The US presidential race hits a “new low” with Cold War slurs.
As Ilia Chavchavadze, a famous Georgian writer, poet, and journalist once wrote, “Judge not a man by his friends but look at his enemies, and then I can tell you who this man is!” However, in this case, that man is a woman, and one that is collecting high profile enemies.
Speaking truth to power has such a nice ring. That is because it is so seldom applied these days, as you are soon marginalised and labelled a loose cannon, or even worse—a Russian asset, Manchurian Candidate, or an Assad apologist!
Tulsi Gabbard once went so far as to sponsor a bill known as the “Stop Arming Terrorists Act,” through Congress, which would have meant cutting off aid to the rebels/terrorists fighting Assad.
Tulsi Gabbard
The NYT and other MSM were quick to attack Tulsi Gabbard. They did not try to discredit her for anything that is out of the ordinary, but because she told too many inconvenient truths. This was especially the case in a response to former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for having had taking on the one democratic candidate that has views that are being expressed by more and more Americans, especially former military and rank and file Americans.
Thus, it is understandable why Gabbard is NOT the candidate of choice for the DNC. She speaks her mind about the DNC and Hillary Clinton. The result for her is being branded with a Scarlet Letter. She also turned her back on the DNC back in 2016, walking away, when she realized how Hillary was rigging the election, stealing the Democratic nomination, and even the Whitehouse was stolen from Bernie Sanders.
Being true to herself—and the core values of the Democratic Party, Tulsi Gabbard spared no words in describing Hillary Clinton for what she was and continues to be.
You, Hillary Clinton, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain. Ever since I announced my candidacy there has been a concerted campaign to destroy my reputation. We wondered who was behind it and why… it was always you.”
She further added a challenge:
It’s now clear that this primary is between you and me, don’t cowardly hide behind your proxies, Join the race directly.
Besides having the ability to think for herself; Gabbard has the military experience and education to do that, especially in terms of national security issues. That means by conventional wisdom she doesn’t belong in the Democrat Party and that in itself is a REAL threat to the Republican Party and Trump’s reelection bid.
To have the audacity to talk opening about the consequences of 4-profit US “regime change wars” comes at a high political cost, at least at the first impression. For this reason, Gabbard is being smeared as a “foreign agent”—a Manchurian Candidate.
This is old term that is commonly used to indicate disloyalty or corruption, whether intentional or unintentional—and comes from a Cold War era movie about capture POWs who had been brainwashed and trained to be part of sleeper cells that would eventually carryout missions upon return to the United States.
But this mudslinging is flying back in Hillary’s face. Within 48 hours not one but two CNN correspondents have not only backed Tulsi, but called out Clinton. Is the sky falling, or is it because Tulsi brings a power to the game that we haven’t seen in politics….
I guess there is no level beneath which Hillary cannot sink.
Game-Changer
As one CNN pundit describes her: Clinton Is Acting Just Like Trump. Tulsi Gabbard is now calling The New York Times and CNN —”completely despicable” for alleging she is a Russian asset and Assad apologist.
Finian Cunningham writes:
“On the other hand, Gabbard stands alone in telling the American people the plain and awful truth. US policy is the fundamental problem. Ending its regime-change war in Syria and elsewhere and ending its diabolical collusion with terror groups is the way to bring peace to the Middle East and to spare ordinary Americans from the economic disaster of spiraling war debts.”
It is very sad indeed that there is a lack of accountability for war crimes (so far) and the unjustified killing of millions of women, children and other civilians (as well as the sad deaths, suicides and wounding of soldiers duped into fighting these illegal wars) War criminals are being celebrated as national heroes: ones to be emulated. And there is an attempt to silence the voices of those who know the true horror and costs of America’s perpetual wars. And you don’t even have to read Orwell to understand what is going on with never-ending wars.
Obama continued with enthusiasm the wars he inherited from the times of the Bush administration. People should not forget that it was Trump who promised to bring an end to such wars and bring American soldiers home during his campaign. And the shared hope of Americans to see the end of needless wars is what got Trump elected in the first place.
