If I want to shock people about the Israel-Gaza war — and there is so much shocking already — I might mention that I don't blame Hamas so much as I do Benjamin Netanyahu. Then, if I have a chance to get words in before they go off on me, I point out that while Hamas was merely doing what terrorist groups do — cause terror — Netanyahu, as prime minister of Israel, was supposed to stop them. He dropped the ball or, more accurately, took his eyes, and the nation's, off it.
And this was before evidence was revealed that Israel had direct knowledge of the specific Hamas plans and did nothing. When they merely had a year when Netanyahu tore the country apart, trying to keep his ass out of stir by skewing the judicial system in his favor. Reservists were threatening to resign rather than serve a dictatorship; there was constant talk of how military preparedness would be compromised. Then, surprise surprise, military preparedness was compromised, with horrific results.
Destroying Hamas is important. But if I had to choose whether to sink the top leader of Hamas into the Dead Sea, or Netanyahu, well, that would be an easy choice. I'd chose the guy who did the most harm to Israel, and is doing it still.
I bring this up because Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Alabama Republican, announced Tuesday he was ending his farce. In case you haven't been paying attention — lucky you — Tuberville has been blocking military promotions for nearly a year, to register his opposition to the military policy of paying for women service members to go to states where abortion is legal to get the procedure, if need be. Because military personnel can be assigned anywhere, and they can't have their rights as citizens depend on which base they get assigned to, whether in a freedom loving blue state or a women-oppressing red. Tuberville didn't like that, and being a powerful senator, threw the legislative equivalent of holding his breath until the military turned blue. On Tuesday, he let it breathe again. The Senate approved of 440 delayed appointments.
Mere politics? No harm done? We'll see. Who knows what hidden damage was caused, that'll be flushed out after some unseen disaster. What those key jobs going unfilled for nearly a year did. Gumming up the works of America's military in order to win a victory for your army of imaginary babies was cheap theater, and we're just lucky some adversary didn't take advantage of the disorder it caused within the ranks. As far as we know.
Republicans used to be so rah-rah pro-military, it's astounding to see them, under the influence of Trump, to be willing to kneecap the capacity of our armed forces. Expect more to come — Tuberville, in yielding, said he'll still block the appointment of top generals until the military decides to revoke the right of its female personnel to have reproductive medical care. And we should never forget Trump calling for the death of Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for standing up for the constitution instead of supporting Trump's coup. Milley was a hero — he saved our country — and Trump should be in prison.
One message of Oct. 7 is that vigilance needs to be constant when enemies are resourceful, relentless and creative. Ours are. Like Israel, we're lulled into complacency, so much so that Tuberville's stunt was accepted as business as usual. And Donald Trump is allowed to run again, even as he promises to be a dictator. Even though, we can't know what kind of long term damage Tuberville caused to our military. We do know that the Republican Party will stop at nothing — undercutting our nation's safety, tearing up our democracy, voiding the constitution — to promote its smug fantasy of religious morality. Some things are too important to toy with lightly. Like the military. Or voting. Or health care. Our country's health care system is already feeling the ripple effects of reversing Roe v. Wade. Women who never considered an abortion will die as doctors do contortions trying to follow medical guidelines written by politicians. No terrorist could have accomplished that. No one can hurt us the way we hurt ourselves.
One message of Oct. 7 is that vigilance needs to be constant when enemies are resourceful, relentless and creative. Ours are. Like Israel, we're lulled into complacency, so much so that Tuberville's stunt was accepted as business as usual. And Donald Trump is allowed to run again, even as he promises to be a dictator. Even though, we can't know what kind of long term damage Tuberville caused to our military. We do know that the Republican Party will stop at nothing — undercutting our nation's safety, tearing up our democracy, voiding the constitution — to promote its smug fantasy of religious morality. Some things are too important to toy with lightly. Like the military. Or voting. Or health care. Our country's health care system is already feeling the ripple effects of reversing Roe v. Wade. Women who never considered an abortion will die as doctors do contortions trying to follow medical guidelines written by politicians. No terrorist could have accomplished that. No one can hurt us the way we hurt ourselves.
You hit the nail on the head with this one.
ReplyDeleteThank you for noting a connective tissue between Tuberville and Netanyahu. Arrogance and ignorance is a dangerous combination - a combination built into the DNA of modern "conservative" thought.
ReplyDeleteThe October 7th attack by Hamas was despicable. But Netanyahu has blood on his hands and much to answer for. He seems intent on joining the cadre of authoritarian "leaders" marching ever to the right. Not unlike what TFG has planned for us should he win the presidency again. Cheney is correct to wonder if the blockade of military appointments is more intended to hold them open for Trump to fill than any real concern for those imaginary babies. Republicans also have blood on their hands and much to answer for.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. It bears repeating that gathering intel is one thing. What leaders do with that info is what really counts.
