No Nazi Scumbags Allowed In The US Military | Rachel Maddow

>>> IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR THANKS TO SOME TRULY GONE DO REPORTING
IN THE WASHINGTON POST, WE LEARNED THAT ERIK PRINCE, THE
FORMER CHIEF OF BLACK WATER, THE BROTHER OF EDUCATION SECRETARY
BETSY DeVOS, WE LEARNED THAT ERIK PRESENCE OF ALL PEOPLE TOOK
A MEETING WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR
PUTIN IN THE ISLANDS. IT WAS A MEETING ORGANIZED BY
THE CROWN PRINCE OF THE QUITE
UNITED AIR OF EMIRATES. HE WANTED TO FACILITATE CONTACT
BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND VLADIMIR PUTIN AND THE WAY HE
DID IT WAS BRINGING IN PUTIN'S EMISSARY AND ERIK PRINCE.
AND THEY HELD THIS MEETING ON THIS REMOTE ISLAND DURING THE
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION. THE MEETING REPORTEDLY HAPPENED
IN DECEMBER. IT WAS REPORTED IN THE
"WASHINGTON POST" IN APRIL. ERIK PRINCE HAS SENSE
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE MEETING DID TAKE PLACE AND THE
WASHINGTON POST WAS RIGHT. BUT HE'S DOWNPLAYED THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MEETING. HE'S DESCRIBED THE WHOLE PURPOSE
OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS, THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF HIM BEING IN THE
SEASHELL ISLANDS AS JUST BUSINESS.
WELL WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT ONE BUSINESS PROPOSITION ERIK
PRINCE HAS BEEN SELLING IS THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SHOULD PAY
HIM $10 BILLION A YEAR SO THAT HE CAN RUN THE WAR IN
AFGHANISTAN AS A PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT ENTERPRISE INSTEAD OF
AS A U.S. MILITARY ACTION. ERIK PRINCE HAS DONE A HANDFUL
OF INTERVIEWS ON THE SUBJECT. HE'S PROUD OF THE IDEA.
HE'S CITED COLONIAL RULE UNDER THE BRITISH EMPIRE AS THE ROLE
FOR HOW THEY SHOULD CONDUCT THE NEXT X YEARS OF THE AFGHANISTAN
WAR. THE IDEA OF THE EDUCATION
SECRETARY'S BILLIONAIRE BROTHER BEING INSTALLED IN AFGHANISTAN
TO BE PAID BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR BY THE TAXPAYERS TO RUN HIS
OWN PRIVATE WAR THERE, IT'S ENOUGH TO CURL YOUR EYELASHES.
IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WOULD EVER BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY OUTSIDE
OF HOLLYWOOD. THE NEWS REPORTS ABOUT ERIK
PRINCE MAKING THIS PROPOSAL, THEY'VE GENERALLY TAKING THE
TONE THAT THIS IDEA IS NOT REALLY BEING SERIOUSLY
CONSIDERED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
HONESTLY THAT REPORTING HAS BEEN OFFERED IN THE SAME NONSPECIFIC
SPIRIT IN WHICH WE ALL KEEP GETTING REASSURED THAT THERE ARE
REAL ADULTS IN CHARGE SOMEWHERE BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE
ADMINISTRATION AND THEREFORE NOTHING TOO TERRIBLE WILL
HAPPEN. FORGIVE ME SKEPTICISM.
