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Spenser Rapone is a former officer in the U.S. Army and the co-host of the EyesLeft podcast. Rapone was initially in high spirits during said investigation. In addition to classic socialist theorists such as Karl Marx, Rapone says he found inspiration in the writings of Stan Goff, a retired Special Forces master sergeant who became a socialist anti-war activist. Spenser R. Rapone Graduate Student, Department of History, University of Texas at Austin 128 Inner Campus Dr. B7000, GAR 1.104, Austin, Texas 78712-1739 p. (512) 471-3261 e. srrapone@utexas.edu Education University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Is West Point Beginning a Whitewash of the Commie Lieutenant - RedState Of the incoming class, 180 were African American, 145 were Hispanic Americans, 99 were Asian Americans and 19 were Native Americans. West Point Communist Spenser Rapone Leaving Army | Law & Crime Spenser Rapone, a former second lieutenant whose Communism Will Win photo rocked the internet in 2017 after being featured by this publication, has received an Other Than Honorable discharge from the U.S. Army. And those views only hardened during his studies of history as one of the academy's "Long Gray Line.". To get into West Point, applicants must receive nominations, usually from U.S. politicians. Local man, West Point grad talks about ouster from Army, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. WATCH LIVE: Retrial for Florida man Eric Robinson accused of brutal love triangle murder, Law&Crime Looks Ahead to 10 Remarkable Criminal Trials Scheduled for the First Half of 2023, 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial, 10 Most Memorable Law&Crime Network Trials, Former Christian missionary convicted of sexual abuse and incest after victim under the age of 12 contracts gonorrhea, Im sorry. New room decor until its flying proudly in the streets. However, the percentage of female cadets has remained largely unchanged for the past four years, averaging between 22 and 24 percent of the class. Also during that time, Rapones Facebook posts grew increasingly radical and leftist. A review of Rapones Facebook page shows that over time, since 2014, his posts became increasingly anti-racism, anti-Israel, pro-Muslim, pro-Communist, anti-military, and anti-police. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and was assigned as an assistant machine gunner in Khost Province. Many other military personnel also tweeted in favor of Kaepernick, although most were supporting free speech, not communism. 1 0 obj Send tips tojonah@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. Spenser Rapone (@SpenserRapone) / Twitter Another figure whos had abig influence on me was Stan Goff. Spenser Rapone, the former Army second lieutenant whose "Communism will win" photos went viral in 2017, has received an "other than honorable" discharge. Several years ago, I met Spenser Rapone when he was a high school student seeking an appointment to West Point, Altmire said. Episode 19: No War But The Class War w/ Spenser Rapone (Podcast Episode 2018) Parents Guide and Certifications from around the world. So, for me, Iwas trying to resolve this contradiction because no one over here was threatening freedom or democracy or anything like that. When last we heard from communist adherent and fan of murderous totalitarian Che Guevara Spenser Rapone, he was drummed out of the service under other-than-honorable conditions for his "protest" at his West Point Graduation. According to his bio on the website, Rapone could no longer stomach the immorality of U.S. imperialism, he spoke out against the reprehensible actions of the military in September 2017. Officially, the Army said in a statement only that it conducted a full investigation and "appropriate action was taken. Hosein was tagged in the picture, suggesting they were Facebook friends at the time. Click here for reprint permission. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. He applied to be a West Point cadet and at that time he as not selected. ;Z*A.,Gr+UYn>SYQel:2>pUpk'+0?@t %*-m,}'~3tWhWwOVM81&:OFGy]$F%xG7*8QjVy(q\-`m'ge(|bUWn`K.O;wu^+r>;Y?^Uba-g2Ia$qYXP}mjCGNq0sy5ElUAiWe -H/r| >a~SuPc;*}{Mf.B@I}\)T|] Rapone said an investigation found he went online to advocate for a socialist revolution and disparage high-ranking officers. After the initial photo was posted and achieved some measure of viralityand elicited quite a bit of outrage and confusionRapone laid any confusion to rest and further incited his far-right critics by posting another photo of himself wearing aChe Guevarat-shirt underneath his half-buttoned uniform. ", "I consider myself a revolutionary socialist," the 26-year-old Rapone told The Associated Press. In addition to classic socialist theorists such as Karl Marx, Rapone says he found inspiration in the writings of Stan Goff, a retired Special Forces master sergeant who became a socialist anti-war activist. Helicopters crashed in mountains, fair weather, Army says, Army Special Ops Command welcomes first female command sergeant major, Army identifies 3 soldiers killed in Alaska helicopter crash, Army grounds helicopter fleet for force-wide safety stand down. Despite his growing disillusionment about the military, he applied and got in. (Via Twitter). The unit issued its own statement that focused on uniform regulations. Then she puts them under a microscope. From there, Iwould either be retained or kicked out. Oops, this content can't be loadedbecause you're having connectivity problems, - The Washington Times - Friday, June 8, 2018. Richard L. Rapone