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Irresistible Revolution: Marxism's Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military
Irresistible Revolution is a timely and bold contribution from an active-duty Space Force lieutenant colonel who sees the impact of a neo-Marxist agenda at the ground level within our armed forces. In it, author Matthew Lohmeier provides answers to many important questions that Americans are currently asking: Is systemic racism a reality, or is much of our talk about race merely a rhetorical tool used to divide Americans? Why has the Defense Department suddenly shifted to a focus on extremism within the ranks? Is there really a white supremacy or white nationalist problem within our armed forces? Are the many Diversity and Inclusion trainings that are being conducted in our federal agencies helping solve these problems, or are they creating conflict where none previously existed? What is Marxism, and what does it have to do with all of this?
Though pundits often appear perplexed by current policy decisions being made in our country, our apparent missteps are part of a longstanding plot against America, patiently and methodically pursued by those with a mind intent on the overthrow of the US Government and its replacement with a communist dictatorship. Unfortunately, many of those now furthering that agenda do so unwittingly.
After becoming aware of the Marxist conquest of American society, you will never again look at things in the same way. Mainstream media, social media, the public education system (including universities), as well as federal agencies have all become vessels of various schools of thought that are rooted in Marxist ideology - an ideology bent on the destruction of America's history, of Western tradition, specifically Judeo-Christian values, and of patriotism and conservatism. Marxism's sinister and dark agenda has led the country into what some have called a cold civil war. The problem has become systemic, a tragedy considering that the defeat of Marxist-communist ideology was the very cause against which our nation spent great treasures of blood and iron during much of the twentieth century.
The book's three-part framework begins with a discussion of the greatness of the American ideal (including the importance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the notions of individual and civil liberties), transitions to an examination of the history and overarching narrative of Marxist ideology (specifically Marx's and Engels' Communist Manifesto wherein the oppressor vs. oppressed narrative is developed), and concludes by looking into the ongoing transformation of America's military culture and military policy, while also providing a warning about where the country is headed if we choose to not make an immediate course correction.
Irresistible Revolution also covers a breadth of hot topics everyone is hearing and talking about - topics that actually have implications for our national security: woke ideology, cancel culture, identity politics, the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-racism, postmodernism, political correctness, and critical and cynical theories, to include critical race theory. Lohmeier's penetrating and common sense look at current events within our military and across American society is a sublimely unique contribution that is certain to be shared, referenced, and discussed for years to come. Every American, including every US military servicemember, needs to read and understand the Irresistible Revolution.
Though pundits often appear perplexed by current policy decisions being made in our country, our apparent missteps are part of a longstanding plot against America, patiently and methodically pursued by those with a mind intent on the overthrow of the US Government and its replacement with a communist dictatorship. Unfortunately, many of those now furthering that agenda do so unwittingly.
After becoming aware of the Marxist conquest of American society, you will never again look at things in the same way. Mainstream media, social media, the public education system (including universities), as well as federal agencies have all become vessels of various schools of thought that are rooted in Marxist ideology - an ideology bent on the destruction of America's history, of Western tradition, specifically Judeo-Christian values, and of patriotism and conservatism. Marxism's sinister and dark agenda has led the country into what some have called a cold civil war. The problem has become systemic, a tragedy considering that the defeat of Marxist-communist ideology was the very cause against which our nation spent great treasures of blood and iron during much of the twentieth century.
The book's three-part framework begins with a discussion of the greatness of the American ideal (including the importance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the notions of individual and civil liberties), transitions to an examination of the history and overarching narrative of Marxist ideology (specifically Marx's and Engels' Communist Manifesto wherein the oppressor vs. oppressed narrative is developed), and concludes by looking into the ongoing transformation of America's military culture and military policy, while also providing a warning about where the country is headed if we choose to not make an immediate course correction.
Irresistible Revolution also covers a breadth of hot topics everyone is hearing and talking about - topics that actually have implications for our national security: woke ideology, cancel culture, identity politics, the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-racism, postmodernism, political correctness, and critical and cynical theories, to include critical race theory. Lohmeier's penetrating and common sense look at current events within our military and across American society is a sublimely unique contribution that is certain to be shared, referenced, and discussed for years to come. Every American, including every US military servicemember, needs to read and understand the Irresistible Revolution.
211 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2021
About the author
Matthew Lohmeier
1 book36 followersMatthew Lohmeier is a 2006 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He began his active-duty military career as a pilot, flying over 1,200 hours in the T-38 as an instructor pilot followed by the F-15C. After flying, he cross-trained into space operations and gained expertise in space-based missile warning. In October 2020, he transferred into the United States Space Force. He has two master's degrees-a master in military operational art and science, and a master of philosophy in military strategy. Currently, he is a lieutenant colonel in command of a space-based missile warning squadron in Colorado, where he lives with his wife and children.
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May 16, 2023
This is the most important book I have read in many years. It reveals the greatest threat to the the United States since the American Revolution. We cannot be defeated by a foreign military, but we can be defeated by own own!
This is our warning!
I have delayed a few days in writing this to give what I will say serious thought.
I was amazed when I first learned of this book and immediately ordered and read the e-version. Though I've never served in the military, I have worked with and under several Latin American military governments and thus acquired great respect for it, especially in the area of discipline, something that is sadly lacking in our current culture. I know that by publishing this controversial book as a Lt. Colonel in the Space Force, Matthew Lohmeier has not only ended his distinguished military career, but will likely be subjected to, not only heavy criticism, but also heavy discipline once the IG's report is issued on the current investigation.
Why would Lohmeier destroy his own career? There is only one reason I can think of:
....for love of country.
I also know that in the present situation, as he ratifies, the most powerful grouping in the USA are in the hands of the extreme leftists (federal government, media, the elites, corporate giants, and educators at all levels) leaving only the military as the last bastion possible to slow and hopefully stop their advance. This obviously exonerates Lohmeier's revolt by publication to those of us left who believe in the true historical past and devine providential mission of the USA.
I think I have highlighted more passages in this book than ever before.
The first half of the book deals with the historical horror of communism and the threat if offers to those foolish enough to follow it. I did not learn much new from that part and those familiar with communism may want to skip it.
Part three of the book, "Unmaking America's Military" describes how our current military is being drastically taken over and changed by extreme leftists.
Here are some extracts:
>>> "What is perhaps most surprising about all of this is that what began in academia as anti-American rhetoric and ideology, propagated by Leftist intellectuals—Marxists—who hated America’s exceptionalism and founding philosophy, and whose intention was the deliberate dismantling of our institutions and the restructuring of our culture, is now believed by some leaders within America’s military...Some senior military leaders are becoming the leading practitioners of this deception, this grand fraud, which seeks to unravel the moral fabric of America that once knit us together in unity...As a result, we are seeing increased division and resentment within the ranks. We are seeing good order and discipline undermined. We are eroding the confidence military professionals place in their oath...Military service-members were (and are), in fact, being told that virtually all white people contribute to racism or were told to say that they benefit from racism. And these types of trainings do, in fact, run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception, and engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce...
The uniformed services were once honorably apolitical, or at least politically neutral. Recently, however, they have become hotbeds of a politically partisan training agenda. As a result of increasingly overt support for the progressive, Marxist worldview, servicemembers have been empowered to begin using social media platforms to pursue Social Justice activism without consequence, de spite their legal obligations to remain apolitical. These activists use social media to utter public support for radical social agendas and revolutionary aims against the United States and fellow Americans...even while progressive social activism goes unchecked by senior leaders, disagreement with the radical views of these activists is being punished by senior leaders...Servicemembers are trained that all voices opposed to the revolutionary agenda are “racists,” “fascists,” “right-wingers,” “white supremacists,” and “white nationalists”...This narrative of white nationalist extremists plaguing the ranks, in combination with the other neo-Marxist, postmodernist, CRT-fueled narratives we have mentioned in earlier chapters, specifically: that the country was founded by racists, that the country has always been racist, that the Constitution’s ratification codified white supremacy as the law of the land, that whites are inherently racists (whether they realize it or not), and that the country must transform and become something altogether different than what it was and is, is wrecking young people’s motivation to serve in the US military, regardless of their political leanings." <<<
This would have been unthinkable to me during most of my life and it is still really hard to believe. But the facts are there in this book and I urge you to read it if you are not yet aware of the extreme peril that faces the USA.
This is our warning!
I have delayed a few days in writing this to give what I will say serious thought.
I was amazed when I first learned of this book and immediately ordered and read the e-version. Though I've never served in the military, I have worked with and under several Latin American military governments and thus acquired great respect for it, especially in the area of discipline, something that is sadly lacking in our current culture. I know that by publishing this controversial book as a Lt. Colonel in the Space Force, Matthew Lohmeier has not only ended his distinguished military career, but will likely be subjected to, not only heavy criticism, but also heavy discipline once the IG's report is issued on the current investigation.
Why would Lohmeier destroy his own career? There is only one reason I can think of:
....for love of country.
I also know that in the present situation, as he ratifies, the most powerful grouping in the USA are in the hands of the extreme leftists (federal government, media, the elites, corporate giants, and educators at all levels) leaving only the military as the last bastion possible to slow and hopefully stop their advance. This obviously exonerates Lohmeier's revolt by publication to those of us left who believe in the true historical past and devine providential mission of the USA.
