With the midterms closing in, candidates are focusing more on domestic and cultural issues rather than those abroad. While state governments cannot conduct foreign policy, these same domestic and cultural issues are affecting our influence abroad. Most notably, the prevalence of social engineering in the military at the same time China is making aggressive moves towards Taiwan. Recently, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL-6) appeared on Fox's Mornings with Maria highlighting the incongruence of readiness and priorities between the two powers.
While this Pentagon prioritizes DEI and 'rooting out extremism' in our military, the #CCP prioritizes hypersonic missiles, aircraft careers, their nuclear arsenal, taking Taiwan, and global domination. pic.twitter.com/q9gtWC8WPL
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) October 28, 2022
"While this Pentagon prioritizes DEI and 'rooting out extremism' in our military, the #CCP prioritizes hypersonic missiles, aircraft careers [sic], their nuclear arsenal, taking Taiwan, and global domination," Waltz's tweet containing the footage reads.
In the brief clip, Waltz says that "we're running around the world, preaching ESG (environmental and social governance), worried about drag shows, and obsessed with DEI: diversity, equity, and inclusion." A prominent example of what Waltz means by this comes from Gen. Mark Milley, who has said "“I want to understand white rage and I’m white. What is wrong with understanding, having some situational understanding of the country for which we are here to defend?”
Waltz contrasts this with the Chinese military. "Meanwhile, the Chinese military are obsessed with hypersonics, building more aircraft carriers, expanding their nuclear fleet, building a navy that's larger than ours, and preparing what I think is now a matter of when, not if, they take Taiwan and their move towards global domination. So one more thing we have to fight, Maria. We're in the fight."
This is not the first time Waltz has spoken about the threat China poses to the US. Tensions between the US and China heightened in July when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D) visited Taiwan. The Chinese government threatened "forceful measures," while the former editor of the CCP's main newspaper suggested shooting Pelosi's plane down. Waltz called the threats "unacceptable" and says the incident should serve as a turning point in the US's diplomatic relationships with China and Taiwan. Despite this, the Biden Administration says it "does not support Taiwan independence."