explained that Spenser tried to join West Point straight out of high school but was not accepted. One of six children growing up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Rapone said he applied to West Point, which is tuition-free, because he couldnt afford college. [8], DSA Veterans Working Group Statement on Afghanistan. Yes, Spenser "with an s" Rapone is now a Ph.D. candidate at that hotbed of communism, University of Texas-Austin. Hes an exceptional soldier, the Twitter account, @DSAVeterans, wrote. West Point's newest class has increased minority representation and the percentage of female new cadets remained consistent with previous years. He went viral after posting a photo to Twitter of himself in support of professional football player Colin Kaepernick, where Rapone is seen in his West Point uniform at graduation holding his cap that contains a piece of paper that says Communism will win.. His father, a local official for Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, issued his own statement, disavowing his sons political views. vltD+u Spenser Rapone: 'Communism' cap gets West Point grad booted from the Trump and other right wingers also still trot out Pat Tillman as asymbol. Articles by this author Opinion Your Commander-in-Chief Is Lying to You: Veterans Issue Open Letter to Active Duty US Soldiers Rory Fanning. New cadets hold and read booklets called 'Cadet Knowledge' during Reception Day at the United States Military Academy at West Point, June 27, 2016, in West Point, New York. Mar 29 Damascus is under attack. Spenser Rapone | Author | Common Dreams Spenser Rapone was like acharacter who stepped out of aBruce Springsteen song. As a Facebook friend since 2014, Hosein would have been aware of Rapones Facebook postings between 2014 and when he graduated in 2016. hJHICB&Y'8erMr=31yfk|17~c}\T_* 9?V{9,'Y\%?MX}'ZI#B?9`V;&sI$nx6/ 2S&D#K2:3+5,YSa1a"7'+ZvvYnzlJScC)f$':AIR1>?"b endobj Then, Iwant to get active. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and was assigned as an assistant machine gunner in Khost Province. At West Point, Hosein had mentored Rapone. The Army wont say. No political movement can be healthy unless it has its own press to inform it, educate it and orient it. Second Lieutenant Rapones actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army. Its atypical right-wing canard with communism that its atotalitarian entity, but thats not what it is. Imean, he had acorrespondence with NoamChomsky. On March 24, 2014, Rapone posted a picture of himself and Hosein in front of the Taj Mahal. Of the people who go into the military, not many people go with acomplete political formation of the world and, unfortunately, being in that world steers them acertain way. I have not been in touch with him in the years since the appointment, and I was shocked and extremely disappointed in the recent reports of his indefensible actions.. He got out on the other side thought and became an anti-war activist and asocialist. He added that it's possible the military academy could seek repayment of the cost of Rapone's education because he didn't serve the full five-year service obligation required upon graduation. Due to privacy act restrictions, we are limited in what information we can provide, Lt. Col. Nina Hill, an Army spokeswoman, told reporters. Over the course of the next six weeks, new cadets will be complete physical training, as well as small-unit tactical training and rifle marksmanship. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. 2023 by the Institute for Public Affairs (EIN: 94-2889692). Low around 35F. (Source: Twitter). Rapone had also posted a second photo of himself in uniform, and he is seen wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt underneath his uniform jacket. The class of 2022 included 400 minority cadets, among them 186 African Americans, 104 Hispanic Americans, 99 Asian Americans and 11 Native Americans, according to West Point. Be Nice. Idont want people saying that because they are volunteers, theres no room for resisting. Its a call for action beyond the scope of the US colonial state. At that point, again, Iwanted nothing to do with the military because Ifind their rule morally reprehensible and ethically unsound, so Isubmitted my resignation. 'Commie Cadet' sends vulgar message on his way out of the Army Vice President Mike Pence called the class of 2019 the most diverse in West Point's history during the commencement address. One picture showed him in uniform, opening his shirt to show an of Che Guevara. No matter what you did in these imperialist conflicts, theres arole you can play in ending them and try to help emancipate and liberate people. Spenser Rapone, a former second lieutenant whose "Communism Will Win" photo rocked the internet in 2017 after being featured by this publication, has received an "Other Than Honorable" discharge from the U.S. Army. Rapone is scheduled to speak in July at a Socialism 2018 conference in Chicago, where he and fellow far-lefty Rory Fanning, an ex-Army ranger, will appear together in a "War Resister in the . Threats of harming another Rapone came under fire last year for his social media posts of socialist and communist content. With all their political gamesmanship, lawmakers forget that real human lives are often on the line. Im amember of the DSA, so Iwant to get involved with socialist politics and affect some change. The Army often invokes privacy concerns when dealing with information about junior ranking soldiers, though there is no blanket policy for the Defense Department. The Army confirmed that Rapone graduated from West Point