JAMES MATTIS, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WAS RECENTLY ASKED ABOUT
ERIK PRINCE'S BIG BUSINESS PLAN TO TAKE OVER THE WAR FROM THE
U.S. MILITARY. AND ALTHOUGH WE KEEP HEARING
THAT SECRETARY MATTIS IS ONE OF THOSE ADULTS WHO WON'T LET
ANYTHING TOO WEIRD HAPPEN, HE DIDN'T SOUND DISMISSIVE OF THE
IDEA WHEN HE WAS ASKED ABOUT IT. >> MR. SECRETARY, THE AFGHAN
STRATEGY AT THIS POINT CONTAIN PROVISIONS FOR A SIGNIFICANT
NUMBER OF CONTRACTED SECURITY FORCES OR --
>> THERE'S BEEN PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS OF SIGNIFICANT
INCREASE, 5,000, 5500 CONTRACTED SECURITY FORCES, 90 FLEET
PRIVATE AIR FORCE. >> STRATEGIC DECISION HAS NOT
BEEN MADE. IT'S PART OF THE OPTIONS BEING
CONSIDERED. AND THE PRESIDENT IS OPEN TO THE
ADVICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND MYSELF AND THE DIRECTOR OF
THE CIA >> IT'S PART OF THE OPTIONS
BEING CONSIDERED, HE SAYS. WHAT AT THIS POINT IS TOO CRAZY
TO IMAGINE. THAT THE PRESIDENT MIGHT
THREATEN TO RAIN FIRE AND FURY LIKE THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN ON
NORTH KOREA, THAT THE PRESIDENT MIGHT ENDORSE A RALLY BY WHITE
SUPREMACISTS AND NEO-NAZI, IS IT MORE UNCONCEIVABLE THAN THAT
STUFF, THAT THE PRESIDENT MIGHT SAY THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN MIGHT
BE RUN BY THIS GUY ERIK FROM HERE ON OUT?
THE STATED REASON THAT VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE IS HAVING
TO COME HOME EARLY FROM HIS OVERSEAS TRIP IS BECAUSE OF A
MEETING THAT THAZ JUST BEEN CALLED TO DISCUSS AFGHANISTAN
STRET GI TOMORROW AT CAMP DAVID. WE SHALL SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF
THAT MEETING. MIKE PENCE WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO
DO A BUNCH OF REPUBLICAN PARTY EVENTS AND FUNDRAISERS THIS
WEEKEND IN VIRGINIA. THOSE EVENTS HAVE BEEN CANCELED.
AGAIN WE WILL SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS AFGHANISTAN MEETING.
I DON'T THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE TO BRACE FOR SOME TRULY BIZARRE
NEWS ON THAT SUBJECT. BUT IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS
GOING TO HAPPEN, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS GOING TO GET
ANNOUNCED, IT'S WORTH CONSIDERING THAT THIS IS A
PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT, CHALLENGING AND SOMETIMES
STRANGE TIME FOR THE U.S. MILITARY.
THIS IS A DIFFICULT TIME FOR THE U.S. MILITARY BECAUSE WE'RE AT
WAR AND THE MILITARY BEARS THE ENTIRE BRUNT OF THAT WHILE THE
CIVILIAN WORLD PAYS VERY LITTLE ATTENTION TO IT AT HOME.
TODAY WE LEARNED THAT AN ARMY GREEN BERET WAS KILLED AND 11
GUARDSMEN WERE KILLED. THE YOUNG MAN HAD BEEN
IDENTIFIED AS A 27-YEAR-OLD AARON BUTLER FROM UTAH.
HE WAS THE SEVENTH OF EIGHT KIDS IN HIS FAMILY, ONE OF SEVEN
BROTHERS. HIS FAMILY SAYS HE SIGNED UP IF
ARE THE UTAH NATIONAL GUARD WHILE HE WAS STILL IN HIGH
SCHOOL WHICH MEANS EVEN IF HE SIGNED UP TEN YEARS AGO, DOING
THE MATH, THAT MEANS THE UNITED STATES WAS ALREADY MANY YEARS
INTO THE AFGHANISTAN WAR WHEN SERGEANT BUTLER ENLISTED TO
SERVE IN THE WAR THAT EVENTUALLY TOOK HIS LIFE.
SO THOSE OTHER 11 NATIONAL GUARDSMEN BEING HURT IN THE SAME
INCIDENT, THAT IS HUGE AND VERY SAD NEWS IN UTAH TONIGHT AND IN
THE NATIONAL GUARD AND IN THE COMMUNITY OF IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN VETERANS. U.S. NAVY WAS ALSO ROCKED
TONIGHT BY THE PUBLICATION OF THE NAVY'S FIRST INVESTIGATIVE
REPORT INTO THAT BIZARRE CRASH BETWEEN A U.S. NAVY DESTROYER
AND A JAPANESE CARGO VESSEL BACK IN JUNE JUST OFF THE COAST OF
JAPAN. THIS IS A DEVASTATING REPORT.