I think I have highlighted more passages in this book than ever before.
The first half of the book deals with the historical horror of communism and the threat if offers to those foolish enough to follow it. I did not learn much new from that part and those familiar with communism may want to skip it.
Part three of the book, "Unmaking America's Military" describes how our current military is being drastically taken over and changed by extreme leftists.
Here are some extracts:
>>> "What is perhaps most surprising about all of this is that what began in academia as anti-American rhetoric and ideology, propagated by Leftist intellectuals—Marxists—who hated America’s exceptionalism and founding philosophy, and whose intention was the deliberate dismantling of our institutions and the restructuring of our culture, is now believed by some leaders within America’s military...Some senior military leaders are becoming the leading practitioners of this deception, this grand fraud, which seeks to unravel the moral fabric of America that once knit us together in unity...As a result, we are seeing increased division and resentment within the ranks. We are seeing good order and discipline undermined. We are eroding the confidence military professionals place in their oath...Military service-members were (and are), in fact, being told that virtually all white people contribute to racism or were told to say that they benefit from racism. And these types of trainings do, in fact, run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception, and engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce...
The uniformed services were once honorably apolitical, or at least politically neutral. Recently, however, they have become hotbeds of a politically partisan training agenda. As a result of increasingly overt support for the progressive, Marxist worldview, servicemembers have been empowered to begin using social media platforms to pursue Social Justice activism without consequence, de spite their legal obligations to remain apolitical. These activists use social media to utter public support for radical social agendas and revolutionary aims against the United States and fellow Americans...even while progressive social activism goes unchecked by senior leaders, disagreement with the radical views of these activists is being punished by senior leaders...Servicemembers are trained that all voices opposed to the revolutionary agenda are “racists,” “fascists,” “right-wingers,” “white supremacists,” and “white nationalists”...This narrative of white nationalist extremists plaguing the ranks, in combination with the other neo-Marxist, postmodernist, CRT-fueled narratives we have mentioned in earlier chapters, specifically: that the country was founded by racists, that the country has always been racist, that the Constitution’s ratification codified white supremacy as the law of the land, that whites are inherently racists (whether they realize it or not), and that the country must transform and become something altogether different than what it was and is, is wrecking young people’s motivation to serve in the US military, regardless of their political leanings." <<<
This would have been unthinkable to me during most of my life and it is still really hard to believe. But the facts are there in this book and I urge you to read it if you are not yet aware of the extreme peril that faces the USA.
May 23, 2021
If you have been a member of our military at any time in your life, this book is worth a read.
May 28, 2021
A Warning
Matthew Lohmeier is brave enough to point to a problem infecting virtually all of America's (and the West's) institutions. It has cause a seemingly unbridgeable divide in the American public, caused immense damage physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and financially, and is ruining the minds of future generations day after day. Black Lives Matter, Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, and like terms and ideologies have a common root: Marxism. CRT takes its namesake from the Marxist maxim that one must engage in "the ruthless criticism of all that exists." If we are to save our country, we must combat these dangerous ideas with the truth of America's values, history, culture, and greatness.
Matthew Lohmeier is brave enough to point to a problem infecting virtually all of America's (and the West's) institutions. It has cause a seemingly unbridgeable divide in the American public, caused immense damage physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and financially, and is ruining the minds of future generations day after day. Black Lives Matter, Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, and like terms and ideologies have a common root: Marxism. CRT takes its namesake from the Marxist maxim that one must engage in "the ruthless criticism of all that exists." If we are to save our country, we must combat these dangerous ideas with the truth of America's values, history, culture, and greatness.
August 8, 2021
This book was written by a Space Force commander, who is obviously conservative in outlook, is basically a protest against diversity & inclusiveness type trainings that have been implemented in the US military. The author, Lohmeier, believes that the trainings derive from critical race theory (CRT) and he traces the origin of CRT to Marxism. To summarize Lohmeier´s contentions: CRT is a latter-day or specifically American form of Marxism since it substitutes the white race, or American whites, for the bourgeoisie as the enemy of the proletariat, replaced by blacks under CRT. Just as the essential, binary struggle in Marxism is class struggle, so under CRT it becomes a racial struggle of whites being the racial, instead of class, enemy of the blacks. In Marxism, the rich or bourgeoisie are almost always bad or inimical to the rights or advancement of the working class/proletariat - in CRT, the culprits are instead the whites, the oppressed or exploited class is no longer the working class/proletariat but instead any non-whites, but especially blacks since they were previously actually enslaved instead of merely wage slaves.
Lohmeier suggests that CRT was developed in the wake of the collapse of communism in E. Europe around 30 years ago, by left-wing academics who had to find some new way to attack their favored enemy, capitalism, and specifically get at the beating heart of capitalism the USA. Communism did not manage to bring down the USA or capitalism, but if the new theory, CRT, might, then they were all for it. Hence the acceptance of CRT in the academy, because the academy strongly tilts left and CRT may be seen as the latest attempt to bring down the hated capitalism/USA.
Since the current furor over CRT ¨ideology¨ in trainings in the corporate world and the military is bound to continue to roil society and the electorate for the foreseeable future, so I picked up this book thinking I might get some insight into the controversy from the conservative perspective. Is this book purely right-wing propaganda? Not exactly, although clearly it is written from a right-wing point of view. Is it unduly alarmist? Probably. Yet, even so, reading it has some value in that it does give some insight into why many Americans - of all races - might be alarmed by the new darling of the academy, CRT.
One of the many unfortunate things about CRT at least as I understand it, is that white folks of today, no matter how well-meaning or liberal they may be, are branded as wrong or racist (apparently) because of ¨white privilege¨ which is handed down through the generations. This is a singular fallacy and whether the proponents of CRT realize it or not, exactly mirrors the unfortunate prejudice vs. blacks - the sad judgment that people can be categorized or sized up based on skin color or race alone. And so, because of this prejudice, for much of American history, blacks were commonly brushed aside as if they were automatically ¨bad¨ purely by reason of their skin color or race. The racial discrimination was prevalent in housing, employment - it now illegal. As far as education was concerned, it was very marked; and by now, the sad truth is school systems have re-segregated - a defacto reversal of the desegregation gains of 50 years ago. Prejudice was based on many socio economic factors - sadly, it was all in the end unfair prejudice and exactly what Martin Luther King protested against: Judging people by their skin color is wrong. Judge them instead by the content of their character.
Well, CRT reverses the traditional ¨equality¨ ideology of civil rights and does posit judging people based on their skin color or race; evidently, all whites suffer from some form of racism and therefore must struggle to be anti-racist. But not so blacks - or any other non-white group. But what about multi-racial individuals? Thus, under CRT, just as in the days of widespread prejudice, people are once again unfortunately categorized according to their skin color - exactly what the civil rights activists of 50 or 60 years ago didn´t want. CRT makes it socially acceptable to adopt irrational prejudice as a world-view and thus hearkens back to some extremely evil ideologies that did violently galvanize populations in the tragic prior century.
Sadly, any rather facile binary explanation in either ideology (Marxism or CRT) - such as, the bourgeoisie is always bad and is the source of the world´s ills, or, the whites are always bad and are the source of the world´s ills - can easily be turned to extremely evil ends, as we have seen with Nazism´s very similar scapegoating of the Jews, blaming them for the world´s ills.
The fact is, all of these ideologies share a shocking similarity in that they all impose the distorted prism of prejudice, social simplification based on hate or fear, as the explanation for all the world´s socio economic ills. The catastrophes of the 20th C should have led to the assimilation of the reality that prejudice of any sort, against any group, is obviously exactly what no-one should want. It is never ¨correct¨ or ¨OK" - even in the name of seeking justice for social inequality, for example, or social revolution. Prejudice should never be used as a means to achieve a perceived social good such as land reform - because the result is inevitably mass and uncontrollable violence.
Therefore, any ideology based on prejudice is not only evil in and of itself, but it also is extremely simplistic and lazy, in that it purports to ¨solve¨ complexity with simple binaries. The truth about the origin of social problems is much more complex and nuanced - but crowds unfortunately aren´t swayed with complexity, and so politicians will reach for ¨snappy, exciting¨ simplistic arguments rather than ¨dull, considered¨ reasoned arguments that tackle complexity. Slogans after all can never be complex - enraged crowds have no time or inclination to understand complex concepts. Explications do not make for sound bites, or applause lines.
The tendency of one group to blame another group ¨for everything that's wrong with society¨ goes back a long way; sadly, it has led to pogroms and the Holocaust; also the national tragic phenomenon of mass lynchings of blacks (and some whites) in the post Civil War era. With respect to the Russian Revolution, Marxism was used as the ideological justification for crackdowns on rich peasants in the dekulakization drive - which resulted in countless dead; there are many other examples of mass deaths due to famine, killing, and so forth that can be found in most communist revolutions. Yet once society has crashed and everything loses its value, poverty and starvation sets in. The collapse of society does not lead to any sort of ¨paradise¨ - quite the opposite.
