My alma mater, the US Marine Corps,
President Obama included among his many dubious “social engineering” objectives the enforcement by the federal government of the arbitrary imperatives of political correctness. One of his progressive notions was
In response to the first question, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stood up in opposition to Obama’s policy. Dunford has voiced concerns about potential impacts on combat readiness. The only service to seek an exemption to gender integration, the Marines have found that men
The bigger picture, as raised by the second question,concerns the realities of military recruitment. No one in his—or her—right mind is going to voluntarily place himself in harm’s way by signing up for combat duty. Asking citize
Now for the first time in our history, the government is saying that you don’t have to be a tough macho man to occupy a foxhole. Women can do it. No big deal. “If women can join the few and the proud,” many men are thinking, “being a Marine is no longer a proclamation of my manhood. Why should I risk my life to prove that I am a tough guy?” Removing the payoff for being macho is upsetting the psychological underpinning of the entire defense apparatus. The effect on the male subconscious of putting women in front line units cannot be underestimated. We can expect to see three serious consequences: (1) a drastic reduction in male voluntary enlistments, (2) the premature retirement or outright firing of senior officerswho refuse to play ball with the PC crowd, and (3) the acting out of anti-social behaviors by elite troops. Political correctness, if allowed to spread, will eventually erode our military effectiveness. Evidently Obama never considered this possibility when he insisted on a PC-compliantDefense Department. Or did he?
The current Marine Corps scandal is but one example of unforeseen collateral damage that will result from the new gender policy. In order to protect their male egos, Marines and other elite troops are going to exhibit a variety of behaviors that will not be regarded as socially acceptable. In the current scandal, Marines are subconsciouslyprotecting their macho-ness by posting the nude photos. As in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the fault does not lie with the individual Marine. The fault belongs to Obama’s efforts to eviscerate the military. Happily, the new administration may reverse Obama’s policy. Military Timesreports that President Trump has been a vocal skeptic of political correctness in the Defense Department.
One final irony. According to CBS News, “Pentagon officials say the scandal can do real harm to the military by discouraging young women from joining the armed forces and convincing those already in uniform to get out.” As usual, the media has it all wrong. The “real harm to the military” is the way in which political correctness may discourage young men from signing up to fight for their country.
Ed Brodow is a negotiation expert, political commentator, and author of In Lies We Trust: How Politicians and the Media Are Deceiving the American Public.