IT DESCRIBES IN DETAIL AND AT LENGTH HOW THE SAILORS ON BOARD
THE DESTROYER FOUGHT FOR THEIR OWN LIVES AND FOUGHT TO SAVE
EACH OTHER WHEN THE TWO SHIPS COLLIDE MARYLAND THE MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT. THE EFFORTS TO SAVE EACH OTHER
INCLUDED HEROIC EFFORTS TO SAVE THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP.
THE REPORT DESCRIBES HOW FIVE SAILORS USED A SLEDGEHAMMER AND
A KETTLE BELL FROM THE SHIP'S GYM TO SMASH THEIR WAY INTO THE
DESTROYED STATE ROOM OF THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN.
THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN, HIS STATE ROOM TOOK A DIRECT HIT IN THAT
CRASH. THE SAILORS TRYING TO SAVE HIM
DID GET IN. THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN ACCORDING TO
THE REPORT WAS HANGING OFF THE OUTSIDE OF THE SHIP FOR HIS LIFE
BY THE TIME THEY SMASHED THEIR WAY IN TO SAVE HIS LIFE.
THOSE SAILORS WERE ABLE TO SAVE HIM BUT HE WILL NOW LOSE HIS
CAREER. HE'S BEING RELIEVED OF COMMAND,
AS WELL AS THE SECOND COMMAND ON BOARD AS WILL THE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF. SEVEN U.S. SAILORS DIED IN THAT
CRASH. APPARENTLY THE NAVY HAS NOT YET
DETERMINED THE OVERALL DETERMINATION OF HOW THE CRASH
HAPPENED. BUT WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE
FINAL CONCLUSION THEY ALREADY KNOW ENOUGH TO FIRE THE TOP
LEADERSHIP OF THAT U.S. NAVY DESTROYER.
THAT IS SERIOUS NEWS IN THE NAVY.
THEY'RE TAKING VERY DRAMATIC ACTION AND IT CAN'T HELP IN A
STRESSFUL AND HIGH STAKES TIME LIKE THIS THAT ALL OF THE
BRANCHES OF THE MILITARY ARE ALSO THIS WEEK FACING A NEW
UNNECESSARY CRISIS THAT WAS CREATED OUT OF THIN AIR BY THE
U.S. PRESIDENT. A CRISIS IN WHICH ALL OF THE
CHIEFS OF ALL OF THE BRANCHES OF THE U.S. MILITARY HAVE FELT THE
NEED TO BREAK WITH THEIR LONG STANDING STRICT PRACTICE OF
AVOIDING POLITICS. ALL OF THE SERVICE CHIEFS THIS
WEEK HAVE FELT COMPELLED TO PUT OUT PUBLIC STATEMENTS BLUNTLY
DISAGREEING WITH, BLUNTLY DEPARTING FROM STATEMENTS MADE
BY THE PRESIDENT ON RACE AFTER THE CHARLOTTESVILLE RIOTING THIS
WEEKEND. THE NAVY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS WAS
FIRST TO RESPOND THIS PAST WEEKEND SAYING QUOTE, EVENTS IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE ARE UNACCEPTABLE AND MUSTN'T BE TOLERATED.
THE U.S. NAVY FOREVER STANDS AGAINST ININTOLERANCE AND
HATRED. THERE'S IN PLACE FOR EXTREMISM
IN THE MARINE CORPS. CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE ARMY
SAYING THE ARMY DOES NOT TOLERATE RACISM IN OUR RARANKS.
FOLLOWED BY THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE AIR FORCE WHO PUT OUT A
SLIGHTLY MILDER STATEMENT SAYING I STAND WITH MY FELLOW SERVICE
CHIEFS IN SAYING WE ARE ALL ALWAYS STRONGER TOGETHER.
LESS BLUNT BUT I THINK WE KNEE WHAT HE MEANS.
FOLLOWED BY THE CHIEF OF THE NATIONAL GUARD, SAID, QUOTE, I
STAND WITH MY FELLOW JOINT CHIEFS IN CONDEMNING RACISM,
EXTREMISM AND HATRED. OUR DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH.
SERVICE CHIEFS IN THE MILITARY DON'T USUALLY DO THIS.
LET ALONE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS.
