Army Reserve training material: Evangelicals, Catholics are extremist groups

[red states rule]

Is anyone really surprised after the Pentagon still refuses to call the slaughter at Ft Hood a terrorist attack?

This one earns the coveted Duke University triple facepalm, the highest honor we can award for self-beclowning. An Army Reserve training class attempted to instruct soldiers on the various extremist groups of the world, dutifully noting al-”Quaeda,” with which the US armed forces are at war, and Hamas, which the State Department lists as a terrorist organization. Both of those, however, come below a couple of extremist groups so fringe that only about 60 million Americans count themselves among their ranks:

A slideshow presentation shown to US Army Reserve recruits classifies Christians, including both evangelicals and Roman Catholics, as religious extremists, placing them in the same category as skinheads, the Ku Klux Klan, Hamas and Al Qaeda.


The presentation also warned that members of the military are prohibited from taking leadership roles in any organization the Pentagon considers ‘extremist,’ and from distributing the organization’s literature, whether on or off a military installation.


The opening slide warns that ‘the rise in hate crimes and extremism outside the military may be an indication of internal issues all [armed] services will have to face.’


Citing a Southern Poverty Law Center report as evidence that extremism is on the rise, the Army Reserve presentation blames ‘the superheated fears generated by economic dislocation, a proliferation of demonizing conspiracy theories,the changing racial make-up of America and the prospect of 4 more years under a black president who many on the far right view as an enemy to their country.’

A later statement from the Pentagon said that the author of this slide presented this viewpoint without permission, and that the research left much to be desired:

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, a Catholic organization that trains and endorses military priests and chaplains, said in a release that it was “astounded that Catholics were listed alongside groups that are, by their very mission and nature, violent and extremist.”


The AMS called on the Pentagon “to review these materials and to ensure that tax-payer funds are never again used to present blatantly anti-religious material to the men and women in uniform.”


An Army spokesperson said the presentation “was produced by an individual without anyone in the chain of command’s knowledge or permission.”

The Army removed the offending slide after receiving complaints.


The person responsible for the presentation, the spokesperson said, “was not a subject matter expert, and produced the material after conducting Internet research.”

“Not a subject matter expert”? No kidding, but that doesn’t explain everything. Why was he or she assigned to train reserves on extremism in the first place? Shouldn’t the lack of expertise prompted the Army Reserves to exercise more supervision over its instructor? Few organizations are as relentlessly hierarchical as the military, and someone in the chain of command appears to have acted … irresponsibly.



http://hotair.com/archives/2013/04/0...ge-2/#comments

[jafar00]

I see they list Sunni Muslims. Do they have 1.5billion enemies or is it just the Iraqi ones?

Actually that whole list appears to cover about 2/3 of the world. I guess that explains the stupidly large "defence" budget of the USA.

Oh, and it's Abu Sayyaf, not Abu Sayyah.

If this isn't fake, it wasn't proof read or thought out too well.

And they want to give these people guns and send them abroad with them?.......

[Marcus Aurelius]

I see they list Sunni Muslims. Do they have 1.5billion enemies or is it just the Iraqi ones?

Actually that whole list appears to cover about 2/3 of the world. I guess that explains the stupidly large "defence" budget of the USA.

Oh, and it's Abu Sayyaf, not Abu Sayyah.

If this isn't fake, it wasn't proof read or thought out too well.

And they want to give these people guns and send them abroad with them?.......

you're blaming the trainees for the dumbass slide?

pathetic fuck.

[aboutime]

I see they list Sunni Muslims. Do they have 1.5billion enemies or is it just the Iraqi ones?

Actually that whole list appears to cover about 2/3 of the world. I guess that explains the stupidly large "defence" budget of the USA.

Oh, and it's Abu Sayyaf, not Abu Sayyah.

If this isn't fake, it wasn't proof read or thought out too well.

And they want to give these people guns and send them abroad with them?.......

jafar. I love to ask you questions you always refuse to answer. But at least others who read the question, get the full picture.

And my question is: "Were you born as dumb as you sound, or were you taught to be dumb?"

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Is anyone really surprised after the Pentagon still refuses to call the slaughter at Ft Hood a terrorist attack?

