I think that Tom Friedman is dreaming in his latest New York Times column:
What is there left to say about the terrible murder of moderate Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its aftermath? Only one thing, and I have said it before, but I feel it even more strongly now: In the midterm elections, vote for a Democrat, canvass for a Democrat, raise money for a Democrat, drive someone else to a voting station to vote for a Democrat.
I don’t say that because I’m particularly liberal and want to shift the whole country to the liberal agenda. I say that because I’m particularly American and I want to put the best of American values back at the center of our diplomacy and politics. President Trump has spent two years attacking our best values — truth and trust — and I believe that Democrats getting a lever of power is necessary, but not sufficient, to reverse that.
Democrats could blow it if they get back a lever of power and use it just to bully Trump and Republicans the same way he has them. But I’ll take that chance. Because there is a basic respect for truth, science and decency in the Democratic caucus and because I know that two more years of the G.O.P. holding every lever of power and blindly following Trump’s basic disrespect for truth, science and decency will make it impossible to elevate America’s best values.
I found the part about the “basic respect for truth, science, and decency in the Democratic caucus” particularly amusing. IMO it would only take Mr. Friedman’s living in Illinois for a week or two to disabuse him of that view.
I can already hear the retort “but that’s Illinois”. I see absolutely no reason to believe that things are better in Washington, DC than they are in Illinois. It isn’t just Republicans who lie and abuse power. It is the nature of partisan politics, particularly when entrenched. It is not merely that “both parties do it”. It is that human beings do it. The protection is limited government of enumerated powers and the rule of law not electing Democrats.
I have no particular fondness for Republicans and, as I have said any number of times, I dislike Trump but Trump is the result not the cause. The cause is our whole present political system.
On Tuesday I’ll go and figuratively pull the levers for a lot of Democrats and a few Republicans, none of whom represent my views particularly well because voting for the lesser evil is as good as it gets. We deserve something better. I don’t think we can get anything better within the constraints of the present system.
Friedman, himself, is notorious for supporting the totalitarian Chinese dictatorship and supporting its importation to the US. Friedman’s own values reduce to psychopathic lying.
Friedman’s commentary is laughable in it’s deluded hypocrisy.
Yesterday, while volunteering @ a local community center, I ran across 2 rare republican women. They are both empathetic, hard workers dealing with programs and donations for seniors and the needy in this area. I was actually surprised by their party affiliations in what is a bastion of “resist†Democrats, as well as their open disdain for the behavior of the dem party, saying they considered it to be an embarrassment to be a democrat these days.
And, then I reflect on Friedman’s piece reflecting what he sees as some kind of democrat moral superiority over their opposition party.
Khashoggi can only be considered a moderate compared to Daesh. His goal, the Muslim Brotherhood’s goal, is a Western Civilization free Middle East, to be followed by the conquest of the lost lands of Islam (Spain, the Balkans, the -stans) and then the entire world. How moderate of him. I still don’t trust any story about Khashhoggi’s death coming from anyone at this point. Too over-the-top James Bond-ish for me. If you want to off a political opponent, you do it quietly, not flamboyantly, especially when you know (if you have one brain cell) what the backlash from the feelzy folks will be.
I continue to wrestle with the issue of how important SA really is to the US. This is an article from a columnist at the LA Times.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pol-us-saudi-ally-20181023-story.html
As a global commodity, her first point is dumb. But I leave it open to those who care to comment and probably have more insight than I on the rest of her points.
On her first point have to agree with Drew. They can manipulate the price of oil if they want. From my readings it looks like they constantly say they are willing to make huge arms deals, but dont consummate many. They do buy a lot from us, just not %500 billion worth. The point about Israel, Andy would probably be better on this, is worth noting. My take is that the Saudis mostly hold this out to manipulate the US. I have a hard time seeing the royal family getting along with the religious element back home if they really openly supported Israel, unless it was somehow very directly related to Iran.
“If you want to off a political opponent, you do it quietly, not flamboyantly,”
Depends upon your audience doesn’t it? If as some claim, this was all about making it clear what happens to Saudis who undercut the Kingdom (MBS), then it is exactly what you want to do. You can always buy off the Americans afterwards.
Steve