BUT TONIGHT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS SAID THIS TO
AMERICA. >> AND I CAN ABSOLUTELY AND
UNAMBIGUOUSLY TELL YOU THAT THERE'S IN PLACE, NO PLACE FOR
RACISM AND BIGOTRY IN THE U.S. MILITARY OR IN THE UNITED STATES
AS A WHOLE. >> OR IN THE UNITED STATES AS A
WHOLE. THE SERVICE CHIEF, THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE JOINT CHIEFS, THEY STAY OUT OF DOMESTIC POLITICS
STRICTLY. BOTH STYSTYLISTICALLY.
AND USUALLY AS A RULE THEY STAY OUT OF IT.
UNIFORMED MILITARY PERSONNEL ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE INVOLVED IN
PARTISAN POLITICS. THAT SAID, EVEN WHEN THE
CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS MAKING NICE WITH
AND BEING COMPLIMENTARY TO WHITE SUPREMACISTS, THE MILITARY FEELS
THE NEED TO SEPARATE. THE MILITARY HAS ITS OWN VERY
ACUTE HISTORY ON THE SUBJECT AND ITS OWN OPERATIONAL REASON TO
MAKE CLEAR THAT THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING THIS PARTICULAR
PRESIDENT DOWN THAT PARTICULAR PATH.
HERE'S ONE EXAMPLE. IN APRIL 2014 THERE WAS A
DOMESTIC TER TERROR ATTACK THAT TARGETED A JEWISH RETIREMENT
CENTER IN KANSAS. THIS NUTTY OLD MAN WHO COMMITTED
THE MURDERS WAS A COMMITTED WHITE SUPREMACIST AND NEO-NAZI.
HE ACTED AS HIS OWN LAWYER AT HIS TRIAL.
HE GAVE THE NAZI SALUTE IN THE COURTROOM AFTER HE WAS CONVICTED
SAYING HIS ONLY REGRET ABOUT THE MURDERINGS IS THAT NONE OF THE
PEOPLE HE ACTUALLY KILLED TURNED OUT TO BE JEWISH EACH THOSE HE
PICKED THOSE LOCATION IN THE HOPES THAT HE WOULD BE SINGLING
OUT JEWS TO MURDER. AT HIS TRIAL HE UNSUCCESSFULLY
TRIED TO INTRODUCE VIDEO EVIDENCE FROM HIS PAST
LEADERSHIP OF A UNIFORMED GROUP OF WHITE SUPREMACISTS IN NORTH
CAROLINA. TURNS OUT HE HAD BEEN A FOUNDING
MEMBER OF THE WHITE PATRIOTS PARTY IN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE
1980s. BEFORE THAT IT WAS THE KU KLUX
KLAN AND BEFORE THAT THE CAROLINA NIGHTS OF THE KU KLUX
KLAN. THEY DID MILITARY STYLE TRAINING
AND FREAKED A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT AT THE TIME BY THE FACT THEY HAD
ACCESS TO SOME MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MOST UNSET LIPG ABOUT THOSE KLAN
GROUPS AND THAT WHY PATRIOTS PARTY WHEN THEY EMERGED AND THEY
STARTED GOING TO MARCHES AND DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE 80s, THEIR
LEADER AT THE TIME, THE GUY WHO ALL THOSE YEARS LATER WOULD END
UP SHOOTING THOSE PEOPLE AT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER IN
KANSAS, THEIR LEADER IN THE '80s, TURNS OUT HE HAD BUILT UP
HIS LEADERSHIP SKILLS, HIS ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS, HIS
WEAPONS TRAINING AND MILITARY TRAINING WHICH HE 'EM BUED TO
THOSE CLANS GROUPS WHILE HE SERVED FOR 20 YEARS IN THE
UNITED STATES ARMY. BUT THE INSTRUCTIVE THING TO
KNOW ABOUT THAT NOW IS THAT WHEN THE ARMY, EVEN WAY BACK IN THE
DAY, WHEN THE ARMY FIGURED OUT WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH WITH
HIM, THEY KICKED HIM OUT. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE
GREENSBORO MASSACRE IN 1979 WHEN KLAN GROUPS AND NAZI GROUPS
AMBUSHED A RALLY IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.
THEY MURDERED FIVE PEOPLE. HE WAS IN THE NATIONALISTS
MOVEMENT AT THE TIME. HE WAS IN THE AMERICAN NAZI
PARTY AT THE TIME AND ATTENDED THE AMBUSH.
