Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday declined to address a question from Republican Sen. Tom Cotton as to whether or not capitalism is “racist.”
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Cotton was questioning Gilday about a book, Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist, being added to the Navy’s recommended reading list and pointed out that one of the book’s conclusions is that capitalism is racist.
When Cotton asked whether or not Gilday agreed with that sentiment, the Naval commander avoided answering directly.
“You’re saying as a senior leader of the Navy that you want 18-year-old sailors and 22-year-old ensigns to read a book that asserts that capitalism is essentially racist,” Cotton said to Gilday. “Do you agree that capitalism is essentially racist?”
Gilday responded, “Sir, with all due respect, I’m not going to engage without understanding the context of statements like that.”
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The Arkansas Republican pushed back and asked Gilday in what context a claim like that would “possibly be something with which you agree?”
“Sir, I’d have to go back to the book to take a look at that,” Gilday responded. “I believe we can trust them to read books like that and draw reasonable conclusions.”
Cotton also pressed Gilday on why the book, which promotes critical race theory, was added to the Navy’s recommended reading list in the first place.
“Sir, I chose a variety of books,” Gilday said. “There are over 50 books on my reading list to give our sailors a wide range of information from which I hope they can make facts-based decisions on both their ability to look outwardly at potential aggressors like China and Russia, as well as looking inwardly and being honest with themselves in areas that we need to improve.”
Gilday suggested that the death of George Floyd inspired the decision to add the book to the list.
“In talking with sailors over the past year, it’s clearly obvious to me and others that the murder of George Floyd and the events surrounding that, the discussions in this country about racism, which go back for years and years and years, are still a painful part of our culture and that talking about them, understanding them is the best approach.”
Gilday added that sailors “don’t have to agree with every assertion that Kendi makes” and said that he doesn’t agree with them all, but “they need to be exposed to it” so that they are making fact-based decisions.
“I’m offering them one book among 53 as a different perspective,” Gilday said.
