Our Zoom call this week, for paid subscribers, will be on Thursday (not Friday) at Noon EDT. Our guest will be Anshel Pfeffer, senior correspondent and columnist for Haaretz, and author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu and
Pretty funny to hear Peter criticize Trump for "hypernationalism" considering Peter's decades long simping for Palestine, one of the most hypernationalist countries on the planet. It's hard to imagine an act more hypernationalist than suicide bombing a bus full of innocent people or stabbing a family to death. But such acts only seem to bother Peter for a few days at best before he goes back to the trough. Interesting how that works.
"the idea of sacrifice for something greater than himself" cannot seriously be claimed as a motivation for the US military as a system, although it might be true for some of its workers who believe the corporate media's myths. The purpose of the US military, apart from providing non-stop profits for weapons corporations, has for a very long time been to cement the hegemony of the US ruling class across the planet, using the threat and practice of massively destructive war to keep on side any government that tries to oppose or undermine the US-based capitalist global economic system. That ruling class is happy to risk nuclear holocaust to prevent China from becoming a greater economic power than the USA.
John McCain's slogan of 'country first' doesn't appeal to socialists. Internationalism for socialists crosses and erases national states and boundaries, as the working class has exactly the same real interests and enemies in Israel, Peru, Antarctica, the USA or China.
I went into the Army in 1969 thinking that I would at least be doing something good for my country if I died in the Service. My WWII father was doubtful though. Vietnam opened my 19 year old mind. Like you have said in other words, there is nothing stupider than going to war. Even my 19 year old self figured that out. All “Leaders” who think initiating a war will solve a problem should be locked away as criminally insane. And all of us who thought that sacrificing ourselves for our country while in someone else's country, should be given psychiatric help.
Don't we have to ask, though, whether Trump's nationalism is just as nonexistent as his patriotism? He's been perfectly happy to sell out US interests to his friends who rule Russia and Saudi Arabia. Where's the evidence that the hypernationalism is anything more than a campaign strategy for bamboozling his supporters--whom he also considers to be "losers and suckers"?
Would you say that as president, Trump sold out US interests to his friends who rule Russia and Saudi Arabia more than he sold out US interests to Israel?
I'm no defender of Trump, but in the same way that CNN and MSNBC became unwatchable 24/7 anti-Trump networks filled with stories that were slanted to make Trump look as bad as possible (I once played golf with the president of MSNBC who acknowledged that strategy because it "was good for ratings"), so is your including the line about Trump's comment to General Kelly about his son's sacrifice. I've read the context was that Trump was critical of the United States' involvement in Afghanistan and believed the war in Afghanistan was a mistake, calling the war "a total disaster" and that we should have never been there -- and had we not been, many soldiers who lost their lives would not have done so.
Netanyahu to Trump: “You have been the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.”
Nicholas Burns, a former senior US state department official, scorned the plan, saying it “forfeits any presence of fairness and consigns the Palestinians to live as stateless people on their own land. It will deepen, rather than resolve, this seven-decade conflict”
Aaron David Miller said, “Having helped to draft my fair share of Arab-Israeli peace plans many of which were unsuccessful — even half baked — the long-awaited Trump proposal leaves a universe of things to be desired. In one sense it represents a terminal case of diplomatic malpractice. But in another, it really isn't about diplomacy at all or peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Indeed, the deal of the century reflects the triumph of presidential arrogance, domestic politics and pro-Israeli bias over any commitment to serious peacemaking, let alone an already fraught two-state solution which the administration seems determined to bury.”
Not a fun of Trump but like him because he speaks his mind. Deep inside he knows that it's dumb for anyone to sacrifice himself for the sake of a country.
Like all wealthy families, he knows that he can't send any of his children to war. It's clear that many who service in military are from poor families, and many are not actuated by patriotism to serve; they join to make a living and get benefits like free college.
A very small percentage of the populance join the military but are cheered on by many who dont bear the consequences. When they go to the unceasing american military misadventures, the veterans who make it back come back wounded or maimed for life. It's been reported that many veterans regret going to war and are forever haunted by what they do in combat, thus the PTSD. More have died by suicide than while in combat.
Wars are a racket that benefit the weapon makers, politicians and wealthy people. Knowing this, why would anyone serve in the military? Trump's right.
Once again, Peter Beinart engages in subtle but crystal-clear theorizing. The patriotism/nationalism distinction is not only very helpful for understanding Mr. Trump, but portable and usable elsewhere. It may not be quite so clear forSenator McCain however, who was both a sort of patriot and an ethno-nationalist. When somebody at one of his rallies "accused" Senator Obama of being an Arab, he responded, "No ma'am, he's a decent family man," a revealing retort. He also referred repeatedly to his Vietnamese guards as "gooks," without having the capacity to understand why they might have mistreated somebody who had just been dropping bombs on their countrymen.
