Guests – Stephen Mundt
Military Leadership and Workplace Violence: Lessons from Fort Stewart
The tragic shooting at Fort Stewart, Georgia this week serves as a stark reminder that even our most disciplined institutions aren't immune to the devastating effects of workplace bullying and isolation. All five victims are expected to survive, with three already released from the hospital and one more expected to be discharged this weekend. The fifth victim will require a longer recovery but is expected to make a full recovery.
What makes this incident particularly noteworthy isn't just the violence itself, but the swift response of fellow soldiers who subdued the gunman. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll immediately traveled to Fort Stewart to meet with personnel and awarded Meritorious Service Medals to the five soldiers who helped neutralize the threat and care for the wounded. These soldiers may also be eligible for the Soldier's Medal - one of the highest decorations for personal heroism not involving conflict with an enemy.
The alleged shooter, Sergeant Cornelius Ratford, a 28-year-old supply sergeant stationed at Fort Hood, reportedly faced significant bullying from fellow service members. Sources indicate he had a speech impediment and had complained to family about racism. He had allegedly requested a transfer due to the harassment he was experiencing and had recently received a DUI - often an indicator that someone is struggling under pressure.
The Broader Problem of Workplace Bullying
This incident highlights a critical issue that extends far beyond military installations. Bullying isn't the victim's problem - it's everyone's problem. When we witness discrimination, harassment, or abuse, it's not the victim's responsibility to fix it. It's our responsibility to step up and say that behavior is unacceptable.
The tragedy is that in many bullying situations, there's no support system. People often think, "If they're picking on them, they're not picking on me," and refuse to take ownership or responsibility. This bystander mentality can have devastating consequences.
We see this pattern repeatedly - in schools, workplaces, and communities. When people feel completely isolated and without recourse, some resort to extreme violence. While nothing justifies shooting coworkers, understanding these dynamics is crucial for prevention.
Military Excellence Under Pressure
Despite this incident, it's important to understand that the military represents the best of American society from a relatively small pool. Only about 1% of the American population serves in the military, and of high school graduates who want to join, only 8-12% are even eligible.
The military draws from the same societal pool as everyone else, which means they deal with the same issues present in civilian society - domestic violence, sexual harassment, and other problems. However, violent crime rates within the military are actually about 10% of what exists in the civilian population, despite what media coverage might suggest.
The goal is always zero incidents, but the statistics show that military training and leadership generally produce better outcomes than civilian counterparts. The swift action of soldiers at Fort Stewart demonstrates this training in action - people who kept their cool under pressure, neutralized a threat, and provided aid to the wounded.
Military Modernization and Budget Challenges
The U.S. military faces significant challenges in modernizing while working within budget constraints that often force reactive rather than strategic decision-making. The fundamental problem is that defense spending is largely budget-driven, not capability-driven.
Equipment and Resource Management
Army Chief of Staff General Randy George has initiated a crucial program to remove outdated equipment from military units. For decades, equipment has sat unused in motor pools and storage facilities, requiring personnel time to account for and maintain it while contributing nothing to warfighting capability. This "junk in the closet" approach diverts resources from actual military readiness.
The military constantly seems to be fighting the last war rather than preparing for the next one. During operations in Iraq, forces had either light equipment like standard Humvees or heavy equipment like Bradley fighting vehicles and Abrams tanks. Neither worked well on the terrain being fought on. Light vehicles were vulnerable to IEDs, while heavy vehicles sometimes collapsed roads and bridges.
Budget Constraints vs. Strategic Needs
The reality is that military leaders often have very little discretionary budget to work with. Multi-year contracts and committed funding streams tie up most defense dollars, leaving little flexibility for adaptation or innovation. When training budgets get cut, units resort to creative solutions - like using golf carts to simulate combat vehicles during exercises or finding alternative funding sources through programs like Joint Task Force Six counter-drug operations.
The problem is compounded by Congressional politics. Defense contractors deliberately spread programs across multiple states to ensure political support, even when military leaders know the money could be better spent elsewhere. The challenge is balancing legitimate concerns about jobs and economic impact with military necessity.
The Three Fundamentals
Regardless of budget constraints, military leadership focuses on three fundamental responsibilities: properly equipping those asked to serve, ensuring they're properly trained, and providing the best leadership possible. These are the blocking and tackling basics that every service branch works toward daily.
Current military leadership appears focused on warfighting rather than peripheral activities. The new administration's approach of questioning any activity that doesn't directly contribute to warfighting capability represents a necessary shift in priorities.
Law Enforcement Under Attack
The statistics paint a troubling picture: while crime rates have generally decreased in many areas, attacks on law enforcement officers have increased by approximately 400%. This represents a fundamental shift in how society views and treats first responders.