The solution isn´t expropriation and elimination of the bourgeoisie as if they were the problem all along, they were the reason for all social ills. Any mass movement that seeks to eliminate another group - be it based on class, religious affiliation, or race - is wrong; and no doubt most times has its basis in avarice, or the wish to obtain the supposed benefits/social position/wealth of the targeted group; that is, the basis of revolution is usually an uprising of an excluded or down-trodden class or group, but not for any idealistic reasons (such as liberty, fraternity, equality) at all - the real reason is self-interest, greed, and the wish to become the new influential and wealthy elite group or class. Eventually, and inevitably, the new elite is itself overthrown by the next class or group that grows restive over the lack of social mobility and the difficulty of climbing the socio economic ladder to wealth.
Therefore, CRT is, in a way, the ideological justification for inter-communal conflict - at least that is what it seems like to me; the target being not the bourgeoisie or the rich, but the whites, the supposed socio economic ¨winners¨ who have triumphed over, or exploit not the proletariat, but the blacks.
The ideology is of course simplistic and weak, since there are many equally exploited, oppressed, and poor whites, and society by now includes many multiracial individuals who cannot be put into any particular racial category whatsoever. Thus in a highly diverse society such as ours where hundreds of millions of poor whites are hardly in a position to exploit or oppress anyone of any race given the level of misery they are suffering, CRT is unlikely to gain many adherents. Although as an easy-to-understand ¨catchy¨ pseudo-critique it is sure to find takers among less discerning people of all races, who are seeking perhaps an ¨instant¨ explanation for all that is wrong with society today (poverty, crime, ignorance, etc).
So I am not sure CRT is going to be taken seriously or influence many adults, which is why the alarmist outcry against it being presented in the military or at corporations is perhaps an exaggeration. Of course, one must wonder why any ideology that paints the US and specifically US whites as the enemy would be taught in schools, the military, or at corporations - since the purpose of those institutions in general is to further or promote the interests of America and Americans, including of course white Americans. So why promulgate as real or true an ideology that undercuts the purpose of the educational institutions, military or business organization? If CRT is true, then everything the military does to further or at least protect US interests is wrong.
Likewise, one must ask what benefit such teachings based on prejudice could be to children - and so, at this point at least, from what I have gathered about CRT, I would be inclined to agree with the author and those that are opposed to CRT teachings in elementary school. It is possible white children may end up with an inferiority complex and the anti-white doctrine could be used by non-white bullies to justify hateful behavior toward white children. Most little kids are not prejudiced; why teach them an ideology based on prejudice?
CRT or diversity and inclusivity training of adults is different than training or teaching children the same doctrine, because children are much less skeptical and may in fact embrace the simplistic and essentially false analysis as ¨true." They may not be in a position intellectually to evaluate or consider it rationally, given their fewer years of education and life experience, and so all they will hear is - Whites bad, Blacks good. Which is of course ridiculous on so many levels - for example, it discounts the fact that hundreds of thousands of Union Army soldiers the vast majority who were white died to ensure that blacks were no longer slaves. Were those white Civil War Union Army dead also ¨bad?¨
Children may not know enough American history in elementary school to put the teaching of CRT into perspective - especially if the teaching isn´t counterbalanced by lessons in brotherhood and equality. And unfortunately, the doctrine may be twisted into an even more simplistic and hateful version by some students and then used to justify bullying or even violence against the white pupils, who are all ¨bad¨ according to CRT simply by virtue of being white.
By and large, I think Lohmeier has some good points about the origin of CRT as an outgrowth of Marxism. Both ideologies are simplistic - which is why neither can be taken too seriously, especially after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
But not everyone will come to that conclusion which is why each ideology, Marxism or CRT, if it is presented at school or work, must be contextualized. The truth is prejudice is wrong, be it against the rich/bourgeoisie, the blacks, the Jews, the Catholics, the Protestants, or the whites. Or you can list any other group you can think of - gays, Asians, Hutus, Muslims. Prejudice is always wrong because it simplifies complexity and therefore distorts the truth that people within each group are different: There are good blacks and there are bad blacks. There are likewise good whites and bad whites.
Skin color isn't the key to identity - people don't just consist of their two dimensional skin, or the color of their skin - as if they are color coded index cards that can be shuffled into exclusive categories.
Reductionism is what Marxism, CRT, and even Nazism all have in common: Reducing human complexity to one attribute - class, race, or religion. It is always wrong to view society through any such polarizing and false prism, as if everyone can be put into neat categories, as if complexity
doesn´t exist.
In the end, all of these ideologies promote prejudice - which is another way of saying, simplification of complexity. These simplistic and false ideologies are used by self-serving and cynical politicians to gain control over masses (usually the uneducated or easily swayed) for certain political or economic goals (as described above) that boil down to personal gain or greed.
I would recommend the book - but the reader should use some discernment and take it with a grain of salt. The book perhaps could be read as part of a larger examination of current trends in the social sciences and current events.
Here are the quotes:
¨Newspapers across the country are establishing initiatives to revise old news articles that reflect unfavorably on ¨public figures΅and ¨disproportionately impact people of color.¨ The Boston Globe, for example, announced that its ¨Fresh Start¨ initiative allows people to request past stories be updated or anonymized, eliminating stains that may prove embarrassing if left in the record.¨
¨Of the many references to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution made throughout the [1619] project´s essays, none are positive or complimentary; they are referred to only with criticism and contempt.¨
¨Race and identity-based politics become the prominent dividing line between Americans when the American story is left in the slippery hands of these employees at the Times´ Ministry of Truth. As some of America's most prominent academic historians from across the political spectrum have asserted: this is not history, it is ideology. It is false.¨
¨And while [Hannah-Jones´] ... race-based fantasy has garnered the attention of many critics, it has also secured the support of other groups who share her radical political agenda--groups such as the National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest teachers union, and a Marxist group called Black Lives Matter at School, among others.¨
¨Why is it, do you think, that Marxist education organizations are interested in getting the 1619 Project into the hands of as many Americans as possible?¨
¨[The 1619 mythology] ... will reach millions of Americans who never heard of the original [hateful/prejudiced] 1619 Project, but who are swept up in its endless reverberations that wash over popular culture.¨
¨[The 1776 Report] ... does not turn a blind eye to the messes and troubles of America's past, as asserted by its critics, but rather emphasizes how understanding and learning from our past mistakes empowers us to live up to our founding ideals.¨
¨As a commander of young military professionals, all of whom have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution, I became concerned that race-based identity politics would erode the trust and confidence these young people have in their country and in the Constitution.¨
¨The proliferation of Marxist narratives about America-- or, at very least, narratives that Marxist activists utilize because they effectively divide the country-- in combination with the collective sin of ingratitude, magnifies our divisions and resentments as a society.¨
¨The Declaration maintains that human rights are self-evident and result from a natural endowment belonging to every individual. No one, therefore, has an inherent right to rule or govern other sovereign individuals.¨
Lohmeier suggests that CRT was developed in the wake of the collapse of communism in E. Europe around 30 years ago, by left-wing academics who had to find some new way to attack their favored enemy, capitalism, and specifically get at the beating heart of capitalism the USA. Communism did not manage to bring down the USA or capitalism, but if the new theory, CRT, might, then they were all for it. Hence the acceptance of CRT in the academy, because the academy strongly tilts left and CRT may be seen as the latest attempt to bring down the hated capitalism/USA.
Since the current furor over CRT ¨ideology¨ in trainings in the corporate world and the military is bound to continue to roil society and the electorate for the foreseeable future, so I picked up this book thinking I might get some insight into the controversy from the conservative perspective. Is this book purely right-wing propaganda? Not exactly, although clearly it is written from a right-wing point of view. Is it unduly alarmist? Probably. Yet, even so, reading it has some value in that it does give some insight into why many Americans - of all races - might be alarmed by the new darling of the academy, CRT.
One of the many unfortunate things about CRT at least as I understand it, is that white folks of today, no matter how well-meaning or liberal they may be, are branded as wrong or racist (apparently) because of ¨white privilege¨ which is handed down through the generations. This is a singular fallacy and whether the proponents of CRT realize it or not, exactly mirrors the unfortunate prejudice vs. blacks - the sad judgment that people can be categorized or sized up based on skin color or race alone. And so, because of this prejudice, for much of American history, blacks were commonly brushed aside as if they were automatically ¨bad¨ purely by reason of their skin color or race. The racial discrimination was prevalent in housing, employment - it now illegal. As far as education was concerned, it was very marked; and by now, the sad truth is school systems have re-segregated - a defacto reversal of the desegregation gains of 50 years ago. Prejudice was based on many socio economic factors - sadly, it was all in the end unfair prejudice and exactly what Martin Luther King protested against: Judging people by their skin color is wrong. Judge them instead by the content of their character.
Well, CRT reverses the traditional ¨equality¨ ideology of civil rights and does posit judging people based on their skin color or race; evidently, all whites suffer from some form of racism and therefore must struggle to be anti-racist. But not so blacks - or any other non-white group. But what about multi-racial individuals? Thus, under CRT, just as in the days of widespread prejudice, people are once again unfortunately categorized according to their skin color - exactly what the civil rights activists of 50 or 60 years ago didn´t want. CRT makes it socially acceptable to adopt irrational prejudice as a world-view and thus hearkens back to some extremely evil ideologies that did violently galvanize populations in the tragic prior century.
