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It’s always interesting when we find ourselves acting in shock when something has been happening right under our noses.

I remember back in 2012 at a town hall meeting in Jensen Beach (Martin County), Florida when a woman asked about socialists in Washington, D.C. I responded that there were some 75-80 “communists” on Capitol Hill … and that they call themselves the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

They’re the ones who wanted a constitutional amendment to allow Congress to redistribute wealth. Of course, the leftist, liberal, progressive media went apoplectic, but when one assesses their philosophy and principles of governance, my assertion was correct.

I don’t begrudge those who want to embrace a progressive, socialist, Marxist, statist, communist, political belief — just don’t try and masquerade it as something else: Be honest and admit to it.

And we all should come to realize that America has crossed an ideological Rubicon; we have folks who openly admit to being socialists and communists in our republic, and their intent is simple: Fundamentally transform America into their desired state of being.

So, let’s stop acting amazed when this political philosophical belief infiltrates every institution in our country … it’s widely taught in our colleges and universities, and its tenets are expressed in our media and by our elites.

And now there’s an investigation in our military. As reported by the Free Beacon,

The U.S. Army announced Tuesday it was investigating a West Point graduate who publicly posted to social media several photos advocating communism, including several that featured him wearing his alma mater’s uniform.

West Point swiftly responded to the posts as they spread rapidly across social media, making clear the messages posted by Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone “in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army.”

“As figures of public trust, members of the military must exhibit exemplary conduct, and are prohibited from engaging in certain expressions of political speech in uniform,” West Point wrote in a statement. “Second Lieutenant Rapone’s chain of command is aware of his actions and is looking into the matter. The academy is prepared to assist the officer’s chain of command as required.”

In one photo posted to Twitter this week, Rapone is holding a military cap with the message “Communism Will Win” scrawled on the inside.

A second photo features Rapone wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt under his uniform with the the Argentine communist revolutionary’s iconic mantra, “Hasta la victoria siempre,” posted below.

I, for one, am not shocked, and you can bet that Army second lieutenant Spenser Rapone has now become an immediate hero in the ranks of the progressive, socialist left.

He’s a former enlisted Army infantryman who served in combat in Afghanistan and was accepted into West Point. He will now be embraced by the left, just as the football players kneeling in disrespect of our American flag and national anthem were supported by the leftists in America. He’ll be their champion and martyr.

Consider this: Bradley Manning committed the most heinous of crime while in uniform — treason — by sharing classified information from within a combat zone. But Manning became a hero to the left, and because he embraced one of their ideological agenda items: gender dysphoria,

Manning was released from prison and his sentence was commuted by Barack Obama, the Lord of the Snowflakes (progressive socialists). Who would’ve ever thought that the agenda of the left would overrule the rule of law, to include an act of treason?

Manning’s offense under a strict interpretation of federal law was punishable by death — but not in today’s America.

Bowe Bergdahl is a deserter, but to the left he’s one who served with honor and distinction. The Taliban is not about keeping an American soldier for five years! Bergdahl’s fate should have been there for all of us to see via a horrific beheading video.

Instead there were soldiers who lost their lives seeking his recovery, and five Taliban senior commanders were released for this deserter and traitor. But in this new American culture, this version of the comic book Bizarro World, Bergdahl is championed, embraced and beloved — and he’ll apparently never see punishment … which, by military law, would be death.

Yes, folks, that’s the punishment for committing treason or desertion in a combat zone. This is what Manning did in Iraq and Bergdahl did in Afghanistan.

Let’s not forget the black female cadets at West Point who raised their fists, while in uniform, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. That was a clear violation of the code of conduct and standards of the United States Military Academy, but they were allowed to graduate regardless.

Now, compare that to the West Point football coach who last year, after an upset victory over Temple University, offered a team prayer in the locker room — and was admonished for doing so. I wonder if the Army football team was allowed to pray after the upset victory over Navy, ending fourteen years of losing to the midshipmen?

So now the fight will be about the values of the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Army. Do those values reflect the military or the popular culture? I ask, because what has happened recently reflects the fact that the military is reflecting the values of the culture of the progressive socialist agenda.

The past eight years are evidence, and if that’s the case, there will be nothing done about Army second lieutenant Rapone, or else the leftists will go nuts — apoplectic.

The question here is simple: Is communism consistent with the values of our U.S. Constitution? Second lieutenant Rapone took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. This episode poses a simple question: Does this young lieutenant’s political philosophy put him at odds and in violation of the oath he took and the Constitution he swore to defend?

It’s an important question because we must then confront the issue of whether or not an avowed Democratic socialist, or progressive socialist, can actually serve as an elected political official in the United States? And we must now confront a another reality: Can someone that is an admitted socialist, Marxist, progressive, statist and communist be expected to honor our rule of law, the Constitution?

If you understand political philosophy, you will understand this next statement, too: “One can be a socialist without being a communist, but one cannot be a communist without being a socialist.” What’s imperative to understand, too, is what Vladimir Lenin stated: “The goal of socialism is communism.”

The case of Army second lieutenant Spenser Rapone is not one to take lightly. It presents us with a very interesting dilemma and will determine the future of our constitutional republic.

Can an avowed Communist fundamentally honor an oath to our Constitution? And are these elected officials who are embracing progressive socialism seeking to institute Lenin’s vision in America?

Bottom line: Does progressive socialism, and communism, seek to undermine the Constitution of the United States? The leftists in America seem to blatantly say they no longer respect or regard the Constitution — and their positions on the issues of illegal immigration and sanctuary cities say as much.

My, how times have changed in America, and in my Army. When I was commissioned as an Army officer on July 31, 1982, I took my oath knowing that my first duty station would be in Europe — staring down communism. That was 35 years ago.

[Learn more about Allen West’s vision for this nation in his book Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin’s Journey to Faith, Family and Freedom]