The end of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the US military

Source: World Socialist Web Site

Over the weekend, the US Senate passed by a vote of 65 to 31 a bill that will allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the US military, supplanting the bigoted policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law on Monday.

The treatment of gays has been appalling and reflects the generally backward and reactionary atmosphere that prevails in the armed forces. This is not a conscription army, but a professional military increasingly under the political influence of Christian fundamentalists and other right-wing elements and contemptuous of the principle of civilian control. Even with the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” it is all but certain that chilling cases will emerge of persecution and brutality against gay and lesbian soldiers.

There is a genuine democratic issue in ending an official policy that discriminates against people on the basis of their sexual orientation. However, the manner in which the repeal is being presented by President Obama and congressional supporters should serve as a caution to anyone inclined to believe that it represents a historic breakthrough for democratic rights. What predominates is flag-waving patriotism and the glorification of the US military, along with the suggestion that repeal will make the military a more effective fighting force....

But the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” will in no way change the character of the military, no more than racial integration ended its imperialist nature, or the hiring of blacks in urban police departments altered the character of the police or lessened police brutality, or the election of an African American changed the nature of the US presidency....

The American military, responsible for more deaths and crimes than any other army since Hitler’s Wehrmacht, has dispensed with a discriminatory and irrational policy. It will not make the slightest difference to the victims of American imperialism in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and elsewhere that the soldiers raining death and destruction on their cities and villages can now openly declare they are gay.

The main aim of the move is to give a “democratic” face-lift to the American killing machine. It was for this reason that the bill was championed by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, several Republican senators and congressmen, and Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, one of Washington’s most vociferous advocates of the unrestrained use of military violence.



Read more: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/dec2010/pers-d20.shtml

700 military bases in 63 countries. If gays had equal opportunity to join the mafia, would you be for that, too?

military in general, under the guise of being a DADT article. This is poor form, IMO.

bloggers.

It's called sophistry. Now look that one up.

here who wanted this passed. Once again the media agitators find it not good enough and must spew the dissent.

Unrec for pissing on progress.

All they are saying is that allowing gays to serve openly in the military is not going to change what the US military does, which is to oppress people all over the world for the profits of the big corporations.

I see this argument from armchair philosophers and it drives me up the wall. Ending discriminatory practices allows people to participate more fully in public life and fosters solidarity. The military has long been a source of job training for poor kids who might never have access to opportunities. This is an avenue open now to kids who might otherwise have not had this. Mixing up DADT with issues around our war is ridiculous. Yeah, it's a shitty war, but discriminating against gays wasn't ending it either.

Look it up.

I'm guessing you belong to a social class that doesn't rely on the military for college funding. Otherwise you would see how stupidly idealistic and essentially utopian this argument is. The wsws has some good articles but sometimes their idealistic Trot BS shines through and this is a glaring example.

You say the military is now an opening for job training for gays? That's the exact same propaganda recruiters give potential recruits. Then the army sends them to Iraq, where they get blown to pieces.

the "US Military" has no imperialist policies. The military does not send itself places. The military does not decide with whom it will go to war.

The people responsible for how the military is used are the President and Congress and those who elect them.

And by the way, WSWS can go F#@K themselves for using DADT repeal to get their usual talking points in.

Just a fact. You yourself admit that the military is a tool of US imperialism. Why would someone want to be an accessory to that tool?