A message to anyone in a position of power
More.
The United States was once the moral beacon of the world. Now our president believes the Saudis over the CIA, and stands with them, refusing to take action against their Crown Prince for murdering Khashoggi, a U.S. journalist. https://t.co/3eLyGopyYR
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) November 20, 2018
Trump introduced an unsubstantiated smear toward Khashoggi in an official presidential statement, questioned his CIA intelligence and looked for reasons to defend Saudi Arabia — while declaring teh matter closed, as far as he was concerned. https://t.co/yL5UTGC3B6
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) November 20, 2018
Journalists and press freedom campaigners tell me President Trump’s stance on Khashoggi’s murder sends a message to anyone in a position of power that it’s okay to kill their critics, as long as they call them enemies of the people.
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) November 20, 2018
The US president is sharing smears as fact. If he was an enemy of the state, why did he serve for years as a trusted advisor to the Saudi royal family? Did the president or his advisors ask MBS that? https://t.co/TbEE3V8899
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) November 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1064943079529041920
Since Mr. Trump excels in dishonesty, it is now up to members of Congress to obtain & declassify the CIA findings on Jamal Khashoggi’s death. No one in Saudi Arabia—most especially the Crown Prince—should escape accountability for such a heinous act. https://t.co/exQrZKybhk
— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) November 20, 2018
To be fair to Trump, He questioned US Intelligence Agencies conclusion that Russia interfered in the election, because Putin is a great guy. So, he’s being totally consistent. That’s something.
Trump is amoral and corrupt. This is a plain matter of fact. But I am VERY sick of the American hagiography about “who we are” or what/who America “once was” that so often accompanies negative assessments of Trump. Contra Renato Mariotti, there was never any point in the just shy of two-and-a-half centuries of its existence when the United States was “the moral beacon of the world.” Nations which can serve as moral beacons are not founded on slavery and genocide, do not have a long history of imperialist oppression, and do not engage in perpetual war. I doubt very much that there are ANY nations which really deserve the epithet “moral beacon,” because nations simply aren’t the sort of institution given to exceptional goodness — but if there were such a thing as a moral beacon nation, the United States certainly would NOT be an example thereof. Maybe Iceland or Sweden, but not the U.S.A.
I’m not thrilled with Cold War “leader of the free world” rhetoric either, which is very dated, and was never had a whole lot of truth in it even when it was much truer than it is today. And anyone who uses any variation on the phrase “shining city on a hill” can write it on a piece of heavy cardstock, fold it so it’s all sharp corners, then shove it in a delicate orifice. *ugh*
I know. That bothered me too and I almost said so but went with unadorned reaction tweets instead.