By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The Defense Department has implemented new policies aimed at modernizing Stars and Stripes, which were announced following criticism that the independent military newspaper was focusing on “woke distractions.” These changes require the newspaper to adhere to interim Defense Department policies and cease publishing certain types of content, stating that its reporting must now be “consistent with good order and discipline.” This phrase has raised concerns for military journalists who could face legal jeopardy if their reporting is deemed inconsistent with this standard. The Pentagon asserts these updates are intended to refocus the publication on its original mission of serving service members by the warfighter and for the warfighter.
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The Pentagon’s recent tightening of controls over Stars and Stripes, the military’s own newspaper, following accusations of it being “woke,” has certainly sparked a significant amount of conversation. It seems that the term “woke” has become a convenient catch-all for anything that doesn’t align with a particular political viewpoint, particularly when it involves reporting on aspects of military life that might be considered inconvenient or critical.
The very notion that reporting on troop deaths is now being labeled “woke” is, frankly, bewildering. For over a century and a half, Stars and Stripes has been tasked with delivering news from within the military community, and its role has been to inform service members and their families. To suddenly brand this objective reporting as “woke” suggests a drastic redefinition of the term, one that seems to equate it with anything and everything that isn’t perceived as a complete endorsement of a specific administration’s agenda.
This shift in perception raises serious questions about the very purpose of a military newspaper. If factual depictions of events in war zones are deemed problematic, and reporting on matters that don’t exclusively “blow sunshine” are now considered suspect, then what is the intended function of Stars and Stripes? It appears to be moving away from providing a truthful account of military life towards becoming a more sanitized, perhaps even propagandistic, publication.
The shift in terminology from “enlisted” or “soldier” to “warfighter” also seems to be part of this larger trend. It’s a subtle change, but one that appears to align with the administration’s efforts to reframe the military discourse. This move towards controlling information and labeling dissent as “woke” echoes concerning historical patterns of censorship.
When figures like Sean Parnell, who has faced serious accusations of domestic violence, are vocal in their criticism of Stars and Stripes for being “woke,” it further illustrates the often-arbitrary nature of the label. It suggests that “woke” is being used as a broad justification to silence any reporting that might be considered uncomfortable or that doesn’t fit a narrow ideological mold.
The idea that reporting on uncomfortable truths about the military now necessitates tighter controls is deeply problematic. If the Constitution itself is now implicitly being questioned as “woke” because it allows for such reporting, it highlights a significant concern about the erosion of fundamental principles. Even seemingly innocuous content, like weather reports, could potentially be caught in this broad brushstroke of accusation.
The irony of this situation is not lost on many. Some recall Stars and Stripes being perceived as right-wing in the past, leading to nicknames like “Stars and Lies.” The current administration’s actions seem to be pushing the publication in a direction that is eliciting fears of authoritarianism, with questions arising about the very ability of service members to access unbiased information.
The notion that the military’s newspaper wasn’t sufficiently aligned with a particular ideology and needed to “lick the boot harder” suggests a concerning embrace of what many are describing as fascism. The term “woke,” when used in this context, appears to be weaponized to silence dissent and dismiss inconvenient facts, effectively asking people to “go back to sleep” rather than engage with societal injustices.
The current situation seems to be a deliberate attempt to deconstruct language and muddle definitions, a tactic that has been employed with terms like “communist,” “socialist,” and “liberal.” This war on language and thought is arguably more insidious than past accusations of “political correctness.” It’s telling that the same individuals struggling to define “what is woke” are the ones actively wielding the term as an insult.
Even the removal of comic strips, once a staple of Stars and Stripes, is now being labeled as a consequence of “conservative cancel culture.” This demonstrates a boundless and shameless pursuit of ideological purity. The term “warfighter” itself is being criticized as a lame and perhaps manipulative term that has emerged from this administration.
Ultimately, the accusation of “woke” is being applied to anything that deviates from a preferred narrative. The fear is that this erosion of truth and free expression could extend to fundamental tenets, including the American Constitution itself. There’s a growing concern that the nation is teetering on the edge of fascism, with the current administration’s actions fueling this anxiety.
Interestingly, some see the teachings of Jesus Christ as embodying the essence of what is now being labeled “woke.” The dismissal of factual events, such as a plane falling out of the sky, as mere coincidence, while simultaneously scrutinizing articles about women pilots, highlights a peculiar and concerning bias. The appropriation of a term that originated within the African American community to discuss awareness of societal issues, and its subsequent perversion, is also a point of contention.
The implications of this trend are far-reaching. Logic, integrity, decency, science, education, intelligence, and literacy – all foundational elements of a functioning society – could potentially be branded as “woke” if they don’t conform to a narrow, predetermined viewpoint. This strategy of labeling anything disliked as “woke” is not new; it has been a tactic employed for decades.
The truth itself is deemed “woke” because it fails to align with specific, entrenched beliefs. This creates a reality where objective reporting and critical thinking are actively suppressed. The frustration and weariness expressed by those with education and pragmatism are understandable, as they witness the descent into what they perceive as irrationality and stupidity.
The sentiment that “for them woke means ‘I don’t like it'” accurately captures the arbitrary and subjective nature of the label’s current application. It’s being used in the same dismissive way that “gay” was used in high school to ostracize and denigrate. The current administration’s actions regarding Stars and Stripes represent a concerning continuation of this pattern.