The US military has suffered a recruiting crisis as many claim the institution is becoming politicized. Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL) engaged in a lengthy questioning of the former head of West Point's history department, Brigadier Gen. Ty Seidule (Ret.), on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives being introduced into West Point's curriculum, to which Seidule could not adequately answer.
Gen. Seidule stated that he had stopped teaching at West Point in 2019, though he did concede a single class concerning critical race theory (CRT) as an elective existed.
"Do you agree with the lecture, 'Understanding Your Whiteness and White Rage,' taught by Dr. Carol Anderson of Emory University, that should be taught at West Point?" Rep. Waltz inquired, though Gen Seidule answered he was unfamiliar with the lecture and that "the great thing about education is that you can get a variety of different perspectives."
"I know," Rep. Waltz replied, "This is the very clever approach of the left to conflate history with current-day training. So would you agree that critical race theory is a foundation for DEI?"
Seidule answered, "No," but suggested, "It is still just a part of Equal Opportunity."
Waltz only pressed on, asking what the difference between equity and equality was, pointing out that the Director of National Intelligence has an office devoted to DEI on top of an equal opportunity office (the latter of which Waltz agreed with).
However, Seidule said, "I do not know what [equity] is."
Waltz pointed out the irony of Seidule being brought in as an expert when he could not adequately define "equity," which he defined as "equal outcomes for all, which is a hallmark of Marxism. DEI is Marxist-based, as is critical race theory."
The Florida Congressman has been highly critical of politicization within the military under the Biden Administration, which nearly 70% of cadets said they have noticed this past January. In May, Waltz introduced the WARRIOR Act to defund DEI initiatives, while in November, he and Representative Jim Banks (R-IN) teamed up to demand answers on a glossary for the National Security Agency which contained multiple left-wing buzzwords.
