Eight months out of the Trump administration, former Secretary of Defense James Mattis gently criticized President Trump, tribalism and the current state of U.S. politics in a new excerpt of his forthcoming book published in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday.
I respected Mattis, but his critique seems to equally blame “both sides” for where we are now as a country. He could have taken a much more direct, truthful stand now.
We’re not better than “our current politics.” We are our current politics.
We are dividing into hostile tribes cheering against each other, fueled by emotion and a mutual disdain that jeopardizes our future, instead of rediscovering our common ground and finding solutions,” he wrote. (Sec. James Mattis)
Weak tea. If you’re serious, call out your right-wing comrades – none of this shit about how we all break into tribes. When the right-wingers turn right at every turn, every chance they get, they walk away from what used to be common sense, common census – and you know as much. You do us (the nation) no favors by implying we on the left-center are in any way responsible for this shit show.
With such brave and valiant soldiers like Mattis, Kelly, McMasters and the rest of Trump’s generals, the chinese and russians must be shaking in their boots…
Another one bites the dust……
Was he sharing pool boys and personal trainers with Falwell?
I guess not all Marines are forthright.
And guys like Mattis that only care about his personal and group benefits and privileges are the cause.
I am still waiting for a general to do the right thing, patriots? none!
reminders
sigh
Not really.
This is an accurate reflection of Mattis’ careful, well-thought-out responses to issues of importance.
He’s no firebrand, and no ideologue.
Mattis is an American.
Trump is not.
Why would Mattis be easy on Presidents McConnell/Trump for being agents of anti American beliefs?
Yes, General Mattis…both sides.
I sympathize with rational - if right-leaning - older folks like Mattis who chafe at the “divisiveness” in today’s politics and long for a time when we could “find solutions”. But IMO anybody who cites “divisiveness” (especially “on all sides” or “across the spectrum” or any other all-sides formulation) has a significant blind spot. Which is this:
We are no longer working from a common set of accepted (more or less) facts.
One “side” or, let’s say, one significant portion of the bell curve, sees reality more or less accurately, identifies problems, and seeks solutions. There are valid policy disagreements about the solutions.
The other half (more like…37%?) of the bell curve (and apparently most of the elected Republican party) looks for where reality conflicts with their own personal politics or policy preferences and then denies that reality to our faces.
How do we “come together to find solutions” with people who flatly refuse to work from a common set of facts or indeed deny the very existence of facts?
That would inhibit book sales. Every author/publisher wants the maximum number of readers, so he doesn’t want to name names and upset the Deplorables (at least those who can read).
Both of them are expected to look at the pictures, at least.
Go tell that to the “tribes” Mattis. You know, the racist, bigoted, xenophobic tribe that is called the GOP?
Considering the danger and risks posed by Trump, the remarks of Mattis are too tepid.
That does happen, I’m told. For example, there is a long tradition of covering for your fellow Marines (which usually sounds a lot like “don’t know, Sir”).
It is a bit more unusual to find a Marine covering for a draft-dodging traitorous coward, though.
Mattis is just another visionless, clueless assclown. So afraid of speaking truth to power that he says almost nothing useful. Seems like a Mueller, smart but about as useless. These kind are good when the system is stable, sure, but now that is is being taken over and collapsing, a useless piece of detritus from a past age. Disappointing.