Senator grills CNO Gilday on inclusion of racist/Marxist book on CNO’s reading list

| June 22, 2021

CNO Admiral Gilday

The Chief of Naval Operations (the head of the US Navy) was grilled by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), an Army veteran, on the inclusion of Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How to Be an Antiracist, on the recommended reading list. We talked about this inclusion when it was first announced here.

The CNO did not acquit himself particularly well in the exchange. Brietbart reports;

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) questioned Gilday about adding Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How to Be an Antiracist, on the recommended reading list for every sailor, and asked Gilday if he agreed with its primary assumptions, including that capitalism is racist.

Cotton said: “You’re saying as a senior leader of the Navy that you want 18-year-old sailors and 22-year-old ensigns to read a book that asserts that capitalism is essentially racist. Do you agree that capitalism is essentially racist?”

Gilday responded: “Sir, with all due respect, I’m not going to engage without understanding the context of statements like that.”

Cotton: “In what context could the claim that capitalism is essentially racist possibly be something with which you agree?”

Gilday responded: “Sir I’d have to go back to the book to take a look at that… I believe we can trust them to read books like that and draw reasonable conclusions.”

Cotton then retorted it was not a matter of trust, but a matter of time. “You, as the chief of naval operations, are suggesting in your professional reading that it’s a worthwhile endeavor for our sailors and ensigns to spend the time reading books like these as opposed to reading books on maritime strategy or basic seafaring skills.”

Cotton also cited other assertions made by Kendi in his book, including that the only remedy for past discrimination is present discrimination, the only remedy for present discrimination is future discrimination; that some individuals by virtue of his or her race are inherently oppressive or privileged while others are victimized or oppressed; and that individuals can bear some kind of collective responsibility or collective guilt of actions committed by his or her race.

He asked Gilday how the book ended up on his reading list.

Gilday defended his decision, saying that he wanted sailors to read about internal threats and think critically in a world of misinformation.

They also report on Kendi’s previous comments on the topics covered in his book. They quote Kendi;

What’s really happening, particularly among the left, is a debate over how we define capitalism. What I tried to show in [Antiracist] is that you can’t separate capitalism from racism, that they were birthed during the same period in the same area and have grown together, damaged together and will one day die together.

Cotton also zinged the CNO on recent failures within the Navy;

Cotton then chided Gilday on other “genuine cultural problems” he considered more pressing, including collisions at sea, a ship catching fire in port, and the Fat Leonard scandal that involved massive corruption among sailors in the Asia Pacific.

“Assigning books like these and encouraging your sailors to take the time to do so is not a way for the Navy to regain its focus, Admiral,” he told Gilday.

Last week, Gilday testified to the House Armed Services Committee that he read Kendi’s book. He also dodged questions on whether he agreed with Kendi’s past statements.

The admiral would have been far better off admitting that he never read the book and it was added to the list by some minor functionary. Upon further reflection, he could say, he’s removing the book for the list. Done and done. Nope. In today’s age of “woke” where we judge everyone solely by their skin color and push socialism like it hasn’t been a failure literally everywhere it’s been tried, you gotta stay woke once you go woke.

Category: "Teh Stoopid", "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Dumbass Bullshit, Liberals suck, Navy

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Devtun

Bill Moran is the real CNO. Too bad Trump was recommended this doofus as CNO. The first officer since Zumwalt in 1970 to be elevated to chief from the 3 star ranks. Big a$$ mistake.

Ex-PH2

Best that we DO know about this ongoing crap. Without knowing about it, how can we fight it?

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

how come all these peeps who denounce capitalism are rolling in 6 and 7 figure moola shmoola.

UpNorth

They live by “Socialism for thee, not for me”. After all, somebody has to make the money, why not them?

A Proud Infidel®™

Yeah like that Gal, the BLM kingpin who purchased multimillion dollar homes with money donated.

timactual

They are the vanguard of the proletariat, and being the vanguard they get, as Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest said, “They who gits thar fustest gets the mostest!”.

Sparks

An Admiral and CNO who has only three ribbons? Seems peculiar to me. I wasn’t in the Navy, but that looks like social promotion to me.

(Having looked at photos of other Admirals and Chiefs of Naval Operations.)