Sadly, any rather facile binary explanation in either ideology (Marxism or CRT) - such as, the bourgeoisie is always bad and is the source of the world´s ills, or, the whites are always bad and are the source of the world´s ills - can easily be turned to extremely evil ends, as we have seen with Nazism´s very similar scapegoating of the Jews, blaming them for the world´s ills.
The fact is, all of these ideologies share a shocking similarity in that they all impose the distorted prism of prejudice, social simplification based on hate or fear, as the explanation for all the world´s socio economic ills. The catastrophes of the 20th C should have led to the assimilation of the reality that prejudice of any sort, against any group, is obviously exactly what no-one should want. It is never ¨correct¨ or ¨OK" - even in the name of seeking justice for social inequality, for example, or social revolution. Prejudice should never be used as a means to achieve a perceived social good such as land reform - because the result is inevitably mass and uncontrollable violence.
Therefore, any ideology based on prejudice is not only evil in and of itself, but it also is extremely simplistic and lazy, in that it purports to ¨solve¨ complexity with simple binaries. The truth about the origin of social problems is much more complex and nuanced - but crowds unfortunately aren´t swayed with complexity, and so politicians will reach for ¨snappy, exciting¨ simplistic arguments rather than ¨dull, considered¨ reasoned arguments that tackle complexity. Slogans after all can never be complex - enraged crowds have no time or inclination to understand complex concepts. Explications do not make for sound bites, or applause lines.
The tendency of one group to blame another group ¨for everything that's wrong with society¨ goes back a long way; sadly, it has led to pogroms and the Holocaust; also the national tragic phenomenon of mass lynchings of blacks (and some whites) in the post Civil War era. With respect to the Russian Revolution, Marxism was used as the ideological justification for crackdowns on rich peasants in the dekulakization drive - which resulted in countless dead; there are many other examples of mass deaths due to famine, killing, and so forth that can be found in most communist revolutions. Yet once society has crashed and everything loses its value, poverty and starvation sets in. The collapse of society does not lead to any sort of ¨paradise¨ - quite the opposite.
The solution isn´t expropriation and elimination of the bourgeoisie as if they were the problem all along, they were the reason for all social ills. Any mass movement that seeks to eliminate another group - be it based on class, religious affiliation, or race - is wrong; and no doubt most times has its basis in avarice, or the wish to obtain the supposed benefits/social position/wealth of the targeted group; that is, the basis of revolution is usually an uprising of an excluded or down-trodden class or group, but not for any idealistic reasons (such as liberty, fraternity, equality) at all - the real reason is self-interest, greed, and the wish to become the new influential and wealthy elite group or class. Eventually, and inevitably, the new elite is itself overthrown by the next class or group that grows restive over the lack of social mobility and the difficulty of climbing the socio economic ladder to wealth.
Therefore, CRT is, in a way, the ideological justification for inter-communal conflict - at least that is what it seems like to me; the target being not the bourgeoisie or the rich, but the whites, the supposed socio economic ¨winners¨ who have triumphed over, or exploit not the proletariat, but the blacks.
The ideology is of course simplistic and weak, since there are many equally exploited, oppressed, and poor whites, and society by now includes many multiracial individuals who cannot be put into any particular racial category whatsoever. Thus in a highly diverse society such as ours where hundreds of millions of poor whites are hardly in a position to exploit or oppress anyone of any race given the level of misery they are suffering, CRT is unlikely to gain many adherents. Although as an easy-to-understand ¨catchy¨ pseudo-critique it is sure to find takers among less discerning people of all races, who are seeking perhaps an ¨instant¨ explanation for all that is wrong with society today (poverty, crime, ignorance, etc).
So I am not sure CRT is going to be taken seriously or influence many adults, which is why the alarmist outcry against it being presented in the military or at corporations is perhaps an exaggeration. Of course, one must wonder why any ideology that paints the US and specifically US whites as the enemy would be taught in schools, the military, or at corporations - since the purpose of those institutions in general is to further or promote the interests of America and Americans, including of course white Americans. So why promulgate as real or true an ideology that undercuts the purpose of the educational institutions, military or business organization? If CRT is true, then everything the military does to further or at least protect US interests is wrong.
Likewise, one must ask what benefit such teachings based on prejudice could be to children - and so, at this point at least, from what I have gathered about CRT, I would be inclined to agree with the author and those that are opposed to CRT teachings in elementary school. It is possible white children may end up with an inferiority complex and the anti-white doctrine could be used by non-white bullies to justify hateful behavior toward white children. Most little kids are not prejudiced; why teach them an ideology based on prejudice?
CRT or diversity and inclusivity training of adults is different than training or teaching children the same doctrine, because children are much less skeptical and may in fact embrace the simplistic and essentially false analysis as ¨true." They may not be in a position intellectually to evaluate or consider it rationally, given their fewer years of education and life experience, and so all they will hear is - Whites bad, Blacks good. Which is of course ridiculous on so many levels - for example, it discounts the fact that hundreds of thousands of Union Army soldiers the vast majority who were white died to ensure that blacks were no longer slaves. Were those white Civil War Union Army dead also ¨bad?¨
Children may not know enough American history in elementary school to put the teaching of CRT into perspective - especially if the teaching isn´t counterbalanced by lessons in brotherhood and equality. And unfortunately, the doctrine may be twisted into an even more simplistic and hateful version by some students and then used to justify bullying or even violence against the white pupils, who are all ¨bad¨ according to CRT simply by virtue of being white.
By and large, I think Lohmeier has some good points about the origin of CRT as an outgrowth of Marxism. Both ideologies are simplistic - which is why neither can be taken too seriously, especially after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
But not everyone will come to that conclusion which is why each ideology, Marxism or CRT, if it is presented at school or work, must be contextualized. The truth is prejudice is wrong, be it against the rich/bourgeoisie, the blacks, the Jews, the Catholics, the Protestants, or the whites. Or you can list any other group you can think of - gays, Asians, Hutus, Muslims. Prejudice is always wrong because it simplifies complexity and therefore distorts the truth that people within each group are different: There are good blacks and there are bad blacks. There are likewise good whites and bad whites.
Skin color isn't the key to identity - people don't just consist of their two dimensional skin, or the color of their skin - as if they are color coded index cards that can be shuffled into exclusive categories.
Reductionism is what Marxism, CRT, and even Nazism all have in common: Reducing human complexity to one attribute - class, race, or religion. It is always wrong to view society through any such polarizing and false prism, as if everyone can be put into neat categories, as if complexity
doesn´t exist.
In the end, all of these ideologies promote prejudice - which is another way of saying, simplification of complexity. These simplistic and false ideologies are used by self-serving and cynical politicians to gain control over masses (usually the uneducated or easily swayed) for certain political or economic goals (as described above) that boil down to personal gain or greed.
I would recommend the book - but the reader should use some discernment and take it with a grain of salt. The book perhaps could be read as part of a larger examination of current trends in the social sciences and current events.
Here are the quotes:
¨Newspapers across the country are establishing initiatives to revise old news articles that reflect unfavorably on ¨public figures΅and ¨disproportionately impact people of color.¨ The Boston Globe, for example, announced that its ¨Fresh Start¨ initiative allows people to request past stories be updated or anonymized, eliminating stains that may prove embarrassing if left in the record.¨
¨Of the many references to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution made throughout the [1619] project´s essays, none are positive or complimentary; they are referred to only with criticism and contempt.¨
¨Race and identity-based politics become the prominent dividing line between Americans when the American story is left in the slippery hands of these employees at the Times´ Ministry of Truth. As some of America's most prominent academic historians from across the political spectrum have asserted: this is not history, it is ideology. It is false.¨
¨And while [Hannah-Jones´] ... race-based fantasy has garnered the attention of many critics, it has also secured the support of other groups who share her radical political agenda--groups such as the National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest teachers union, and a Marxist group called Black Lives Matter at School, among others.¨
¨Why is it, do you think, that Marxist education organizations are interested in getting the 1619 Project into the hands of as many Americans as possible?¨
¨[The 1619 mythology] ... will reach millions of Americans who never heard of the original [hateful/prejudiced] 1619 Project, but who are swept up in its endless reverberations that wash over popular culture.¨
¨[The 1776 Report] ... does not turn a blind eye to the messes and troubles of America's past, as asserted by its critics, but rather emphasizes how understanding and learning from our past mistakes empowers us to live up to our founding ideals.¨
¨As a commander of young military professionals, all of whom have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution, I became concerned that race-based identity politics would erode the trust and confidence these young people have in their country and in the Constitution.¨
¨The proliferation of Marxist narratives about America-- or, at very least, narratives that Marxist activists utilize because they effectively divide the country-- in combination with the collective sin of ingratitude, magnifies our divisions and resentments as a society.¨
¨The Declaration maintains that human rights are self-evident and result from a natural endowment belonging to every individual. No one, therefore, has an inherent right to rule or govern other sovereign individuals.¨
May 18, 2021
Truth
Courageous stand for the truth in an era of cancel culture. Thank you Lt. Col. Lohmeier your sacrifice is appreciated.
Courageous stand for the truth in an era of cancel culture. Thank you Lt. Col. Lohmeier your sacrifice is appreciated.
