Am I the only one who wishes the president’s press secretary
would tone down her rhetoric? Or learn to read history?
Every time I read chief of staff Kelly’s statements from his
“press conference” last week, I get a little more uneasy. “General John”
came about as close to hinting at the justification for a military coup as a person
could get, in my opinion. If you think it is beyond the reach of our country,
read the intro to Robert Caro’s book on LBJ, Master of the Senate. His introductory section on the history of
the Senate covers the explosive return of General Douglas MacArthur to the United
States after being fired for rank subordination and nearly getting the U.S. into a land war with China.
It’s a scary account and possibly the closest we’ve come to
a coup in the country’s history. A few cool heads in the United States Senate
interceded and calmed the waters, as could have General John if he had chosen to. The
general had a great opportunity to deliver to the country a healing message, a message of fellowship and harmony.
Having served his country honorably, and having lost a son in an American
battle, he carries much weight, and justifiably so. He could have used it
compassionately and wisely. That would have gained him the blessing of being
called a peacemaker as well as a soldier.
Instead, he divided us further and disparaged, with outright
falsehoods, the service of an elected legislator of our country.
Our leaders, other than the occasional Joe McCarthy, didn’t
use to do that. We disagreed but carried on our live without ad hominem attacks on anyone who
disagreed. That has increasingly become the norm. The public arena has become more like a World Wrestling Federaltion affair than the Senate of Dale Bumpers and David Pryor. What must our young people be thinking?
And now, we don’t need a political sycophant telling us that
it is inappropriate to question a four-star general, or any other high-ranking
official.
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