West Point Cadet Tweets Kaepernick Support: 'Communism Will Win'

What a knucklehead!

I read it and the linked article. I see views that are not likely to make him popular with his peers. What I don't see is a call to overthrow the government or the Constitution. Communism is a failed economic system, not a political system. Some real nasty characters, such as Joseph Stalin and Mao Tse Tung have used it as a means to achieve totalitarian rule, but it has also been an economic system used by democratically ruled communes, kibbutzes, etc.

In terms of Federal Law, political activity is fairly narrowly defined. It involves public support to or advocacy of a candidate for office or a political party. That is not present in his writing. Arguably, an active duty member on Rallypoint making statements in support of a candidate or party are conducting political activity, but the subject 2LT is not.

There is perhaps some uniform violations in the photos. Maybe some conduct unbecoming, discredit upon the institution, but mostly, it's a knucklehead ill advisedly expressing his views.

Unfortunately it is all to real. I personally spoke with the USMA Office of Public Affairs. This individual is currently serving with troops. Think about that

So, let me get this straight. Military officers swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, which includes freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of association, and so on.

But these same officers are not allowed to have thoughts that are not approved by the chain of command, they are not allowed to belong to the political movement of their choosing, they are not allowed to speak unless it meets the approval of other officers.

As long as he does his job, he should be OK. He severed in a Ranger Battalion, has a CIB, and completed 4-years of West Point, and y'all are in an uproar because he's a socialist/communist? Besides, it's a failed system. Being either socialist or communist is not against the law, nor do those political views prohibit his service.

Those who think otherwise should be ashamed of themselves.