A book written by a former Space Force commander, Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, surged to the top of Amazon following his termination over comments he made criticizing Marxism in the military.
Lohmeier’s book, titled “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,” asserts that Marxist ideas have crept into the Department of Defense and are infecting the U.S. military. He was pitching the book on a conservative radio show when he made the statements in question that led to his ouster from command last week.
“Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, Space Operations Command commander, relieved Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier of command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron, Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, May 14, due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead,” Space Force said in a statement. “This decision was based on public comments made by Lt. Col. Lohmeier in a recent podcast. Lt. Gen. Whiting has initiated a Command Directed Investigation (CDI) on whether these comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity.”
Over the weekend, sales for his book surged on Amazon, pushing it all the way to the number one spot for books. Part of the book’s description on Amazon says:
Irresistible Revolution is a timely and bold contribution from an active-duty Space Force lieutenant colonel who sees the impact of a neo-Marxist agenda at the ground level within our armed forces. In it, author Matthew Lohmeier provides answers to many important questions that Americans are currently asking: Is systemic racism a reality, or is much of our talk about race merely a rhetorical tool used to divide Americans? Why has the Defense Department suddenly shifted to a focus on extremism within the ranks? Is there really a white supremacy or white nationalist problem within our armed forces? Are the many Diversity and Inclusion trainings that are being conducted in our federal agencies helping solve these problems, or are they creating conflict where none previously existed? What is Marxism, and what does it have to do with all of this?
Lohmeier defended his work and said he followed military guidelines and legal procedures before publishing it. According to The Washington Post:
In an email to The Post, Lohmeier said that he consulted with a military public affairs officer and legal counsel before publishing the book and that he had a team of attorneys read the manuscript.
“I complied with what I understood was required as part of the pre-publication process,” he said.
Lohmeier said he did not inform his chain of command that he was writing a book.
“The entirety of the work was done during my free time, after duty hours and on weekends, using my own resources,” he said.
In interviews pitching his book last week, Lohmeier voiced some concerns about Marxist ideology in the military that ultimately led to his firing. In an interview with conservative commentator L. Todd Wood, Lohmeier said military leaders are creating “a hyper-politicized work environment where diversity and inclusion initiatives are being pushed constantly,” according to the Post.
He also hit Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, saying, “I don’t demonize the man, but I want to make it clear to both him and every service member that if we pursue this agenda, it will divide us, it will not unify us.”