Navy Vet in Congress Protests 'Thought Police' Screening Troops for Extremist Beliefs

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A congressional hearing on domestic terrorism turned tense when a freshman congressman likened screening military personnel for extremist ties to the "Thought Police" who ferret out unapproved beliefs in George Orwell's famous dystopian novel "1984."

Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Georgia Republican and retired Navy commander, told experts Thursday that he's concerned about the push to screen troops, law enforcement members, or those in political office following the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.

"This smacks of the 'Thought Police,'" Clyde said during a Committee on Homeland Security hearing. "We are Americans. We respect every person's right to their own opinions, especially those with which we do not agree. We all raised our hand and swore to the same oath of office."

Clyde's comments follow Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's order to the Joint Chiefs that each of the military branches hold a stand-down in the next 60 days to address the problem of extremism in the ranks. Stand-downs are typically daylong pauses from training and other requirements in which leaders address safety concerns or other problems.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/navy-vet-congress-protests-thought-224426441.html

[Aristus]

1. When I went in to the Army in 1986, they sure didn't mind screening us to see if we were gay.

Screening for beliefs counter to the Army's mission of protecting the country from all enemies, foreign and domestic is perfectly reasonable.

Screening for being gay wasn't...

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

2. "But if you find a "commie" in the ranks. Kick them the fuck out. ". I'm sure. nt

[lame54]

3. Boot camp breaks them down and rebuilds them as republicans...

They are being manufactured on the premises

[jonstl08]

10. Not a GOPer

I went through boot camp along with many others and came out leaning liberal. Have a lot of military friends who think like I do.

[meadowlander]

4. If your thought is "I'm entitled to threaten and kill people that disagree with me politically"

then yeah, maybe you're not entitled to taxpayers training you to actually carry those threats out.

[Hassler]

5. Someone sounds worried about being outted.

[CurtEastPoint]

6. owns a gun shop and sued Athens, GA over shelter in place. F U Clyde.

[11 Bravo]

7. If he went out as an O5, his service was acceptable, and he had climbed ...

the routine promotional ladder.
But he was not deemed ready for the Big Time.

And now we know why ... he's a cretinous wingnut.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Here's A Thought, Clyde!

STFU.
The first thought I had. Police that, Andy.

[MagickMuffin]

9. Apparently the 'Thought Police' is much needed

And there is nothing wrong with it. They are supposed to take an Oath to the Constitution and yet here we are with so many Oaf Keepers, Proud Boys and BooogieBoys having a host of ex military in the ranks.


Perhaps we need to weed out the insurrectionists so they don't get government training to shoot and kill people.

[SunSeeker]

11. Tough shit, traitor. Serving in the military is an honor, not a right.

We have the right to choose soldiers who are LOYAL to our Constitution.

[Vivienne235729]

12. That's right. We can NOT have soldiers running around thinking the white race is the supreme race

Nor can we have soldiers running around thinking women are second class citizens. And if you think that, there is NO ROOM for you in the military. GTFO.

[robbob]

13. He's really going with "we all took an oath"

as a reason why we don’t have to screen for extremism? After everything that’s happened in the GOP over the last couple years? Taking a “sacred oath” means less then dog shit to these traitors.

[NickB79]

14. Screening for extremist Muslims in the military: a-ok

Screening for extremist white people in the military: thought police!

[moondust]

15. +1

The military's close quarters and access to weapons of war make it too dangerous to allow extremism of any kind to spread unchecked.