Trump manipulates his populist base with slogans and jingoism but is a selfish narcissist…by the way Mr Beinart when have you ever served the greater good other than from your armchair…be careful how you critique other Monday morning quarterbacks
Well said. In three years of graduate political science, we learned that using words to communicate leads to both grand and grotesque consequences. So it is critical to choose your words carefully, especially when you are communicating to a large audience. The transcript of a live broadcast leaves a lot to be desired but Mr. Beinart hits all of the salient points head on and accurately. Though the words were met with more emotions by WWII veterans, the distinction between country and United States was important, worldwide. More importantly, a nationalist was seen clearly as the predecessor to fascism and dictatorships. Nationalism when fueled by fear moves countries overnight towards rule by the very very few. And Trump has used all of the recipes for doing just that. Both Trump and the Republican Party have become the modern equivalent to what happened to Germany almost 100 years ago. Here we can go again!
Trump’s inherently contradictory stance - he drags around his mantra of “America First” even as he insults people who would (or did) lose their lives for our country - corresponds 100% to the Jewish lobby’s claims of exclusive autonomy over all of Palestine at least in part bc they suffered through the Holocaust - while the Israeli govt. has been treating Palestinians living in the occupied territories as second-class citizens who don’t necessarily deserve their homes or their lives. The marriage of Trump and Israel is a match made in heaven; I hope the divorce forged when the electorate evicted Trump from the White House sustains itself through the 2024 campaign season.
“ It couldn’t happen to a nicer couple. But the simultaneous disasters that befell Boris Johnson and Donald Trump last Friday deserve, at best, two cheers. To adapt Mark Antony’s eulogy for Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play, the evil that these men did lives after them. The question is: for how long?
Trump is not, after all, for Christmas – except as that rough beast slouching towards Bethlehem in WB Yeats’s Yuletide nightmare. Having destroyed the working consensus of respect for America’s basic democratic institutions, he will try to do the same to its fundamental systems of law and order.
Narcissists, when they are brought low, want to bring the world down around them – if the world does not do their bidding, it does not deserve to exist. Johnson is too weak to do that. Trump, like an unshorn Samson, blinded by rage, still has the power to try.”
This might be interesting if developed but right now it's so fuzzy and vague that I have trouble deciphering if there's anything insightful or interesting here.
Pretty funny to hear Peter criticize Trump for "hypernationalism" considering Peter's decades long simping for Palestine, one of the most hypernationalist countries on the planet. It's hard to imagine an act more hypernationalist than suicide bombing a bus full of innocent people or stabbing a family to death. But such acts only seem to bother Peter for a few days at best before he goes back to the trough. Interesting how that works.
Palestine is a country?
"the idea of sacrifice for something greater than himself" cannot seriously be claimed as a motivation for the US military as a system, although it might be true for some of its workers who believe the corporate media's myths. The purpose of the US military, apart from providing non-stop profits for weapons corporations, has for a very long time been to cement the hegemony of the US ruling class across the planet, using the threat and practice of massively destructive war to keep on side any government that tries to oppose or undermine the US-based capitalist global economic system. That ruling class is happy to risk nuclear holocaust to prevent China from becoming a greater economic power than the USA.
John McCain's slogan of 'country first' doesn't appeal to socialists. Internationalism for socialists crosses and erases national states and boundaries, as the working class has exactly the same real interests and enemies in Israel, Peru, Antarctica, the USA or China.
I went into the Army in 1969 thinking that I would at least be doing something good for my country if I died in the Service. My WWII father was doubtful though. Vietnam opened my 19 year old mind. Like you have said in other words, there is nothing stupider than going to war. Even my 19 year old self figured that out. All “Leaders” who think initiating a war will solve a problem should be locked away as criminally insane. And all of us who thought that sacrificing ourselves for our country while in someone else's country, should be given psychiatric help.
Don't we have to ask, though, whether Trump's nationalism is just as nonexistent as his patriotism? He's been perfectly happy to sell out US interests to his friends who rule Russia and Saudi Arabia. Where's the evidence that the hypernationalism is anything more than a campaign strategy for bamboozling his supporters--whom he also considers to be "losers and suckers"?
Would you say that as president, Trump sold out US interests to his friends who rule Russia and Saudi Arabia more than he sold out US interests to Israel?
I'm no defender of Trump, but in the same way that CNN and MSNBC became unwatchable 24/7 anti-Trump networks filled with stories that were slanted to make Trump look as bad as possible (I once played golf with the president of MSNBC who acknowledged that strategy because it "was good for ratings"), so is your including the line about Trump's comment to General Kelly about his son's sacrifice. I've read the context was that Trump was critical of the United States' involvement in Afghanistan and believed the war in Afghanistan was a mistake, calling the war "a total disaster" and that we should have never been there -- and had we not been, many soldiers who lost their lives would not have done so.