ReplyDeleteIt's still astonishing to me that republicans are openly allied with Putin and his vicious totalitarian state. If the republicans win next year, there will be more war in the Bloodlands and no guarantee that America will honor its NATO commitments.
All true, all sad
ReplyDeleteTuberville seems to be working not for the people of Alabama or the USA, but for Putin, Xi & Kim.
ReplyDeleteNot only is he a disgusting moron, but he also never served in the military, but seems to think he knows more than them.
And as many have pointed out, he was also a lousy football coach.
The people that voted for him should be ashamed of themselves, but since they're all wing nut Southerners, I'm sure they'll insist he doing god's work.
Except if you're one of those delusional fools who believe in god, then ask yourself, can't that god at least choose someone intelligent to help him, not the dumbest & most traitorous one in the Senate?
It's always a problem when football coaches become senators. I wonder if Tommy has figured out the three branches of government. yet.
DeleteAs far as I can tell Osborne is the only coach that has been elected to be a Senator. Of course other athletes have been elected to office or succeeded to positions. Jack Kemp was a Congressman. Bill Bradley was a senator. Whizzer White was a Supreme court justice and Alan Page was a Minnesota Supreme court justice. As for Tuberville, first of all he had a lot of name recogition. You need more than a bunch of wing nut southerners to win an election. Plenty of people that one could consider having smarts vote for he likes of Tuberville and of course Trump. I would assume just about every Republican in Congress and the Senate are college educated and they all supported Trump. Plus the 140 or so that voted against certifying Bidens election.
DeleteLet us not forget that antidemocratic institutions of our own, the Electoral College, ridiculous Senate rules, and, representation in Congress that is not linked to population, have created the mess we're in now. Without the EC Trump would be no threat.
ReplyDeleteAppalling and true!
ReplyDeleteThe situations faced by both Israel and the Untied Snakes have many parallels. Reading this immediately reminded me of that memorable scene in "The Wizard of Oz"...
ReplyDeleteCowardly Lion: Waaaaaah!
Dorothy: What's the matter?
Cowardly Lion: Somebody pulled my TAIL!
Dorothy: (looking at the Lion, who has his tail in his paw) You did it to yourself!
(Cowardly Lion, in obvious embarrassment, quickly lets go of his tail.)
The Cowardly Liar and Net-and-Yahoo are two of a kind, brothers under the skin. One ignored a plague that eventually killed a million of his countrymen. The other caused his country's version of Pearl Harbor, which seems appropriate to mention on this anniversary date. They lied...and thousands died. Makes a good campaign slogan...except for one thing: It's already been used...too many times.
Hear! Hear! Why isn't this essay in the paper, Neil? This is required reading.
ReplyDeleteThe paper doesn't seem comfortable with me addressing the situation in Israel. The several times I have recently led to general hand-wringing that becomes bothersome. So rather than have my work vetted by every employee at WBEZ who can fog a mirror, I'd rather express myself here in a clear and unfettered fashion.
DeleteThat's a real shame the paper stifling you some but thanks for bringing more about Turberville to light.
DeleteAnother keeper of a post!
ReplyDeleteIt seems we're all old folks here. Probably old enough to remember Vietnam and Jim Crow and some of us might go back to the Korean war where hundreds of thousands of our soldiers were sent into a conflict that yielded nothing
ReplyDeleteWe've probably all read some history and know about the world wars where again millions of our soldiers were sent and tens of thousands were killed in hundreds of thousands injured. Let's not forget the Great depression and before that the civil war or 500,000 Americans died to end a circumstance in our country where people were enslaved.
Well, that does not affect our ancestors. It was a far worse time than we're facing now. We've had presidents that were inapped and downright malicious. I forgot to mention water gate and the recent pandemic. There have been so many things worse than the way. Things are now that clutching our pearls and carrying on the way we do seems completely inappropriate. We have a good life in America. The vast majority of people do, of course there are problems and there are problems throughout the world. But let's try to think about when we were faced with the Cold war and they told us that we should hide under our desks at school. Come on people. It's a tough situation, but we're not on the brink of destruction
Yielded nothing?
DeleteTell that to the North Koreans in person.
As night follows day
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna61585
Yep, that's a Homer.
ReplyDeleteThanks to the comment that connected the dots that the top brass positions are being held up to be filled by a certain president (they hope) who will fill with those to support the military-assist at dismantling our constitution. I’ve lived through all kinds of political shenanigans in my 70 years, but this one was beyond my vision. Very frightening.
ReplyDelete