Not long ago, we had armed forces to win wars or deliver a quick blow to our enemies.  It kept the peace when the bad guys knew that they really couldn't hide.  Just ask Qassem Soleimani, who had his New Year's plans terminated by a drone.  Or the Christmas bombing in December 1972 that made the North Vietnamese cry "uncle" and negotiate an end to the Vietnam War.  It's amazing what B-52s and fighter-bombers dropping 20,000 tons of bombs will do the enemy. 

Could we do that today?  Probably yes, but there is concern about the growing "woke" in the U.S. armed forces.  This is from the Washington Examiner:

The Department of Defense proudly declares that "our mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security."

If only that remained true. Today, the U.S. military's mission is increasingly distracted and its capability diluted by a focus on aping political correctness and identity politics. This theme will be the focus of a series of articles published this week for the Washington Examiner's Restoring America page, which will feature expert voices from leading organizations, including the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, the Independent Women's Forum, and Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services. The need for public attention to what is happening in the U.S. military is significant.

Yes, significant, indeed.  Maybe alarming, given that our enemies have not gone woke or the pronoun route.

The timing of our going woke makes us vulnerable.  After all, you have Taiwan. Russia, and Ukraine.  China buying Cuba and turning it into a military outpost.  Iran praising Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.  In other words, look around the globe, and you'll see our enemies reading military strategy and our side reading the 1619 Project.

Yes, making our military strong again should be Topic 1 in the 2024 campaign.  After all, nothing matters if we can't win wars or scare our enemies.

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Image: US Army National Guard.