Trump’s Deal of the Century.
Netanyahu to Trump: “You have been the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.”
Nicholas Burns, a former senior US state department official, scorned the plan, saying it “forfeits any presence of fairness and consigns the Palestinians to live as stateless people on their own land. It will deepen, rather than resolve, this seven-decade conflict”
Aaron David Miller said, “Having helped to draft my fair share of Arab-Israeli peace plans many of which were unsuccessful — even half baked — the long-awaited Trump proposal leaves a universe of things to be desired. In one sense it represents a terminal case of diplomatic malpractice. But in another, it really isn't about diplomacy at all or peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Indeed, the deal of the century reflects the triumph of presidential arrogance, domestic politics and pro-Israeli bias over any commitment to serious peacemaking, let alone an already fraught two-state solution which the administration seems determined to bury.”
Even a broken clock is right twice a day......
Not a fun of Trump but like him because he speaks his mind. Deep inside he knows that it's dumb for anyone to sacrifice himself for the sake of a country.
Like all wealthy families, he knows that he can't send any of his children to war. It's clear that many who service in military are from poor families, and many are not actuated by patriotism to serve; they join to make a living and get benefits like free college.
A very small percentage of the populance join the military but are cheered on by many who dont bear the consequences. When they go to the unceasing american military misadventures, the veterans who make it back come back wounded or maimed for life. It's been reported that many veterans regret going to war and are forever haunted by what they do in combat, thus the PTSD. More have died by suicide than while in combat.
Wars are a racket that benefit the weapon makers, politicians and wealthy people. Knowing this, why would anyone serve in the military? Trump's right.
Once again, Peter Beinart engages in subtle but crystal-clear theorizing. The patriotism/nationalism distinction is not only very helpful for understanding Mr. Trump, but portable and usable elsewhere. It may not be quite so clear forSenator McCain however, who was both a sort of patriot and an ethno-nationalist. When somebody at one of his rallies "accused" Senator Obama of being an Arab, he responded, "No ma'am, he's a decent family man," a revealing retort. He also referred repeatedly to his Vietnamese guards as "gooks," without having the capacity to understand why they might have mistreated somebody who had just been dropping bombs on their countrymen.
Trump manipulates his populist base with slogans and jingoism but is a selfish narcissist…by the way Mr Beinart when have you ever served the greater good other than from your armchair…be careful how you critique other Monday morning quarterbacks
Well said. When will this sick man exit our lives. He has made the US the laughing stock of the world:
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793648532/Foreign-Perceptions-of-the-United-States-under-Donald-Trump
Well said. In three years of graduate political science, we learned that using words to communicate leads to both grand and grotesque consequences. So it is critical to choose your words carefully, especially when you are communicating to a large audience. The transcript of a live broadcast leaves a lot to be desired but Mr. Beinart hits all of the salient points head on and accurately. Though the words were met with more emotions by WWII veterans, the distinction between country and United States was important, worldwide. More importantly, a nationalist was seen clearly as the predecessor to fascism and dictatorships. Nationalism when fueled by fear moves countries overnight towards rule by the very very few. And Trump has used all of the recipes for doing just that. Both Trump and the Republican Party have become the modern equivalent to what happened to Germany almost 100 years ago. Here we can go again!
Trump’s inherently contradictory stance - he drags around his mantra of “America First” even as he insults people who would (or did) lose their lives for our country - corresponds 100% to the Jewish lobby’s claims of exclusive autonomy over all of Palestine at least in part bc they suffered through the Holocaust - while the Israeli govt. has been treating Palestinians living in the occupied territories as second-class citizens who don’t necessarily deserve their homes or their lives. The marriage of Trump and Israel is a match made in heaven; I hope the divorce forged when the electorate evicted Trump from the White House sustains itself through the 2024 campaign season.
“ It couldn’t happen to a nicer couple. But the simultaneous disasters that befell Boris Johnson and Donald Trump last Friday deserve, at best, two cheers. To adapt Mark Antony’s eulogy for Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play, the evil that these men did lives after them. The question is: for how long?
Trump is not, after all, for Christmas – except as that rough beast slouching towards Bethlehem in WB Yeats’s Yuletide nightmare. Having destroyed the working consensus of respect for America’s basic democratic institutions, he will try to do the same to its fundamental systems of law and order.
Narcissists, when they are brought low, want to bring the world down around them – if the world does not do their bidding, it does not deserve to exist. Johnson is too weak to do that. Trump, like an unshorn Samson, blinded by rage, still has the power to try.”
Fintan O’Toole - Irish Times June 13, 2023
This might be interesting if developed but right now it's so fuzzy and vague that I have trouble deciphering if there's anything insightful or interesting here.
Preferred social media link?