Obama's private army should he manage to get it will have American Christians as its enemy. That is obama's goal. Maybe all that half-billion rounds of ammo and the armored carriers is equipment for the private -citizen - army boyazzhat wants and is building.

[jimnyc]

Actually that whole list appears to cover about 2/3 of the world. I guess that explains the stupidly large "defence" budget of the USA.

Our defense budget is the highest in the world and we live in the freest and greatest country in the world. I'd be curious as to what the defense budget is for: Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine...

While we might have a monstrous defense budget, we are at least civilized, and don't live in a country that looks like it's still the caveman days. Don't blame us for becoming civilized and bettering ourselves, while so many others stand still.

[red states rule]

Now take a deep breath folks. I am sure many hard working Federal workers put alot of effort, time, and resources into coming up with this list

Your lack of appreciation is an insult to their service

***sarcasm off***

As I stated in the OP I am not surprised as the Ft Hood attacks has yet to be called what is was. A terrorist attack. So the stupidity of the list is not surprising

[jafar00]

Our defense budget is the highest in the world and we live in the freest and greatest country in the world. I'd be curious as to what the defense budget is for: Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine...

While we might have a monstrous defense budget, we are at least civilized, and don't live in a country that looks like it's still the caveman days. Don't blame us for becoming civilized and bettering ourselves, while so many others stand still.

The US defense budget is more than the next top 12 countries combined. I don't think the countries on your list would come close. Then again, they have all been invaded, occupied, and had dictators ruling over them for decades.

[logroller]

The US defense budget is more than the next top 12 countries combined. I don't think the countries on your list would come close. Then again, they have all been invaded, occupied, and had dictators ruling over them for decades.

Whether or not it was your intention, you just refuted your statement about the stupidity of the US's large "defence" budget.

[logroller]

jafar. I love to ask you questions you always refuse to answer. But at least others who read the question, get the full picture.

And my question is: "Were you born as dumb as you sound, or were you taught to be dumb?"

That's a loaded question; e.g., "have you stopped beating your wife?" Its rhetoric, which has its place, but informally, its a logical fallacy.

[red states rule]

The US defense budget is more than the next top 12 countries combined. I don't think the countries on your list would come close. Then again, they have all been invaded, occupied, and had dictators ruling over them for decades.

[jafar00]

Whether or not it was your intention, you just refuted your statement about the stupidity of the US's large "defence" budget.

If it has to be that large, there is another problem that needs to be addressed. Why the country is so hated.

So the Brits and Anzacs, and Canadians etc... didn't fight in WWII?
I noticed the pic missed out Vietnam (oops)
Afghanistan free in 2001? So why have you been bogged down fighting the Taliban who still control much of the country 12 years later?
Iraq "ditto"

[Jeff]

If it has to be that large, there is another problem that needs to be addressed. Why the country is so hated.



So the Brits and Anzacs, and Canadians etc... didn't fight in WWII?
I noticed the pic missed out Vietnam (oops)
Afghanistan free in 2001? So why have you been bogged down fighting the Taliban who still control much of the country 12 years later?
Iraq "ditto"

I have to agree with ya on the Taliban , Iraq and the rest of the animals over there we should of just carpet bombed the entire region after all ya take a dog with rabies and put it down , the majority of these people are the same , seriously one month of warning before we just leveled the region ( yes there are some good people there they were the ones screaming George Bush is #1 the first time we were there)

[taft2012]

Quick question; if our Commander-in-Chief considers the Muslim Brotherhood dangerous religious extremists, why is he assisting them in setting up shop all over the Middle East?

[cadet]

Is anyone really surprised after the Pentagon still refuses to call the slaughter at Ft Hood a terrorist attack?

Our military is supposed to be accepting of all. But they're also supposed to be distant from them. Service before self. That includes religion.

They're supposed to be American Soldiers! Not Christians, atheists, Muslims. They might be both, but they're to classify themselves as part of the military first.
Black, White, Asian, Middle Eastern, no. American.

It might sound weird that they classify Christians as an extremest group, due to most of the country being Christian. But they're not supposed to give special attention to any religion. Cause if they do that they have to do it for all.