August 18, 2022
"This book is largely about Marxism, something that is ugly and which can even be appropriately associated with evil aims and ends. But it is unlikely the reader will fully appreciate or see its ugliness for what it is unless this book begins with an examination of something that is beautiful and right—something Marxism seeks to dismantle, disrupt, and destroy..."
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last ~5+ years, you have likely encountered the Irresistible Revolution currently making its way through academia, the corporate world, and even the military. Forced diversity training, cancel culture, discriminatory hiring policies, and now efforts to spread this ideology to our Armed Forces. What's going on here??
This book should serve as a sobering look into the current state of affairs in our broader culture.
Author Matthew Lohmeier was a respected active-duty commander in the newly formed US Space Force, until the publishing of this book in May 2021. For publishing and speaking about his book, then-Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier was relieved of his command and subjected to an Inspector General investigation launched from the Pentagon. He subsequently joined the nation’s biggest media personalities to discuss the proliferation of Marxist-rooted critical race theory (CRT) in the military and its divisive impact on the force and mission. Matt separated from active duty on September 1, 2021, and is now a highly sought public speaker and private consultant on matters of Marxist ideology and tactics, CRT, the betterment of military culture, and the preservation of our liberties.
Matthew Lohmeier:
Lohmeier lays out the scope of the book in the intro. He talks about the encroachment of Marxist ideology into the Armed Forces of The United States, as well as corporate culture and academia. Buttressing the thesis of this book is the fact that the author was terminated from his position for his writing here.
He writes in a straightforward, matter-of-fact manner that effectively communicates with the reader.
The formatting of the book was also well done. Lohmeier begins each chapter with an excerpt from his own personal experience, before bringing some relevant macro-historical background to the reader.
The concept of neo-Marxism is at the heart of the writing here. This Marxism has been rebranded for the West in the form of Critical Race Theory (CRT), which is an offshoot of Critical Theory, an idea first promulgated by the Frankfurt School in Germany; Herbert Marcuse being a lead proponent of this line of thinking.
Gone are the traditional class struggles between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie of Marx's day, and even the peasant vs. landlord/kulak of Mao and Stalin's time. Race has now served as a proxy for these distinctions, with "whites" representing the overclass, and "people of colour" representing the oppressed underclass.
Lohmeier calls out Marxism as an extremist ideology, and says that the military has rules about service members and extremism:
However, despite these rules, this destructive ideology has still found its way into the upper echelons of the Armed Forces. He writes of his experience at the newly formed Space Force:
Undergirding these ideas is an attack on the foundational ethos of The United States of America:
Some more of what is covered here by Lohmeier includes:
• The revisionist history of The New York Times’ “1619 Project.”
• The President’s Advisory 1776 Commission.
• Marxism's goal of conquest; the parallels of Mao's Cultural Revolution with current politics.
• The historic roots of Marxist thought; Buonarroti, Malthus, Hegel.
• Marx and Engel's book The Communist Manifesto.
• Postmodernism and Political Correctness.
• The aforementioned Frankfurt School; Herbert Marcuse.
• Critical Legal Theory and Critical Race Theory.
• Diversity & Inclusion Training within the government agencies.
• The Black Lives Matter movement; Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The encroachment of Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi racist "anti-racist" ideology into governmental agencies.
• Servicemember Social [Media] Activists.
• An epilogue, where he talks about the hyperbolic rhetoric employed by those describing the Jan 6th Capital building fiasco as an "insurrection."
• Fratricidal and Genocidal Warfare.
Largely ignored by the apathetic masses as agents of positive change, many of these neo-Marxists seek to overturn modern society and remake it in their utopian vision. And if there's one thing you should know about utopian visions; it is that they never work. Man is a deeply flawed creature, and human nature is not conducive to utopias. The "cost" vs. "benefit" scale of these pie-in-the-sky ideas is infinitely weighted towards the "benefit" side of the equation when chasing utopia, and the resulting wholesale human misery weighing down the other end will never be enough to offset the drive towards a perfect society.
This is the importance of having a free society, with a balanced and healthy bipartisan system. A society where free and open discourse is encouraged; throughout all its institutions.
Ideology tends to partake in purity spirals if left unchecked, and mankind's greatest atrocities have resulted from these very spirals. Sadly, most people are historically illiterate, and miss the lessons that history teaches...
Lohmeier wraps up the book with some decent writing, where he encourages the reader to avoid the trappings of political tribalism and partisan hatred, which have historically led to violent conflict and civil wars.
He encourages the reader to reject group-based identity politicking and group-based discrimination, and advocates for individualism and meritocracy. While easier said than done, I agree. Good stuff.
***************************
I enjoyed Irresistible Revolution. And although I was already familiar with most of the material presented here, the reader somewhat detached from the modern culture war is sure to find this one an illuminating (and terrifying) read.
4 stars.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last ~5+ years, you have likely encountered the Irresistible Revolution currently making its way through academia, the corporate world, and even the military. Forced diversity training, cancel culture, discriminatory hiring policies, and now efforts to spread this ideology to our Armed Forces. What's going on here??
This book should serve as a sobering look into the current state of affairs in our broader culture.
Author Matthew Lohmeier was a respected active-duty commander in the newly formed US Space Force, until the publishing of this book in May 2021. For publishing and speaking about his book, then-Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier was relieved of his command and subjected to an Inspector General investigation launched from the Pentagon. He subsequently joined the nation’s biggest media personalities to discuss the proliferation of Marxist-rooted critical race theory (CRT) in the military and its divisive impact on the force and mission. Matt separated from active duty on September 1, 2021, and is now a highly sought public speaker and private consultant on matters of Marxist ideology and tactics, CRT, the betterment of military culture, and the preservation of our liberties.
Matthew Lohmeier:
Lohmeier lays out the scope of the book in the intro. He talks about the encroachment of Marxist ideology into the Armed Forces of The United States, as well as corporate culture and academia. Buttressing the thesis of this book is the fact that the author was terminated from his position for his writing here.
He writes in a straightforward, matter-of-fact manner that effectively communicates with the reader.
The formatting of the book was also well done. Lohmeier begins each chapter with an excerpt from his own personal experience, before bringing some relevant macro-historical background to the reader.
The concept of neo-Marxism is at the heart of the writing here. This Marxism has been rebranded for the West in the form of Critical Race Theory (CRT), which is an offshoot of Critical Theory, an idea first promulgated by the Frankfurt School in Germany; Herbert Marcuse being a lead proponent of this line of thinking.
Gone are the traditional class struggles between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie of Marx's day, and even the peasant vs. landlord/kulak of Mao and Stalin's time. Race has now served as a proxy for these distinctions, with "whites" representing the overclass, and "people of colour" representing the oppressed underclass.
Lohmeier calls out Marxism as an extremist ideology, and says that the military has rules about service members and extremism:
"Marxism and Marxist organizations constitute a form of extremism, at least from the American perspective and as defined in Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1325.06, Handling Dissident and Protest Activities Among Members of the Armed Forces. In that short, ten-page Instruction, military personnel are prohibited from advocating or participating in extremist “doctrine, ideology, or causes,” such as those that “advance, encourage, or advocate illegal discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, religion, ethnicity, or national origin or those that advance, encourage, or advocate the use of force, violence, or criminal activity or otherwise advance efforts to deprive individuals of their civil rights.” The same Instruction goes on to state that military personnel “must reject” active participation in such ideologies and causes."
However, despite these rules, this destructive ideology has still found its way into the upper echelons of the Armed Forces. He writes of his experience at the newly formed Space Force:
"I WAS SURPRISED BY WHAT I ENCOUNTERED last year after taking command of an operational squadron in the Space Force. During my first month in command, military professionals across the base—predominantly Air and Space Force personnel—were asked by base leadership to watch two videos in preparation for a “virtual wingman day,” during which trained facilitators would mediate discussions on race and inclusion. This, in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.
The first video the base was asked to watch portrays American history as fraught with racism from 1619 till the present—“400 years of white supremacy,” is how the film’s director describes it. The film teaches that the US Constitution codified a racist social order intended to allow whites to remain in power and subjugate and oppress blacks, and that we as a nation have never escaped from that foundation of racism. Further, that upon ratification of the Constitution, “white supremacy was now the official policy of the United States of America.” At one point, reference is made to former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and it is asserted that because the mentality of white supremacy has become engrained in our nation’s psyche, he, and other whites like him, do not want blacks “to get too far.” The idea is that the racism of these white people is true whether they recognize it or not. They simply cannot help it.
The second video portrays Republican politicians as racist, claiming, for example, that George Bush won his election by causing Americans to fear black people, and also showing clips of Donald Trump before the 2016 election that cast him in a negative light, insinuating that he has fueled systemic racism in America. Later in the video, President Trump (who was President and commander in chief both at the time the video was created as well as when it was distributed to the base) is cast in a terrible light—and out of context—directly implying that he enjoys oppressing blacks and keeping minorities in an inferior status. Democrat politicians, on the other hand, are portrayed as aiding the black community. There are favorable clips of Barack Obama, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, who all had, at least as depicted in the video, undoubtedly contributed greatly to the eradication of anti-black racism and the systemic oppression of the black community at large. The video also contains clips of an interview with Marxist activist Melina Abdullah (organizer of the Black Lives Matter, Los Angeles chapter) whose comments are intended to build a suitably unfavorable narrative about American history so as to justify—and demonstrate sympathy for— violent riots in the United States. Throughout the film, the United States is referred to as a “system of oppression.”