in 2016 and is now serving as a second lieutenant with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Drum, New York. In the simplest of terms, Ifelt like we were the big bully and the purveyor of violence. Prysner holds an American nationality and belongs to the white ethnicity. Officials also confirmed that, following his commissioning, he had failed out of Ranger school before being assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Lt. Rapone, a member of the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, first drew attention when he tweeted an image from his Twitter account, @punkproletarian, with "Communism Will Win". The DSAs Veterans Working Group, of which Rapone is a member, also offered support to him in a statement. Hosein brought Phi Alpha Theta members, including Rapone, to Orlando, Florida, for a national conference in February 2016. Or, Icould submit an unconditional resignation and they can give me whatever discharge they want. West Point graduate and now former Army infantry officer Spenser Rapone has been processed out of the U.S. Army and received an other than honorable discharge from the military after a photo he posted with his West Point cap and the words Communism will win went viral. Then there was the move to an all-volunteer force and thats interesting because asubstantial number of Vietnam resisters were volunteers. But in terms of restrictions, after the Vietnam era in 78, they put it into code that any kind of military unions or organizing is explicitly forbidden. WvLUTTTkJX5SK's?:aBe".0X~m41aT`Z""%&QR6&; Whatever happened to that communist lieutenant? "These young men and women are coming here to devote themselves to becoming guardians of Duty, Honor, Country the West Point motto and our United States Constitution. Most importantly, you'll the knowledge that you are part of keeping independent, progressive journalism alive and accessible for everyone. In fact, Ididnt really find what we were being told in America to be reflective of what was really going on in Afghanistan. He completed Airborne school and a rigorous Ranger Assessment and Selection Program and was assigned to the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, Georgia. He was an idealistic teenager from the rural Rust Belt town of New Castle, Pennsylvania (literally the . As weve seen in the recent past, ideological actors working inside the system such as Edward Snowden can do a tremendous amount of damage to national security. Even while still a cadet, Rapones online postings alarmed a West Point history professor, who wrote Rapone up, saying his online postings were red flags that cannot be ignored. Rapone was disciplined but still allowed to graduate. Communist ex-Ranger and West Pointer receiving a other than honorable discharge. In this case, it came from Altmire, who served as a membr of Congress in Pennsylvanias 4th congressional district from 2007 to 2013. We were just going in their homes and threatening their villages and were creating nothing but chaos anddestruction. person will not be tolerated. Are there more restrictions against certain kinds of speech after 9/11? The day after Iposted the pictures, my chain of command approached me, read me my rights, and told me Icould talk right now or wait for an attorney, so of course Iwaited for an attorney. Despite his growing disillusionment about the military, he applied and got in. Among other activities, Soldiers are encouraged to vote in elections and express their personal opinions on public issues. Reception Day marks the first step in a 47-month journey toward becoming an officer in the United States Army. Spenser Rapone - Bio, News, Photos - Washington Times During the Vietnam era, there were various things happening for working-class soldiers and soldiers of color and it was all veryvibrant. A spokeswoman for the 10th Mountain Division confirmed that Rapone had started Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia near Columbus in February 2017 but did not complete the course. The military website SOFREP reiterated on Thursday that Mr. Rapone was an advocate for the long march through the institutions of power., This [philosophy] entails burrowing inside the institutions of society, including the military, and subverting them from within and ultimately setting the conditions for a communist revolution, wrote Jack Murphy, a former Army Special Operations veteran. Don't knowingly lie about anyone In one, the graduating cadet is seen making a fist while displaying the underside of his cover, scrawled with COMMUNISM WILL WIN, at his commencement in 2016. Rainmixing with snow overnight. West Point released a statement after Rapone posted the photos, saying his actions "in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. You go in with acertain vision in your head of what being in the military is and then you see the reality of it. At West Point, Irealized Imight be asocialist. Use the 'Report' link on Journalist Chris Hedges interviews former combat veteran and US Army officer, Spenser Rapone about bravery and morality. Along with domestic cadets, the newest class includes cadets from more than a dozen countries, including Columbia, Egypt, Rwanda and Thailand. [emailprotected]. Spenser Rapone was accepted to West Point in 2012, graduated in 2016 and received an "other than honorable discharge" in June. Later, he served as an Army Ranger and was deployed to Afghanistan on special mission. Republicans apparently don't believe that Americans who work longer hours should get paid more. #VeteransForKaepernick pic.twitter.com/3jnCtawvHc, Rudi (Dutschke) Cant Fail (@punkproletarian) September 24, 2017. It Takes a Lifetime to Build Your Personal Brand and an - LinkedIn Those inquires are finished, the Army said in a statement Tuesday but that is all they would say. At the time, the Army confirmed that he had previously been an enlisted soldier and a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, with one Afghanistan deployment, but that he had been removed for standards.. Greg Rinckey, an attorney specializing in military law, said it's rare for an officer out of West Point to receive an other-than-honorable discharge. On Monday, Rapone tweeted another picture of himself in his West Point uniform, exposing a Che Guevara T-shirt underneath with the caption In case there was any lingering doubt, hasta la victoria siempre.. He ultimately resigned his commission, and was separated from the Army in June 2018 with an Other Than Honorable discharge., Spenser Rapones bio on Socialism 2018 (Socialism 2018 Website), Fanning wrote that their conversation will be called Resisting Within the Ranks.. Iwas ahistory major, and Istudied Middle Eastern history specifically. You go to football games and they bring troops out on the field. My attorney told me they wanted to get apound of flesh from me, but Ididnt do anything illegal. You start to see why these wars are endless. Aside from his recent West Point graduation, Rapone was an infantry officer in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com. We were bullies in one of the poorest countries on Earth, Rapone said. Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere. He enlisted in the United States Army right out of high school. Have a tip or story idea? He explained that he took the offending selfies at his May 2016 West Point graduation ceremony and kept them to himself until last September, when he tweeted them in solidarity with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was taking heat for kneeling for the national anthem to raise awareness of racism. Ithink it was just him seeing the word communist made him draw his own conclusions fromthere. Toward the end of his deployment, he learned West Point fulfills a certain quota of enlisted soldiers every year. In total, this signified about a four percent increase in minority enrollment, equal to about 43 people, compared to the previous year. So theres thataspect. The newest class of cadets enters the academy on the heels of the school graduating a record number of black women in a single class, which occurred in May. He studied political theory, radicalized, and eventually turned to socialism. stream Army Commie Cadet Gets Promoted to 1LT - MilitaryCorruption.com While in uniform, Spenser Rapone advocated for communism and political violence, and expressed support and sympathy for enemies of the United States, Rubio said Monday, adding Im glad to see that they have given him an other-than-honorable discharge., Second Lt. Spenser Rapone posted a photo on Twitter of himself posing with a Che Guevara t-shirt under his uniform at his graduation from West Point in May. [6], Members of Democratic Socialists of America's Socialist Punk Caucus closed Facebook group, accessed November 24, 2017, included Spenser Rapone. Deciding he could no longer stomach the immorality of US imperialism, he spoke out against the reprehensible actions of the military in September 2017. The Navy, on the other hand, readily releases full investigations into rank-and-file sailors when their cases have become infamous. "While in uniform, Spenser Rapone advocated for communism and political violence, and expressed support and sympathy for enemies of the United States," Rubio said Monday, adding "I'm glad to see that they have given him an 'other-than-honorable' discharge.". In another, he raises his fist and flips his cap to reveal the message: Communism will win.. He didnt want to be paraded around or be used by the Bush administration to sell awar. 2?pe5 uxk+qeO/jiez,&V%?`L"[A aiJeyr~]Jx$r!6'bw Former Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania told The Daily Caller News Foundation that Rapones long history of extremist tweets, which include calling Mattis an evil, vile f****, is shocking, disappointing and abhorrent. On February 11, he posted an article titled Know Your (Gun) Rights! There are a lot of veterans both active duty and not that feel like I do.. The Israeli regime is bombing Syrians during the month of Ramadan while the US is starving Syrian with inhuman and sadistic sanctions. Check out the details here. Ex-Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, who served from 2007 to 2013, said that Second Lt. Spenser Rapone let him down. Last October, some old tweets of a West Point cadet in a Che Guevara shirt sparked outrage across the country. In 2021 Spenser Rapone was hired at the University of Texas in Austin in the History Departments New School for Social Research. Prospective Students; Undergraduate Students; Graduate Studies Ithink some people are more anti-Trump than they are anti-war. Guevara was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary who believed the poor people of Latin America would be saved by communism. There has been ahistory of conscious objection by soldiers. Theyre not designed to achieve any sort ofobjective. Left: Army 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone graduating from West Point in May of 2016. I was still idealistic, he said. I figured maybe I could change things from inside.. In my own unit, Isaw no commitment to learning about the Afghan people or trying to understand them or their culture.
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