The Blue City Problem
The pattern is unmistakable when examining where these attacks occur most frequently. Cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Tucson - all controlled by Democratic leadership - consistently show higher rates of violence against police officers. Even in New York City, where the current mayor has succeeded in reducing overall violent crime rates, attacks on police officers continue to rise.
The hypocrisy is stark. Politicians who advocate for defunding police maintain their own security details. When Democratic mayoral candidate in New York, who previously called for completely eliminating police, faced a shooting in his potential constituency, he couldn't backpedal fast enough. Yet when he travels internationally, he maintains a substantial contingent of armed guards for protection.
The Normalization of Violence
We've normalized the idea that law enforcement officers should accept being targets. Recent incidents, including state highway patrol officers being shot and surviving, demonstrate how routine these attacks have become. The problem extends beyond individual incidents to a broader cultural shift that has literally put targets on the backs of first responders.
This creates a vicious cycle. Areas that most need effective law enforcement often have policies that make police work more difficult and dangerous. The result is that communities suffer while those making policy decisions remain insulated from the consequences.
International Relations and Strategic Positioning
President Trump's approach to international diplomacy demonstrates a stark contrast to previous administration methods. Rather than endless discussions and negotiations that lead nowhere, Trump's team delivers concrete results.
Middle East Developments
The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with Hamas stealing food and aid intended for Palestinian civilians. Israel faces an impossible situation where any action they take receives international criticism, even when defending against an organization sworn to their destruction. The relationship between Hamas and the Palestinian people resembles a battered spouse syndrome - civilians feel unable to break away because they're threatened daily by those in control.
Currently, Israel controls approximately 75% of Gaza under IDF operations. The Israeli security cabinet is debating a full takeover that would require relocating up to one million civilians southward. This represents the most dangerous phase of the conflict, but Israel faces an existential threat that may leave them no choice but to proceed.
The unprecedented nature of the October 7th attack created a situation where conceding ground could mean conceding the entire country. For people living under daily rocket attacks, the luxury of criticizing Israeli tactics from afar rings hollow.
Diplomatic Breakthroughs
Trump's ability to bring Azerbaijan and Armenia to a ceasefire and peace treaty demonstrates the effectiveness of his diplomatic approach. More significantly, his upcoming meeting with Putin represents a potential breakthrough in the Ukraine situation. Whether Putin's tune has changed due to tariffs and pressure remains to be seen, but having actual face-to-face negotiations represents progress.
The revelation that Zelensky cannot unilaterally cede Ukrainian territory - it requires legislative approval under their constitution - highlights how basic research was apparently overlooked in previous diplomatic efforts. This kind of detail matters enormously in international negotiations.
The China Challenge
China's systematic approach to undermining American infrastructure continues unabated. Recent purchases include a multi-billionaire buying property for 500% above market value near water treatment facilities. Chinese entities built many American ports and have been discovered to have installed unexplained modems in shipping equipment that could potentially shut down operations remotely.
The semiconductor issue illustrates the problem perfectly. While American chip technology leads the world, we lack the raw materials to manufacture chips domestically. This forces dependence on foreign sources for critical national security components.
Economic Policy and Trade Strategy
The debate over reopening American mines and manufacturing capabilities highlights the tension between environmental concerns and national security needs. Closing copper mines in the name of environmental protection while importing copper from countries with worse environmental standards makes little economic or environmental sense.
The Skills Gap Crisis
America faces a critical shortage of skilled workers while simultaneously pushing everyone toward college education. The reality is that artificial intelligence won't fix your HVAC system, rewire your house, or pour concrete for massive AI data centers. These jobs require human skills and provide good wages - often exceeding what many college graduates earn.
The elimination of shop classes and vocational training from high schools created this problem. Programs that once prepared students for trade careers disappeared, creating a cultural bias that suggests college is the only path to success. Mike Rowe's advocacy for trade education and organizations supporting military spouses in obtaining certifications represent steps toward solving this crisis.
Tariff Strategy and Fair Wages
The tariff strategy aims to create fair competition between American workers and foreign labor, particularly where that foreign labor involves child or slave labor practices. Americans will work hard for fair wages, but they can't compete with workers paid pennies per hour under terrible conditions.
When trade relationships are balanced - where American companies can access foreign markets as easily as foreign companies access American markets - domestic wages rise naturally. The goal isn't protectionism but fair competition that doesn't reward the exploitation of foreign workers while punishing American ones.
Electoral Integrity and Democratic Principles
The current state of American elections in many jurisdictions represents a fundamental threat to democratic governance. When elections can't be counted efficiently and transparently, public confidence in the entire system erodes.
The Non-Citizen Voting Problem
The SAVE Act addresses a basic principle that should require no legislation: only American citizens should vote in American elections. The fact that this needs to be legislated demonstrates how far basic electoral integrity has degraded.
