The bodies weren’t even cold when the MAGA crowd started politicizing yesterday’s drone attacks by Iran-backed groups that killed three U. S. military in Jordan and wounded many others. As expected, Trump immediately blamed Biden’s “weakness and surrender.” Senator Tom Cotton (and Trump supporter) released the following statement almost immediately following the news of the attack:
“Joe Biden emboldened Iran for
years by tolerating attacks on our troops, bribing the ayatollahs with billions
of dollars, and appeasing them to no end. He left our troops as sitting ducks
and now three are dead and dozens wounded, sadly as I’ve predicted would happen
for months. The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military
retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle
East. Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being
commander-in-chief.
“On behalf of Arkansans, I extend my deepest condolence to the families of our brave fallen warriors. May God comfort them as He welcomes their loved ones into His embrace. And may God quickly and completely heal their wounded comrades.”
Nothing wrong with the second paragraph of Cotton's statement,
but notice how it comes as almost an afterthought to the political rhetoric of
the first paragraph, rhetoric characteristic of many MAGA supporters yesterday. One would think
that someone with Sen. Cotton’s distinguished military service would have more
sense. But no, in the ever-growing
insanity of the MAGA cult, politics (i.e. electing Trump) is everything.
As to retaliation against Iran, there must be a U.S.
response, but this is really a very complex issue. Iran denies it ordered the attack. We need proof that it did before we respond
directly against Iran for that attack.
And whatever action we take must be carefully considered in light of the
already potentially explosive nature of the Middle East following the terrorist
attack on Israel, Israel’s legitimate response, the prisoners held by Hamas, and
the many questions about Gaza. Just a
blind return of fire could cause far worse problems than a delay in order to respond
with well thought out action.
But, this inability to think beyond political posturing, rampant on all sides, actually defines the MAGA Republicans today.
Consider the bipartisan immigration bill that was on a likely path to
passage until Trump urged Republicans to vote against the bill because he needs
to be able to attack his rival Biden over the border crisis. The bipartisan
bill would have provided money to Israel and Ukraine in return for Democrats
agreeing to several Republican demands that address the border crisis and
immigration laws. As one senator put it,
“[Trump] doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame
Biden for it.”
Oklahoma Republican Senator Lankford, who continues to
negotiate with Democrats to try to save the bill stated on a Sunday TV news interview:
“It is interesting: Republicans, four months ago, would not give funding for Ukraine, for Israel and for our southern border because we demanded changes in policy. So we actually locked arms together and said: ‘We’re not going to give money for this. We want a change in[immigration] law. And now, it’s interesting: A few months later, when we’re finally getting to the end, they’re like, ‘Oh, just kidding, I actually don’t want a change in law because of presidential election year,'”
And what does Sen. Lankford get for his efforts at
bipartisanship to solve our country’s problems?
The Oklahoma Republican Party approved a resolution censuring the
Senator and attacking him for negotiating with Democrats on a potential border
deal. Just more proof that the
Republican party cares little for people affected by the issues it
campaigns on but rather simply uses those issues as political talking points to
achieve its own power.
This is the new MAGA Republican party, and it has
frightening authoritarian tendencies.
This party is led by the presumptive (but hopefully not actual) nominee
Donald Trump. While it is true that
Trump’s 2016 presidency did much to improve the day to day lives of many
Americans, it also had a dark side.
There is no question that Trump’s words were often acerbic and designed
to get a response. The response,
beginning immediately upon his 2016 election was a series of never-ending
attacks and allegations, many false and pursued out of seemingly pure hate for
the man, but some with at least nuggets of truth to them. While racial and perhaps other divisiveness
became apparent during the Obama years, it increased during Trump’s presidency
and continues to this day.
Both parties have fanned the flames of this atmosphere of
anger and overwhelming divisiveness since 2020.
The parties and their supporters have become true enemies of one another
rather than simply political opponents and all seem ready if not eager to sue,
impeach, censure, or otherwise fully attack anyone whose views or policy
decisions they do not like. This does
little for the American people but seems to satisfy some political need within
our current leaders.