Hillary as Trump Asset
It is almost as if Hillary Clinton is working hard to get Trump reelected by further dividing an already divided Democratic Party. If anyone could be called a Russian asset, one only needs to look at her own sordid history: the uranium deals, 20 percent of American stocks sold off to the Russians, the dealings of the Clinton Foundation, its list of donors and how some biting sanctions were lifted on Russian on Bill’s watch, allegedly with a cash payment in return.
It was Hillary and the DNC who stole the nomination from Bernie Sanders. She prevented the only candidate who had a standing chance against a Trump Whitehouse from being nominated. However, all that is moot now. It would be interesting to watch how her recent actions and allegations, will open up the race for the Democrats and put new life into a party that has been on death throes.
Democrats went from a dominant majority to a marginalized party that represents coastal cities. The party seems to have abandoned enormous areas of the country—the heartland. Democrats lost 10 percent of their Senate seats, 19 percent of their House seats, and 20 percent of the seats in state legislatures. One only has to look at the map of the Electoral College and where Trump won the election to understand there has been a change in voter expectations.
Hillary and the Democrats, especially the power elite in the DNC should take a refresher introductory college course in American government. They would then understand that the popular vote does not always matter – as the system is based on allocating representation between all states – and the Electoral College decides who will the president and the race is not by direct vote. That explains much of what is going on: the efforts to impeach Trump from behind closed doors, and all the rhetoric over the need to reform or eliminate the Electoral College system.
Not going to happen, at least anytime soon!
This explains the concerted effort by Hillary to smear one of the few candidates, who if nominated and with the support of the DNC and the rank and file of Democrats could actually beat Trump in the National Election.
Hillary’s words on October 17th are well-chosen for the “unwashed masses” of American voters who still think that anyone painted with her wide red brush will be the kiss-of-death, a proverbial Scarlet Letter.
As Hillary so sarcastically said:
“I’m not making any prediction, but I think they’ve got their eye on somebody who’s currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate. She’s the favorite of the Russians. …They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far. And, that’s assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not because she’s also a Russian asset.”
Such statements are from another era, like that of Joseph McCarthy—and from the time of the Red Scare. But there is method in madness. And it is clear that the comments “appear” to be directed at Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. This was later confirmed after Hillary Clinton’s comments drew considerable criticism from both political parties.
As a result Clinton’s spokesman Nick Merrill backed away from the former Secretary of State’s allegation. Merrill tweeted, “She doesn’t say the Russians are grooming anyone. It was a question about Republicans.”
Whatever that means is open to debate. One thing is certain, the Democratic Party has been injured the most as a result of Hillary’s obvious cheap shots and she should control her diarrhea of the mouth, at least restrain from making public statements.
However, the damage has already been done, and not only to Gabbard but to the Democratic Party as a whole, showing that there is no such thing as party solidarity. To attack a war veteran and respected member of Congress is a new low, even for Hillary.
It is too early to predict if this incident may have political ramifications, as to who gets the nomination. However, it does give good press to Gabbard and a boost to her fledgling campaign. Much to the dismay of many voters, this infighting in the party is a windfall to Trump’s campaign and it may be the incumbent may be reelected.
Hillary is actually doing something constructive for the first time in her sordid career – by giving an unexpected and much-needed boost to Tulsi Gabbard who is the only candidate who challenges the military-industrial complex and never-ending war agenda.
At least Americans have another choice to consider. There are also health and political issues to consider, Bernie Sanders and his heart, and Joe Biden and his son.
It is good to know that there are a few candidates who are in the prime of their life, their political careers, and who are not carrying of the millstones of political corruption around-their-necks.
My prediction: Bernie + Tulsi as VP
Gabbard’s time may not be now but her name will be recognized in the next presidential election, as Trump is only allowed to serve two terms. Perhaps Hillary would take the challenge – to run openly against Gabbard, and then we can be certain of another four years of Donald Trump.
Or that is perhaps the real plan, “Hillary as Trump’s GREATEST Asset!
Henry Kamens, columnist, expert on Central Asia and Caucasus, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.