The process creates its own problems. Non-citizens receive driver's licenses, which then provide access to voter registration. This normalization of law-breaking - entering the country illegally, then receiving government documents - undermines the entire concept of legal immigration and citizenship.
Redistricting and Representation
The flight of 50 Texas Democrats to Chicago to avoid redistricting votes illustrates the lengths some will go to maintain power rather than accept legitimate democratic processes. Gerrymandering exists on both sides, but the principle remains that population changes should be reflected in representation.
States like Colorado demonstrate how urban areas can control entire states despite representing a small geographic area. While this reflects population density, it also shows how legislative district drawing can amplify or diminish different constituencies' voices.
The Communist Infiltration of American Politics
Perhaps the most concerning development in American politics is the open embrace of communist ideology by elected officials and candidates. This represents a fundamental departure from American democratic principles.
Congressional Communists
Representatives like Delia Ramirez from Illinois's third congressional district and Ilhan Omar from Minnesota's fifth district have openly expressed greater loyalty to foreign countries than to America. For people who swore an oath to defend the American Constitution, this represents a fundamental betrayal of their responsibilities.
The case of Zoran Mandani in New York represents pure communist ideology - government control of grocery stores, confiscatory taxation of wealth, and centralized economic planning. These aren't progressive policies; they're the fundamental building blocks of communist systems that have failed everywhere they've been tried.
Border District Dangers
The situation in Arizona's 7th Congressional District, where a candidate supported by the Communist Party is running to represent a border district, illustrates the stakes involved. Having communist representation for America's international border represents a national security threat that should concern every American regardless of party affiliation.
The appeal of communist candidates to both aging counterculture voters and young people who feel entitled to free goods and services represents a dangerous coalition. When politicians promise free housing, healthcare, and education without explaining how to pay for it, they're essentially running a communist platform while avoiding the label.
Fiscal Responsibility and Government Spending
The $46 trillion national debt didn't emerge solely from trade imbalances. Congressional spending that consistently exceeds revenue represents the majority of the problem. When legislators treat taxpayer money as their personal gift fund rather than a sacred trust, fiscal disaster becomes inevitable.
The Flat Tax Solution
A flat tax system could solve multiple problems simultaneously. Charging everyone the same percentage - potentially as low as six cents per dollar earned - would mean everyone pays their fair share while keeping 94 cents of every dollar they make.
This system eliminates the complexity that benefits tax preparation companies while penalizing productive citizens. Under current systems, taking a second job can actually reduce take-home pay by pushing earners into higher tax brackets. A flat tax rewards work and eliminates the perverse incentives that discourage productivity.
Spending Without Accountability
The fundamental problem is that elected officials spend other people's money without personal consequences. They don't treat taxpayer funds with the care they'd show their own money because it doesn't impact them personally.
Programs like DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) represent attempts to identify and eliminate waste, but the underlying incentive structure in government spending remains broken. Until officials face personal consequences for fiscal irresponsibility, the spending will continue.
Cultural and Social Breakdown
American society faces challenges that go beyond politics to fundamental cultural issues. The breakdown of traditional family structures, the attack on religious faith, and the normalization of antisocial behavior represent threats to social cohesion.
Technology and Human Development
The rise of artificial intelligence and constant device usage is literally changing how human brains develop. Young people whose brains don't fully form until age 25 are having that development influenced by constant digital stimulation rather than human interaction and real-world problem-solving.
The irony is that while we promote brain training games for older adults to maintain cognitive function, we're allowing young people to outsource their thinking to devices during the most critical period of brain development. This creates a generation less capable of independent thought and problem-solving.
The Erosion of Civic Virtue
The bystander mentality that allows violence to continue while people film it rather than intervene represents a fundamental breakdown in civic responsibility. When a woman tries to help someone and gets violently attacked while bystanders do nothing but record the incident, society has lost something essential.
The normalization of breaking laws - from immigration to election procedures - undermines the entire concept of rule of law. When illegal behavior becomes so common that it's treated as normal, the foundation of democratic society erodes.
Moving Forward: Leadership and Accountability
Real leadership requires taking action rather than just talking about problems. Whether in military service, law enforcement, or civilian leadership, the measure of effectiveness is results, not rhetoric.
The challenge facing America is whether enough people still believe in the fundamental principles that made the country successful: rule of law, individual responsibility, limited government, and civic virtue. The alternative - accepting corruption, normalizing illegal behavior, and embracing failed ideologies - leads to the collapse of democratic institutions.
The choice is clear, but it requires active participation from citizens who understand what's at stake. Passive observers who complain but don't act become part of the problem. Democracy requires participants, not spectators.
As we approach critical elections and face mounting challenges both foreign and domestic, the question isn't whether America has the resources to succeed - it's whether Americans have the will to demand the leadership and accountability necessary for success.