As a commander of young military professionals, all of whom have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution, I became concerned that race-based identity politics would erode the trust and confidence these young people have in their country and in the Constitution. These same ideologically fueled narratives have continued to appear in various forums on base ever since. And, as will be seen throughout the book, my base is not unique. These destructive narratives are spreading rapidly across US military bases and service academies everywhere."
Undergirding these ideas is an attack on the foundational ethos of The United States of America:
"THERE ARE EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO DESTROY America’s cultural identity and traditional values. That much is clear in Chapter 1. As a result of those efforts, many in our country are becoming ungrateful for America’s founding principles. Partly, this is a result of the fact that it has become socially unacceptable to express gratitude or praise for the things that have made America exceptional. To praise American exceptionalism is to be labeled something mean—someone suffixed by a “-phobic” or an “-ist,” because to praise America is to belong to those vicious classes of people who are imperialists, racists, brutal capitalists, those who are oppressors, they who are everything that is wrong with society.
But those labels are lies.
It is reminiscent of a time not long ago when to praise even the quality of the roads in America was to earn one the label of “liar” in the Soviet Union and be sentenced to ten years in prison.49 The same spirit has infiltrated American society. At the moment, we have a choice to not participate in that spirit."
Some more of what is covered here by Lohmeier includes:
• The revisionist history of The New York Times’ “1619 Project.”
• The President’s Advisory 1776 Commission.
• Marxism's goal of conquest; the parallels of Mao's Cultural Revolution with current politics.
• The historic roots of Marxist thought; Buonarroti, Malthus, Hegel.
• Marx and Engel's book The Communist Manifesto.
• Postmodernism and Political Correctness.
• The aforementioned Frankfurt School; Herbert Marcuse.
• Critical Legal Theory and Critical Race Theory.
• Diversity & Inclusion Training within the government agencies.
• The Black Lives Matter movement; Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The encroachment of Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi racist "anti-racist" ideology into governmental agencies.
• Servicemember Social [Media] Activists.
• An epilogue, where he talks about the hyperbolic rhetoric employed by those describing the Jan 6th Capital building fiasco as an "insurrection."
• Fratricidal and Genocidal Warfare.
Largely ignored by the apathetic masses as agents of positive change, many of these neo-Marxists seek to overturn modern society and remake it in their utopian vision. And if there's one thing you should know about utopian visions; it is that they never work. Man is a deeply flawed creature, and human nature is not conducive to utopias. The "cost" vs. "benefit" scale of these pie-in-the-sky ideas is infinitely weighted towards the "benefit" side of the equation when chasing utopia, and the resulting wholesale human misery weighing down the other end will never be enough to offset the drive towards a perfect society.
This is the importance of having a free society, with a balanced and healthy bipartisan system. A society where free and open discourse is encouraged; throughout all its institutions.
Ideology tends to partake in purity spirals if left unchecked, and mankind's greatest atrocities have resulted from these very spirals. Sadly, most people are historically illiterate, and miss the lessons that history teaches...
Lohmeier wraps up the book with some decent writing, where he encourages the reader to avoid the trappings of political tribalism and partisan hatred, which have historically led to violent conflict and civil wars.
He encourages the reader to reject group-based identity politicking and group-based discrimination, and advocates for individualism and meritocracy. While easier said than done, I agree. Good stuff.
***************************
I enjoyed Irresistible Revolution. And although I was already familiar with most of the material presented here, the reader somewhat detached from the modern culture war is sure to find this one an illuminating (and terrifying) read.
4 stars.
May 25, 2021
The Epitome of an Excellent Commander
This book exemplifies what I have always loved most about the US Air Force: competent, intelligent, kind people who know what and why they are doing. It is what is truly great about America. In Matthew Lohmeier you find a man who epitomizes what the Air Force wants in a squadron commander: someone willing to work long and hard to understand his Airmen; to provide what they need to flourish in their jobs and in their lives; to champion their cause of excellence no matter their skin color or family background; to take care of his people so they can take care of the mission; to rise as a champion to protect them from danger. He has done all these things by writing this book. I am grateful he made the effort, and you will be to after you've read this excellent work.
This book exemplifies what I have always loved most about the US Air Force: competent, intelligent, kind people who know what and why they are doing. It is what is truly great about America. In Matthew Lohmeier you find a man who epitomizes what the Air Force wants in a squadron commander: someone willing to work long and hard to understand his Airmen; to provide what they need to flourish in their jobs and in their lives; to champion their cause of excellence no matter their skin color or family background; to take care of his people so they can take care of the mission; to rise as a champion to protect them from danger. He has done all these things by writing this book. I am grateful he made the effort, and you will be to after you've read this excellent work.
May 25, 2021
Scary
Before purchasing,I reviewed the other comments. I found them all frivolous. I was worried that I was setting myself to a project full of unfounded propaganda. The first two chapters are boring as they are ponderous listings and citations to the actual words of Marxist revolutionaries. It was scary to see their duplication and mimicry of words being blasted by the various news channels of today. With me, Colonel Lohmeier is talking to the choir. I hate it, however, when names are applied, and then criticised as a group. To me, the Marxist was a philosopher espousing an economic and social philosophy that has been repeatedly found to be a failure, such as in pilgrim's progress. The revolutionary form was known to me to be communism. It was against communism that I swore an oath as it espoused a bloody revolution and destruction of the American principle of government. Obviously, it is no different simply because the names have changed. A rose is still a rose no matter it's name. In the later chapters, Colonel Lohmeier names impassioned as he draws upon more current happenings, and the book becomes more interesting. he discusses the bureaucracy that is violating its own rules of conduct, and is teaching racism as a better world view to the gradual enforcement of equality that it has taken so many years to develop. For the fact that one is taught that there is a difference in skin color that one should take note, isn't that racism? If one is to note that people are different in the work place by reason of something other than their merit, isn't that invidious discrimination? I have made every effort in my life to view others through color blind lenses. Why must I submit to accusations that I'm a racist? I did nothing against you based upon your skin. Don't lump me with that other guy who hurt your feelings because he did. This attitude does not foster cooperation, and it does not allow for the hurt feelings to disappear as the conduct is not supported, and eventually withers away through lack of being allowed to occur. Colonel Lohmeier makes his point that critical race theory is simply worrying at the wound caused by discrimination, and causing it to fester and become malignant. It has no place in the development of a soldier of a free country.
Before purchasing,I reviewed the other comments. I found them all frivolous. I was worried that I was setting myself to a project full of unfounded propaganda. The first two chapters are boring as they are ponderous listings and citations to the actual words of Marxist revolutionaries. It was scary to see their duplication and mimicry of words being blasted by the various news channels of today. With me, Colonel Lohmeier is talking to the choir. I hate it, however, when names are applied, and then criticised as a group. To me, the Marxist was a philosopher espousing an economic and social philosophy that has been repeatedly found to be a failure, such as in pilgrim's progress. The revolutionary form was known to me to be communism. It was against communism that I swore an oath as it espoused a bloody revolution and destruction of the American principle of government. Obviously, it is no different simply because the names have changed. A rose is still a rose no matter it's name. In the later chapters, Colonel Lohmeier names impassioned as he draws upon more current happenings, and the book becomes more interesting. he discusses the bureaucracy that is violating its own rules of conduct, and is teaching racism as a better world view to the gradual enforcement of equality that it has taken so many years to develop. For the fact that one is taught that there is a difference in skin color that one should take note, isn't that racism? If one is to note that people are different in the work place by reason of something other than their merit, isn't that invidious discrimination? I have made every effort in my life to view others through color blind lenses. Why must I submit to accusations that I'm a racist? I did nothing against you based upon your skin. Don't lump me with that other guy who hurt your feelings because he did. This attitude does not foster cooperation, and it does not allow for the hurt feelings to disappear as the conduct is not supported, and eventually withers away through lack of being allowed to occur. Colonel Lohmeier makes his point that critical race theory is simply worrying at the wound caused by discrimination, and causing it to fester and become malignant. It has no place in the development of a soldier of a free country.
June 20, 2021
This book helped me gain an understanding of Critical Race Theory, the 1619 project, Black Lives Matter and their foundations in Marxism. Excellent explanations of the history of Marxism and it's aims which are counter to everything we hold dear as Americans. I now understand better why I have witnessed BLM advocates call for the destruction of America and follow through with this via looting violence, and the destruction of history - all while public officials let them violate the law with no repercussions. To be honest, this whole issue is much worse and more nefarious than I had previously realized. Lohmeier is an excellent writer and footnotes his statements well. He includes an excellent reading list at the end of the work, more resources that I can follow-up on. Although from the title this is written about military personnel, the issues raised are relevant to current conflicts we are facing with cancel culture and big tech censorship. If you are a conservative, this work will help you understand why progressives think the way they do. I you are a progressive, you need to understand that much of what you support has the end goal of total societal destruction and civil war. We must standup to woke culture and call out it's origins and foundations which are rooted in marxism/communism/socialism. These ideologies have been responsible for the greatest genocide in human history.