AND THE ARMY THEREFORE KICKED HIM OUT FOR DISTRIBUTING RACIST
PROPAGANDA A AFTER THEY FOUND OUT HE HAD PARTICIPATED IN THAT
EVENT. ALL OF THE BRANCHES OF THE
MILITARY HAVE LONG HADS A HISTORY OF KICKING PEOPLE OUT IF
THEY FIND THEM TO BE PART OF RACIST OR EXTREMIST GROUPS.
UNDER RONALD REAGAN IN 1986, SECRETARY OF DESENSE ISSUED A
SPECIAL DIRECTIVE RE-UPPING THAT DIRECTIVE.
SEPTEMBER OF '86 HE SENT OUT A PRIORITY MESSAGE REMINDING ALL
SERVICES THAT ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL DUTY BOUND TO UPHOLD
THE CONSTITUTION MUST REJECT PARTICIPATION IN SUPREMIST
ORGANIZATIONS. IN 1990 FIVE AIR FORCE MPs WERE
THOUN OUT OF THE SERVICE FOR BEING KLAN MEMBERS.
1995, WHEN THEY CAUGHT THE GUYS THAT DID THE OKLAHOMA CITY
BOMBING, THEY MET AND MADE FRIENDS IN POERT RILEY.
IN '86 THE MILITARY STRENGTHENED ITS REGULATIONS.
MILITARY PERSONNEL MUST REJECT PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS
THAT ESPOUSE SUPREMIST. THAT HAD THE AUTHORITY OF FULL
RANGE, INCLUDING SEPARATION OR DISPLA NATION ACTION AGAINST
MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN SUCH GROUPS.
IN 2009 THEY RE-UPPED IT AGAIN CLASH FIEING THAT YOU COULD BE
THROWN OUT TO HAVE SERVICE FOR FUND-RAISING OR ORGANIZING OR
LEADING MEMBERS. YOU COULD BE THROWN OUT OF THE
SERVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING RACIST MATERIALS.
IN 2012 MAKING IT CLEAR YOU COULD BE THROWN OUT OF THE
SERVICE, PREPREVENTED FROM JOINING THE SERVICE.
IF YOU DO ALL OF THAT ACTIVE STUFF TO PARTICIPATE IN RACIST
GROUPS, BUT EVEN IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO OR A BODY MARKING THAT IS
ASSOCIATED WITH A RACIST OR EXTREMIST GROUP LIKE THAT.
THE MILITARY NOW GIVES COMMANDERS AN EXTREMIST TATTOO
DECISION SUPPORT MATRIX SO YOU CAN GET ADVICE AND FIGURING OUT
WHETHER THAT STUPID WINGED DRAGON ON YOUR RECRUIT'S FOREARM
IS JUST A STUPID WINGED DRAGON OR MAYBE IT'S A NAZI WINGED
DRAGON. THE U.S. MILITARY HAS AS MOUCH
OF AN INFECTION AS THE REST OF THE SOCIETY.
THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT IN THE U.S. MILITARY IT'S NOT TERRIBLE
TO BE A NAZI SCUMBAG. IN THE MILITARY IT'S ILLEGAL AND
THEY FREAKING POLICE IT. AND IT IS CRUCIAL TO U.S.
MILITARY LEADERSHIP AND IT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR DECADES AS
CRUCIAL TO MILITARY LEADERSHIP THAT THE MILITARY IS ABSOLUTELY
CRYSTAL CLEAR ON THIS SUBJECT. AND SO WHEN THE PRESIDENT, THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF STARTS BLURRING THAT LINE, THEN YES,
THE SERVICE CHIEFS OF THE U.S. MILITARY FEEL THE NEED TO JUMP
IN IMMEDIATELY TO TRY TO MAKE THAT LINE CLEAR AGAIN, TO TRY TO
ERASE ANY CONFUSION THAT ANYBODY MIGHT HAVE ON THAT SUBJECT.
AS IF THEY DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH ON THEIR PLATE BEFORE
THIS. RIGHT?
AS IF THEY DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH BEFORE THIS
WAS SHOVELLED ON TO THEIR PLATES BY THE PRESIDENT

No Nazi Scumbags Allowed In The US Military | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

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