O-4E

I noticed the Army is starting to go back to the “Old Army” tradition of wearing the top 3 awards also in less than formal/dress occasions

Look at pictures of Ike in uniform. Especially his daily wear. He usually only had 3 ribbons even though he had 40 some odd awards

Anonymous

Was those with 6 or more ribbons must wear at least 6. “Top 3” is humble-bragging.

Anonymous

P.S. GOs, though, make-up their own uniform standards.

timactual

I am sure they would like us to think they are just modest, but the real reason is laziness. Those ribbons may be insignificant (heh) individually, but added together they are just too heavy a burden for them to wear. And unbalanced.

KoB

Does Kendi realize that the Black Tribal Leaders were embracing Capitalism when they sold other Black Folks to the A Rabs…to be sold in turn to others, including the Chinese (who had all males castrated before they would take them)? Wonder if he researched the numbers of Blacks brought into North America V Blacks carried into Central and South America? Hint…way yonder more were sent into South America than North America.

“…when a person is judged by their character…” MLK weeps.

The Other Whitey

Am I the only one who doubts that Gilday was promoted on merit?

Anonymous

Nope.

Green Thumb

x 5.

Lackey.

By the way, he also looks guilty with that smug ass smile.

What a clown.

Best guess is that he thinks this is all horeshit as well.

He is just padding his retirement account.

Roh-Dog

I dunno GT, that smirk and twinkle has tickle monster written all over it.
Anyone know if he’s a frequent house guest of the usual suspects?

Mustang Major

Anyone had a chance to see if this “required reading” has made its way into Naval Exchanges? USNA book store?

Asking for a friend.

Dustoff

I’m hoping my esteemed Squidly colleagues can enlighten this former Soldier and explain how a person sporting only a Surface Warfare Badge and a couple of “road guard ” ribbons can ascend to such a lofty position. With the understanding that the amount bling doesn’t not reflect ones ability to lead. Thanks ahead of time, Sincerely your friend Dustoff.

Buckeye Jim

I believe you can choose to wear only the highest three ribbons if you so desire. Unusual, true, especially in an official photo. I once ran into a student (sorry I cannot recall the name) at the NWC who wore only one ribbon–a light blue field with a few white stars (MOH). All of rest were kind of redundant, I guess.

Anonymous

Those w/ 6 or more must wear at least 6.

Anonymous

Generals, of course, can wear whatever the heck they want.

HMCS(FMF) ret

Politics and kneepads… and not in that order

timactual

So in his case the ‘V’ stands for ‘victim’? Why did the Navy commend him for hitting a mine? The Army never did that. Purple Heart, sure; but a commendation?

STSC(SW/SS)

I wonder what the Admiral would say if a subordinate gave him the same kind of answers as he gave Senator Cotton. Brig time, reduction in rank or cleaning shitters.

He probably made Admiral by polishing the brass and a few knobs.

rgr769

Mason, thanks for posting this. I commented on it last week after I saw this, um “testimony” before the Senate. In a few years our totally woke Navy won’t be able to navigate the planet, let alone win real battles at sea. They will be too busy planning their next performance of some LGBQWERTY version of the “Pirates of Penzance with No Pants” while at sea.

Graybeard

Go Army BTHO Navy (or at least the CNO)

This crap needs cut out of the military at all levels.

SFC D

Obviously he hasn’t read the book and the list was compiled by a staffer.

rgr769

Welp, if he hasn’t read it that is another lie under oath, cuz last week he testified before the house Armed Services Committee that he had in fact read Kendi’s book on Critical Race (black racist) Theory.

timactual

Yeah. And they all read their Clausewitz at the War Colleges, too.

*sniff*…..*snifff*…
Yep, the ol’ BS detector definitely senses something.

Anonymous

Cliff’s Notes… there are “selections” read out of actual books, but I doubt many read Dead Karl’s best cover-to-cover.

Forest Bondurant

Clearly he’s spouting off woke talking points to get noticed by woke organizations. The groundwork for him to get hired by Woke-A-Cola or some other large corporation with SJW values when it comes time to retire.

Fergus Boone

The next president needs to purge the senior ranks of all federal agencies. In fact he needs to abolish most of them and devolve their missions to the states where they can be controlled rather than the mutant creatures that now lumber through the land arresting peaceful citizens for imaginary crimes.