July 2, 2021
Heart of a Partriot
The heartfelt stories of men and women in the military who are disallusioned with the current mindset of military leadership were disheartening. These brave men and women join and serve with the best of intentions and patriotism. Leadership is cutting them off at the knees. This is book is a call to repentance and restored belief in the ideals of what our country were founded on. The Great Awakeenings in the 1700s lead to the foundations of our nation. Coming back to that faith is the only hope of America.
The heartfelt stories of men and women in the military who are disallusioned with the current mindset of military leadership were disheartening. These brave men and women join and serve with the best of intentions and patriotism. Leadership is cutting them off at the knees. This is book is a call to repentance and restored belief in the ideals of what our country were founded on. The Great Awakeenings in the 1700s lead to the foundations of our nation. Coming back to that faith is the only hope of America.
August 6, 2021
I have a great deal of respect for this young officer who had the fortitude and conviction to write this book and publish it, during a time when he certainly knew that it would end his military career. I myself wrote two high-profile articles in 1989 medical journals suggesting that the army get out of the boxing business, and ended my active duty career also as a lieutenant colonel. I must freely confess that I totally agree with this author’s conclusion that much of the controversial ideology such as Critical Race Theory is being promoted in the current military is based on century-old Marxist. When I read Lohmeier’s book I think of the West Point graduate, Spenser Rapone, who wore a Che Guevara T-shirt under his uniform jacket, and a sign “Communism will win” inside his cap to his graduation. Rapone, then 26, left the military with an other-than-honorable discharge over his "unbecoming" conduct at the famed United States Military Academy in New York state, reported Jun 19, 2018. I certainly would not have foreseen the fact that he was merely a few short years ahead of “his time.” Lohmeier has researched this book extensively and it is well documented with footnotes. Parents are beginning to “fight” CRT at the local school boards. Who is there (maybe the AOG Association of Graduates) to critique the content of this seditious ideology that is being taught to our current military academy under-graduates. The mission of our current military seems no longer to be “to win our wars.” GENERAL OF THE ARMIES Douglas MacArthur gave a memorable speech to the Corps of Cadets at the US Military Academy at West Point, NY, May 12, 1962, in accepting the Thayer Award, saying “and through all this welter of change and development your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable. It is to win our wars. Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication. All other public purposes, all other public projects, all other public needs, great or small, will find others for their accomplishment, but you are the ones who are trained to fight. Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory, that if you lose, the Nation will be destroyed.” Most disturbing for me is the authors very clear parallel between what is going on today in the US military and the CCP Cultural Revolution. Congratulations to NOW LtCol (retired) Lohmeier for having the courage to stand up for his personal conviction. I left military service in 2015 after more than 40 years, and when I left in 2015, the PC political correct initiatives were just starting to take hold. Agree with the reviews who note the “bad reviews” from non-veterans pushing social justice motives with the US military I agree with the other reviewer that he is the current military generation’s Billy Mitchell. But I also admit that this “division” presenting itself in the US military shouldn’t be a surprise when we see the exact stark division in the civilian sector, where the current generation of recruits are coming from. Lohmeier is indeed a hero in bringing the current “condition” of the US military to the attention of the GAP (Great American Public.) Lohmeier does take the equivalent of USN TopGun aim at the antagonistic narratives about America. My concern is that the US is perhaps too far down this road, both in the civilian sector and the US military to turn around – equivalent to turning around the Titanic after sighting the iceberg.
January 3, 2024
As a 26 yr retired Naval Officer I can attest to eye witness accounts of these Marxist ideologies creeping into the military. Very enlightening and at the same time frightening!
September 13, 2021
Air Force Academy graduates are leaving the military as soon as possible because
The Military Leadership Diversity Commission is turning, training the U.S. military so that it can be used against us. Matthew Lohmeier's book describes how base chaplains and ubiquitous training programs are embedding Marxism IEDs and hurling Critical Race Theory grenades into all branches of the military.
Who should read:
Current and former military
Military supporters
You must learn how domestic enemies are transforming the world's finest fighting force.
Why read:
To urge your congressmen to stop the Marxist indoctrination undermining the military.
This book isn’t hopeful. It's a good beginning Marxist primer and an easy read.
If you prefer to skip the philosophy and history, go to Part 3, Chapter 6 (page 123) for Marxism in the Military. Then go back and read Parts 1 and 2 on why that’s so damaging.
By the end, I am incredulous, frustrated, and MAD. How could they! Worse than Communist China and the Soviet Union, Americans are teaching selfless, brave, young people to hate the country they pledged to defend, and to resent their teammates and commanding officers. This reduces military readiness and forces out good, patriotic men and women.
Read it if you can stomach it; it's worse than I thought.
When you are done, ask yourself: to what end? Why weaken the military in this way? History shows that communist countries use their military forces against their own people. Easier done using angry, armed sheep.
Don’t read this book if you want to remain clueless.
Thank you, Mr. Lohmeier, for writing this book. I’m sorry you lost your job in Space Force. We need more like you in all areas of leadership. Maybe now you can lead in a different capacity.
Note: the book must have been rushed to print. There is no cover page or table of contents. Mr. Lohhmeier started writing December 2021 and published in summer 2021.
"They are tired of the Defense Department teaching servicemembers they are racist solely based on the color of their skin." (page 133)
The Military Leadership Diversity Commission is turning, training the U.S. military so that it can be used against us. Matthew Lohmeier's book describes how base chaplains and ubiquitous training programs are embedding Marxism IEDs and hurling Critical Race Theory grenades into all branches of the military.
"How did we get to the point as a country where we have cozied up to Marxism, and why can we not recognize our now-rapid slide into various Marxist schools of thought and forms of activism for what it is"
“…to borrow Hemingway’s clever phrase, ‘Gradually, then suddenly.’” (page 90)
Who should read:
Current and former military
Military supporters
You must learn how domestic enemies are transforming the world's finest fighting force.
Why read:
To urge your congressmen to stop the Marxist indoctrination undermining the military.
This book isn’t hopeful. It's a good beginning Marxist primer and an easy read.
If you prefer to skip the philosophy and history, go to Part 3, Chapter 6 (page 123) for Marxism in the Military. Then go back and read Parts 1 and 2 on why that’s so damaging.
By the end, I am incredulous, frustrated, and MAD. How could they! Worse than Communist China and the Soviet Union, Americans are teaching selfless, brave, young people to hate the country they pledged to defend, and to resent their teammates and commanding officers. This reduces military readiness and forces out good, patriotic men and women.
Read it if you can stomach it; it's worse than I thought.
When you are done, ask yourself: to what end? Why weaken the military in this way? History shows that communist countries use their military forces against their own people. Easier done using angry, armed sheep.
Don’t read this book if you want to remain clueless.
Thank you, Mr. Lohmeier, for writing this book. I’m sorry you lost your job in Space Force. We need more like you in all areas of leadership. Maybe now you can lead in a different capacity.
Note: the book must have been rushed to print. There is no cover page or table of contents. Mr. Lohhmeier started writing December 2021 and published in summer 2021.
Read
June 22, 2021Excellent read...the military, especially the AF Academy and its football coaches have lost focus and imho have gone rogue. They need to clean house....change out the command, fire the coaching staff, and get real...they are in business to protect our country and Constitution. From what I've read here (which led to further research) they couldn't be any further off task. Our tax dollars are going up in flame over some kids stuff foolishness...Only problem is the future of our country is at stake...
June 5, 2021
This book is a stark wakeup call to anyone living in America today. Government employees, politicians, military, and educators should take notice. We are responsible for defending the ideas America was founded on with equal rights of all men and women to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. History is artfully connected to current events in this timely book. Those who do not understand history and learn from it are doomed to repeat its events.
September 11, 2021
Author claims to be apolitical but is clearly political.
July 2, 2021
I was interested in this book after learning that the author had been fired as commander in the Space Force for writing it. When you consider some of the filth on social media that is allowed from other “approved” military leaders, it says everything about where our once great military is heading….in a hurry.
The information on the history of marxism was interesting (if a bit dry). I didn’t realize that marxism is not only anti-Christian, but truly evil; apparently satanic. That explains a lot. If your news source isn’t CNN or MSNBC, you’re aware of how organizations like BLM and Antifa are driving the agenda to topple capitalism along with everything our constitution stands for. Pushing CRT into our schools and military is just part of the plan to divide the country so that we fall apart from the inside. Knowing a number of active duty military, the good news is that the “wokeness” doesn’t extend to the actual soldiers (yet). But the more the leadership enables those concepts, it’s hard to believe it won’t eventually erode the rest. If your news source IS MSNBC or CNN or PBS or any of the main stream media, you probably think this whole marxism this is just a fringe conspiracy. Shame about that.
Wish this book was required reading for all Americans.
https://thefederalist.com/2021/06/30/...
The information on the history of marxism was interesting (if a bit dry). I didn’t realize that marxism is not only anti-Christian, but truly evil; apparently satanic. That explains a lot. If your news source isn’t CNN or MSNBC, you’re aware of how organizations like BLM and Antifa are driving the agenda to topple capitalism along with everything our constitution stands for. Pushing CRT into our schools and military is just part of the plan to divide the country so that we fall apart from the inside. Knowing a number of active duty military, the good news is that the “wokeness” doesn’t extend to the actual soldiers (yet). But the more the leadership enables those concepts, it’s hard to believe it won’t eventually erode the rest. If your news source IS MSNBC or CNN or PBS or any of the main stream media, you probably think this whole marxism this is just a fringe conspiracy. Shame about that.
