.
Posted by: Lex   2020-02-28 01:08  

#2  "Perhaps the general should have softened the blow by simultaneously banning any / all BLM, black power etc "Woke" or "Reaistance" symbolism. But you cannot serve Jeff Davis and Uncle Sam. Pick one."

Amein.
Posted by: newc   2020-02-28 01:02  

#1  Harsh but correct. Confederacy = insurrection. It existed in order to preserve slavery, which everyone recognizes was abhorrent.

Sentimental, BS history is bo excuse for upholding symbols of sedition in the military.

Silent Sam, other local statues are OK: these are monuments to history. But a fighting force can gave only one loyalty: Union Now and Forever.

Perhaps the general should have softened the blow by simultaneously banning any / all BLM, black power etc "Woke" or "Reaistance" symbolism. But you cannot serve Jeff Davis and Uncle Sam. Pick one.

/rant
Posted by: Lex   2020-02-28 00:29  

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