Since 2020, Trump and his MAGA supporters seem to be the
most eager to stir up hatred and discord against any who are not 100% with
them. Since he lost the 2020 election,
Trump has a track record of attacking our Constitution and our very form of
government. His claims of a fraudulent
election, his actions leading up to and on Jan. 6 (which I believe disqualify
him from holding office) and his unsubstantiated and continuing assertions that
Joe Biden was not elected and is not our real president are now joined by his
actions setting up the same claims for 2024 as he currently asserts that the
only way he will lose is if the Democrats cheat. These assertions are all attacks on our
elections, our institutions, and our rule of law, core elements of our
democracy and the America and Americans which these folks claim to love.
But beyond these election related tirades, Trump regularly
debases, ignores, and encourages others to violate the Constitution and laws of
the United States. In his many ongoing
court cases he consistently ignores the court processes, procedures, and rule
of law. He then verbally attacks the
courts, attorneys, and jurors for simply doing their jobs when he does not
obtain the outcome he seeks. Moreover,
he uses these serious judicial matters as opportunities for campaigning. The disrespect (which is encouraged by MAGA supporters who, for
example, urge the Governor of Texas to disobey an order of Stay from the United
States Supreme Court), if not violation, of both Constitution and Rule of Law
are direct assaults on the core of our democracy. These disregarders of the Constitution are
the same folks who assert they believe in its every word – apparently that’s
only when they like what it says.
The MAGA cult wants what it wants, and its political
ambitions trump (excuse the pun) any concern for the American people. Sometimes their needs or desires may benefit,
but that is nothing more than coincidence.
While Trump’s rhetoric has always been acerbic, it has taken
an extremely dark and un-American turn. When he says that immigrants are “poisoning
the blood of our country” (spoken at a New Hampshire rally December 2023) and
then doubles down on that statement when given an opportunity to offer some
less repulsive explanation, one can’t help but hear the echo of Hitler
asserting Jewish blood was poisoning Aryan German blood. And when his Christmas message is a hope that
his opponents rot in hell, one can see that he is not interested in working across the aisle or finding
space for all Americans in this country. (Trump’s Christmas rant included the
following: “World Leaders, both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and
‘sick’ as the THUGS we have inside our Country.” The message ended with, “MAY
THEY (referring to Biden and Special Prosecutor Smith) ROT IN HELL. AGAIN,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!”) Such rhetoric, in my
opinion, does not belong in America, and certainly not in the mouth of a
presidential hopeful.
Trump’s exclusive and authoritarian tendencies are apparent as he tries to
push out of the Republican Party any and all who do no swear allegiance to his
MAGA regime. He asserted that all Nikki
Haley supporters are now permanently barred from the Republican party which he
now refers to as the “MAGA community.”
(So much for the big tent where all are welcome!). MAGA, in true fascist fashion, does not
really care about the people, but only its power and its own ideology.
And, lest we forget the Democrats, they too are often more likely to attack their opponents as totally evil individuals out to destroy America rather than attack the positions and policies of those with whom they disagree. President Biden himself has given some pretty dark and angry speeches and his view of opponents as enemy is often apparent. Expect these type of attacks to become more common as we approach the November election.
We have a changing world
fraught with many crises. These are not
the fault of one person or one party.
The problems and complex and often interconnected. We need
politicians who want to solve these problems, not just use them to blame others
for their existence.
The primary political responses to the drone attack simply
underscore the overwhelming and devastating role that politics itself has taken
in our country. There are good and bad
and mediocre politicians, and we vote in or out those whose policies we do or
do not agree with, giving those we choose the opportunity to represent us, the
people. But when it is politics itself
that begins governing our country – when decisions are made based not on what
is good for the American people but on what effect they will have on the
enemy/other party, then we are in real trouble.
This politicization of almost
everything smothers the opportunity for real dialog, debate, and solution to this
country’s and the world’s problems.
We the people need to begin thinking like Americans who
believe in our country and all of its people and who can work together to find
solutions to our problems, and we need to demand that our politicians do the
same. We must no longer tolerate a politics
that is synonymous with a blood-thirst against those holding opposing views. And we need to elect politicians who will
help us to stand united as one country rather than trying to divide us until we
fall.
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