There is something deeply wrong with the political culture in America. There certainly are numerous historical antecedents of the political behavior we are witnessing but never has this country endured the prolonged bitter, relentless anger between political adversaries as we are observing today—even in the ante-bellum period. Specifically, on matters of international relations, there was a time when the nation came together during moments of tragedy and sorrow and politicians did not try to exploit the moment to score political points. What is transpiring in Washington as the Biden Administration seeks to extricate as many Americans and allies as possible out of Kabul is appalling.
Congress did three major full-scale investigations of the events of Pearl Harbor but rallied to support F.D.R.’s after his Day of Infamy Address on December 8, 1941. One hour after President Roosevelt requested that Congress issue a declaration of war, it passed the Senate unanimously and received all but one vote in the House. (Only Representative Jeannette Rankin [R-MT], an avowed pacifist, opposed the measure.)
Similarly, the 1966 Viet-Nam War Investigatory hearings led by Senator J. William Fulbright (D-AR), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, only began approximately 18 months after the Senate passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. That vote passed unanimously in the House and with only two dissents in the Senate: Senators Wayne Morse (D-OR) and Ernest Gruening (D-AK). It’s passage in the Senate was led by Senator Fulbright himself.
Instead of rallying in support of the Government and the military as it proceeds with the frightfully difficult task of evacuation, there are Senators and House Members calling for the President to resign. Other Members are calling for President Biden’s impeachment. Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) audaciously assumed it would be helpful if they themselves flew to Afghanistan to observe the U.S. evacuation process. (Their grandstanding tactic required diplomatic and military personnel to be detailed to protect and care for them. How could two Members of Congress, Iraq War veterans, presume in the midst of the arduous extrication mission being conducted by U.S. personnel, that their presence in Kabul would benefit American interests?)
There is much to discuss and debate about how the U.S. has been involved and trapped in Afghanistan at various levels of involvement since the 1970’s. From supporting guerillas to fighting Al-Qaeda to financing the corrupt Afghan Government, both Democratic and Republican Administrations have been embroiled in Afghanistan for over 50 years. Russian, Chinese, Iranian, and Pakistanis have all been actively enjoined in trying to control or manage the chaos in Afghanistan. Even efforts to improve life—at least in the major cities—failed at some of the most basic humanitarian efforts.
It was never going to be neat and tidy. With a failing Government in Kabul, the U.S. apparently recognized that enough had been lost and it was time to leave. What appears to have gone wrong was timing, support, preparation, and the loss of control of the moment. All of this will be revealed in due course.
Many political critics ought to be asking themselves whether their behavior and conduct during these tragic times is befitting public leaders. It would be nice to believe that the American people in 2022 and 2024 will evaluate their elected officials based on their level of civility, humanity, and patriotism. Unfortunately, in today’s political culture voters are much more likely to measure politicians and officials based on their effective exploitation of partisan bias, even during a moment of international crisis and tragedy.
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