In the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell, the Thought Police are the secret police of the superstate, who discover and punish thoughtcrime (personal and political thoughts unapproved by the régime). Using criminal psychology and omnipresent surveillance (via informers, telescreens, cameras, and microphones), the Thought Police monitor the citizens and arrest all those who have committed thoughtcrime in challenge to the status quo authority of the Party and of the régime of Big Brother.
But that was just fiction, right?
Pete Hegseth tells Pentagon staff to hunt for negative Charlie Kirk posts by service membersSeveral people have already been relieved of their jobs because of their posts on social media, defense officials told NBC News.
Link to Full ArticleNBC News - Courtney Kube and Carol E. Lee
Sept. 12, 2025, 4:43 PM MDT
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told his staff to identify any members of the military who have mocked or condoned the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk so that they can be punished, two defense officials told NBC News.
Several service members have been relieved from their jobs because of such posts, the officials said, adding that Hegseth's directive also pertains to others associated with the Defense Department. It's unclear exactly how many people have been disciplined.
Hegseth and other senior Pentagon leaders posted messages on X this week calling on the public to report any posts that could be interpreted as negative about Kirk or unsympathetic about his murder.
Many social media users have heeded the call, assisting Hegseth and the Pentagon in finding and flagging posts. Dozens of service members and civilian Pentagon employees have had their posts highlighted and collected under the hashtag #RevolutionariesintheRanks.
Some of the posts in that collection don't necessarily condone or mock Kirk's murder but have been viewed as unfavorable — including one that read, "I don't give a s--- about Charlie Kirk."-------------------------------------------
You would think that the Department of Defense (the Pentagon) would have more important things to do, like defending the country, monitoring what is happening in Ukraine, or making battle plans for the huge military threats in the Caribbean from Venezuela.
Nope. They are all on Facebook, X, TikTok, and other social media sites looking for servicemembers who posted something unapproved by the regime so they can be punished. Some of these servicemembers are stationed in very dangerous parts of the world and are using social media to stay in touch with family members back home. These same people are prepared to give their lives to defend our First Amendment rights, rights that apparently they do not have themselves.
I find this behavior coming out of Washington, D.C. to be disgusting, but disgusting behavior seems to be the new normal for this Administration. But to flag servicemember social media posts with the hashtag #RevolutionariesintheRanks is just unforgivable.
Excuse me, but there are some Federal Agents at my door that want to talk to me about this post. 🤡
