A U.S. House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., September 2021
Rod Lamkey / Reuters

Not that long ago, members of the Republican Party would never dream of criticizing men and women in uniform. But today, it is commonplace.

Take the May 20, 2021, tweet by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas that “perhaps a woke, emasculated military is not the best idea.” Below was a link to a side-by-side comparison of a Russian military-recruitment ad with a U.S. one: the Russian ad showed shirtless men doing push-ups and soldiers shooting guns, while the American ad depicted the true story of a young woman, raised by two mothers, who joined the U.S. Army.

Or take

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