![Bishop Garrison](https://thepoliticalinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Untitled-design-83-1120x630.jpg)
![Bishop Garrison](https://thepoliticalinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Untitled-design-83-1120x630.jpg)
On January 6, there was a growing movement within the Pentagon to identify „right-wing extremists.“ The Secretary of Defense has ordered a „no-extremism day“ and an inquiry has been commissioned to examine how deeply „extremism“ is entrenched within the military.
Hundreds of thousands of uniformed military personnel and I underwent scenario-based extremism training. The training was accompanied by key videos aimed at deterring everything from overt extremism to basic gun ownership.
It would later turn out that not many military personnel were serious about destroying the country they were sworn to protect. But that didn't stop one military academy from investing in an anti-extremism digital surveillance program. Also known as a spy.
ambiguous by design
The U.S. Air Force Academy has signed a contract to digitally monitor and spy on cadets and faculty.of the purpose The objectives of the program are:
“…combat cadet conduct in digital media that can have a negative impact on culture and climate.”
Thomas Torkelson, deputy director of the Air Force Academy's Center for Character and Leadership Development, said the monitoring program is part of:
“…larger cultural concerns at the Air Force Academy captured under a larger campaign.”
However, the definitions of „cultural concerns“ and „large-scale campaigns“ are not clear. This ambiguity allows for creative use of the surveillance system.
The worry is that digital surveillance campaigns like this one could extend beyond their „extremist“ objectives. It can extend beyond the walls of the academy itself. And, of course, the definition of „extremism“ would be expanded to include pedestrian opinions.
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Ryan Shapiro, executive director of Property of the People, explains:
„The program's far-reaching scope reeks of calculated ambiguity. It appears to have been tailor-made as a means to crack down on dissent, not just among military personnel, but among the wider public.“
The program is designed to help the Department of Defense develop and educate future military leaders, according to the academy.
Character building?
Torkelson insists there is nothing to worry about with programs aimed at monitoring cadets and faculty's use of digital media. After all, he explains:
„The Academy's mission is to develop leaders of character who are ready to serve the nation. What we are trying to educate them on is how to appropriately behave in anonymous digital spaces. It’s a thread in the character that it’s a method.”
So what is appropriate behavior in the digital space? What does the Academy think of „extreme“ and „acceptable“ speech on social media and other online environments for future leaders?
One of the prominent ideologies embraced by the Air Force Academy is a left-wing gender ideology. This month's academy is exhibited Transgender activist Lt. Col. Bree Frum attended the National Identity and Leadership Symposium.
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When asked about the consequences if service members refer to transgender service members by their biological pronouns, an academy spokesperson said:
“Intentional misgendering of an individual may be considered harassment or discrimination under our Equal Opportunity Policy.”
One may wonder whether cadets and faculty whose religious or scientific beliefs do not align with the transgender movement are considered „extremists.“
be on your side
The Pentagon has commissioned the Institute for Defense Analyzes (IDA) to investigate the prevalence of extremism in the military ranks.of report The report submitted by IDA concluded:
„Racism and sexism continue to be problems within the military, but only a small number of confirmed violent extremists have been found within the military.“
In fact, IDA finds fewer than 100 cases of substantiated violent extremism within the military each year. Meanwhile, a statement made by one of the military's most respected leaders has some disturbing implications.
Speaking at this month's Leadership Symposium, Lt. Col. Frum said:
„I don't have a crystal ball, but I can look out there and say, 'Either I'm going to do well next year, or I'm going to have to put my abilities on the line to stay active.' .”
This statement, apparently referring to the upcoming presidential election, was made at a meeting not only by military personnel, but also by uniformed officers of the United States who favored one presidential candidate over another. In other words, this person was a commissioned military man who insisted that one party not only be in charge of the White House over the other, but also be commander-in-chief.
irony
The most shocking aspect of the academy's purchase of digital surveillance tools is that it surprised extremism experts who consulted the Department of Defense. Bishop Garrison, who was a member of the Pentagon's Extremism Working Group, said of the program:
„This is not something we reported on, and we have never heard of anything that happened within the military. This could be a Fourth Amendment issue and would violate important privacy protections.“ I think it's a possibility and we need to look into it thoroughly.“
Matthew Guariglia, a policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, echoed Garrison's concerns.
“The concern here, as always, is mission creep: the possibility that programs designed to discover serious threats could be used to punish people for their beliefs, associations, or creative expression. The idea is that there is a gender.”
All Americans should ask themselves: How long will it be before these same measures are taken against the general public? The military has long been a stepping stone for policies and initiatives that are later implemented nationally.
I'll leave you with this note at the end. Speaking at the 2022 Department of Defense Pride event, Lt. Col. Frum said:
“Remember, we start Pride with a riot, not a celebration.”
Digital surveillance programs aimed at stamping out extremism are also unlikely to have arisen from the riots. Some riots are meant to be celebrated by the Department of Defense, while others are used as a means to suppress personal freedom.
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