Talking to kids about politics
Hi Krystal & Saagar, I'm 23 years old and at some point sooner or later in my life, I hope to be a father. I watched Joe Rogan's recent podcast with James Lindsay in which they discussed the prevalence of "wokeness" in teaching today. This isn't the first time I've been worried about the future of kids I don't even have yet, and I'd like to ask about your thoughts on how to approach talking to your kids about politics and culture, especially when it seems that in public schools, they are being taught to think "woke".
Growing inequality within the Military
Good Morning! I have been an enlisted member in the military for over 14 years now and I've noticed a growing divide between the Officer Core and the Enlisted. Just in 2022 for example with the cost of living allowance (COLA) in D.C. almost all E-6 and below had a reduction of about $20 and all O-3 and above had an increase of $20. Imagine walking in one morning and giving your boss $20 because steak prices have gone up. This trend is mirrored in many different aspects and programs. I genuinely do love serving my country but it kills me when I have to help my enlisted crew figure out how to pay for child care, growing rent prices, car repairs or the monthly payments they have. So my question is this: What are your thoughts on the growing inequality within the military? Is this a reflection of the growing divide between the elites and the working class or disconnect between when people hear the word 'Veteran' they assume that Officers and Enlisted are treated as equals? Thank you for your time and your great reporting! Other examples: The growing trend of Housing Allowance for officers being significantly higher, the numerous education programs that are limited to officers only, and (at least in my branch) the ease in which they advance up the ranks while we struggle to move up. I have endured many awkward conversations about why, regardless of rank, officers are entitled to a better living situation or education than enlisted and have been given no answer. Note: If you look up the growing trend of Housing Allowance single members are generally getting less and less of an increase (sometimes a complete reduction compare DC 2021 and 2022) each year while those with dependents go up. Most would argue that this is the same for everyone the vast majority of those who are single are younger enlisted and those on top are usually have a spouse. The final piece that really hit home was when Trump was running for re-election the military was forced to accept a monthly withholding that we "might not" have to pay back if he was re-elected. You were unable to Opt-out of this and only applied to those who made less than 8,666.66 a month. When we were shown a chart of who this applied to, only high-ranking officers were not forced into this because they made too much money. Pile this on top of the many other programs that are available to officers and not enlisted and you can guess why there is a declining retention rate among newly enlisted personnel. 2020 withholding: https://imgur.com/qzgdaWS (I couldn't find an article that had the whole chart but I found an image here. The number in gray make too much money are are exempt from the withholding) https://militarymoneymanual.com/payroll-tax-deferral-military/ Basic Housing Allowance Calculator: https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm Officer Degree Program: https://www.westpoint.edu/military/department-of-physical-education/job-opportunities/graduate-school Note: Officers get paid their current rank to attend these schools (usually a O-3/4) for 2 years, schooling gets fully paid for and they come out and rank higher. There is no such program for enlisted in most branches but the airforce and navy community colleges are free if you're accepted and they are completed on the members own time. Many don't sign up because they have little more than enough time for maybe 1 class a semester. These thoughts and views are my own and in no way reflect the views and stance of my service.