Wish this book was required reading for all Americans.
https://thefederalist.com/2021/06/30/...
August 21, 2021
EXCEPTIONAL INSIGHT AND ADVICE FOR EVERYONE
Words cannot begin to express my high rating of this book! Commander Lohmeier was able to use common language and explain the advancing Marxist doctrine so the average person can understand it from its inception, as it grew in history and how it is likely to grow in the United States for every day citizens and the military.
I thought I was well versed on Marxist Doctrine but my knowledge was more limited than I thought. Reading this book and the references referred to in the book opened my eyes even further. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this for every American who has shook their heads about what has been going on in our world. Not only is the situation defined clearly but he gives a logical plan for each of us to follow so that we do not give Evil in this world further strength. Knowledge is power is a phrase i heard from my Dad who was an instructor in the Navy during WWII. To deal with Marxist philosophy we MUST understand it first and if we also learn about ourselves along the way we will be able to defend our Constitution and our Nation with Dignity and Respect as Our GOD and the Founding Fathers wanted.
Words cannot begin to express my high rating of this book! Commander Lohmeier was able to use common language and explain the advancing Marxist doctrine so the average person can understand it from its inception, as it grew in history and how it is likely to grow in the United States for every day citizens and the military.
I thought I was well versed on Marxist Doctrine but my knowledge was more limited than I thought. Reading this book and the references referred to in the book opened my eyes even further. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this for every American who has shook their heads about what has been going on in our world. Not only is the situation defined clearly but he gives a logical plan for each of us to follow so that we do not give Evil in this world further strength. Knowledge is power is a phrase i heard from my Dad who was an instructor in the Navy during WWII. To deal with Marxist philosophy we MUST understand it first and if we also learn about ourselves along the way we will be able to defend our Constitution and our Nation with Dignity and Respect as Our GOD and the Founding Fathers wanted.
February 17, 2024
This was a fantastic book. It was filled with facts, and noted accounts of what is transpiring in our society, and within our military. For me, this was one of the first books I had placed tabs in so I could refresh myself of key points that I felt were profound. One excerpt from the book is:
"At best, Critical Race Theory has poisonous effects upon the culture of free speech. At worst, it becomes a tool at the hands of authoritarian bullies-one more way in which Marxists can extort false confessions of guilt and shape human compliance."
I was sorry to learn that he had been released (fired) from serving in military over his beliefs including the book he had authored. I don't believe what he had written was wrong or unjust. I think he has become a pawn, and a martyr in this leftist political environment that's currently in power.
As I mentioned earlier, this is an excellent book one that I would highly recommend that is read at all NCO and Military Academies, including the War College. This book was insightful and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to read it.
"At best, Critical Race Theory has poisonous effects upon the culture of free speech. At worst, it becomes a tool at the hands of authoritarian bullies-one more way in which Marxists can extort false confessions of guilt and shape human compliance."
I was sorry to learn that he had been released (fired) from serving in military over his beliefs including the book he had authored. I don't believe what he had written was wrong or unjust. I think he has become a pawn, and a martyr in this leftist political environment that's currently in power.
As I mentioned earlier, this is an excellent book one that I would highly recommend that is read at all NCO and Military Academies, including the War College. This book was insightful and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to read it.
September 9, 2021
Matthew Lohmeier's name has recently been had for good and bad in the media as he maintains personal integrity. His book is a thoughtful, well researched, reasoned, scholarly presentation of the challenges and concerns our current military leaders have in responding to the current political environment and addressing inclusion, diversity. As a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, he tackles these concerns head on without rancor or hyperbole. He provides a thoughtful precis of the principles of writers of the Constitution and founders of this nation. He also provides a good history of the development of Marxism and what he sees as the intrusion in current American political and social thought under the guise of a divisive kind of political correctness and social justice. In the end he reminds us to avoid anger and violence, be courageous, get educated, speak up, pay attention, and do your job well. He reminds us to never alienate or discriminate against people based on race, creed, color, sex, religion, ethnicity, national origin, or political views.
January 14, 2024
This is a great book. Like all books I call great, it had a great purpose/goal and stayed on point answering the implied question given by the book's title! And it was easily read and understood and very well referenced. The book has an excellent bibliography I plan adding to my reading list. Most importantly, this book has an ominous warning for US. It's that our country is changing for the worse because of a small group of people who are seizing power and changing the thoughts of the people without their knowledge or understanding in the Same manner as has previously been done in so many other Communist nations. And there is a proposed solution that I'd urge Everyone to understand and implement; get involved; we can stop this plague on US by our voice/writing/action we give Right Now!
August 16, 2021
If you thought all that was wrong in this country was political squabbling and a pandemic, boy are you living under a rock. Current military officer and author Matthew Lohmeier gives a well-reasoned, well-documented, and frightening explanation of the enemy within. Yes, it is us (or at least some of us) who are on a mission to destroy our country by injecting Marxist ideology into our educational system, the media, and even the military. Ignorance of this situation is not bliss, but a danger to the continued existence of the United States. Lohmeier's work will enlighten you as to what is really going on and challenge you to do something about it.
August 1, 2022
The book is a short synopsis of Marxist thought in America over the past century and its contemporary manifestations in the 21st-century US military. The book can come across as a screed, but it, by the author’s own confession, was meant to be brief. He wanted something out now rather than a more thorough treatment later. That said, the book really raised my hackles as it highlighted examples of the double-standard being employed toward woke ideologues illegally spouting political content as service members. In part, the author was trying to convince people that this is actually occurring in our military. Great sections on the ideological heritage of these cancerous views.
August 8, 2021
The The Communists have Won. Weep for America, Weep for the World.
Read this book and realize that America is lost, the communists have won. They did not win with military might, they won by infiltration into our schools, mass media, and now our military. As documented in this book the communists have demoralized and deprived our service members of the motivation to defend our nation because they have been taught is corrupt at its core. American traditional values have been turned upside down.
Read this book and realize that America is lost, the communists have won. They did not win with military might, they won by infiltration into our schools, mass media, and now our military. As documented in this book the communists have demoralized and deprived our service members of the motivation to defend our nation because they have been taught is corrupt at its core. American traditional values have been turned upside down.
May 30, 2021
Wonderful overview of Marxist attacks on America
Matthew Lohmeier provides an insightful description of the invasion of Marxist theology in our current society. He further overview it's infiltration of our service men and women. In short, he provides a stark warning and kind of preparation for all of us to need and understand in order to peacefully combat the radicalized Leftists misinformed and misguided by their peers and false leaders.
Matthew Lohmeier provides an insightful description of the invasion of Marxist theology in our current society. He further overview it's infiltration of our service men and women. In short, he provides a stark warning and kind of preparation for all of us to need and understand in order to peacefully combat the radicalized Leftists misinformed and misguided by their peers and false leaders.
June 18, 2021
Incredibly well written and informative.
This is a must read for anyone who cares about the future of America and preserving the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. The author points out the cunning nature of the Marxist ideology and how it is infecting America’s institutions and causing divisiveness within the ranks and a decrease in interest to serve. He also gives his impact-fully wise take on what regular people can do to uphold the goodness of America.
This is a must read for anyone who cares about the future of America and preserving the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. The author points out the cunning nature of the Marxist ideology and how it is infecting America’s institutions and causing divisiveness within the ranks and a decrease in interest to serve. He also gives his impact-fully wise take on what regular people can do to uphold the goodness of America.
August 3, 2021
This is a must read book for every American especially those of us in uniform. Lohmeier does a great academic survey of the history of Marxism and highlights it’s current form permeating our culture, institutions, and military. He argues convincingly that Marxism is antithetical to the Constitution and those who have sworn to defend the constitution should recognize the marxist ideology that’s trying to destroy the Constitution’s foundations and ultimately America as a whole.
October 4, 2021
An Important book. Buy a copy and give it to a service member today. If you have been left scratching your head as to why Pentagon leaders have said and recently done things so contrary to good order and discipline in the armed services, you will find the answer in the pages of Lohmeier's book. The "systemic" problem facing us is not racism, it's Marxism and it's here. Read this book and share it.
May 26, 2021
A “MUST READ”
Lohmeier writes a well-researched and well-written account of how the new-Marxists are “fundamentally changing America” (NOT in a good way), and the military is succumbing to this poison. It is a diagnosis of the ailment, a warning to change course, and prescription for action.
Lohmeier writes a well-researched and well-written account of how the new-Marxists are “fundamentally changing America” (NOT in a good way), and the military is succumbing to this poison. It is a diagnosis of the ailment, a warning to change course, and prescription for action.
May 30, 2021
Timely and critical
Now is the time to have these conversations. The American people; especially service members need to know what they are being sold via CRT. And they need to make their own informed decisions rather than become victims of the current subversion of our system through the distortion of history and hate mongering rhetoric.
Now is the time to have these conversations. The American people; especially service members need to know what they are being sold via CRT. And they need to make their own informed decisions rather than become victims of the current subversion of our system through the distortion of history and hate mongering rhetoric.
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