Veterans and Extremism
 

20% of applicants to Patriot Front, a white supremacist group, were active or former military. One is currently a member of the Department of Homeland Security.

This is according to this article from the Guardian, which includes links to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is widely respected. They got the documents from a leak, and subsequently published them.

More than 80 of those currently being investigated for the January 6th coup attempt had ties to the military.

Naturally, I have questions:

1. Is it alarming that such an indomitable force as our military has this many extremists in its ranks?

2. Does this extremism ever impact military readiness or ability to execute missions? For example, does a white supremacist in the ranks of the military ever have a harmful impact on the ability of the military to complete their missions?

3. Why is misinformation, or extremism, or both, so prevalent among military members?

4. What should be done about extremism and misinformation within the ranks of the military?

1. Is it alarming that such an indomitable force as our military has this many extremists in its ranks?

Yes. To clarify; it is alarming AF

2. Does this extremism ever impact military readiness or ability to execute missions? For example, does a white supremacist in the ranks of the military ever have a harmful impact on the ability of the military to complete their missions?

I have never been in the military, so I call upon those who have to answer this question.

3. Why is misinformation, or extremism, or both, so prevalent among military members?

I suspect it could be connected to the desire to wield weapons and authority that might lead some people to apply to join the military in the first place.

4. What should be done about extremism and misinformation within the ranks of the military?

I do not have an informed opinion. My uninformed opinion follows: training. If you can be educated in the military and trained to protect your fellow man without regard to your own life, you can also be trained to choose not to kill, harm or threaten fellow Americans despite social pressure or even provocation, even at the cost of your own life. If this isn't the case, I'd like my tax money back, please.