Hypocrisy Knows No Limits!

Ranting seems to be popular these days so I think I’ll take a stab at it. 

There are those times when a person just needs to vent. Today is one of those times so please indulge me and forgive me if you can. Here goes . . .

The other day I was playing golf with an old Navy buddy of mine whom I have known for a long time. We have sailed the high seas together and been in some dangerous places together. We've played a lit of golf together as well.

At some point in the round the topic of politics came up, as it always does. 

Our discussions are friendly in spite of the fact that we are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. But this time my good friend made a statement that really raised my eyebrows. 

He said and I paraphrase due to my own geratic memory deficiency: 

“I could never forgive Hillary for what she did to our Embassy folks in Benghazi.” 

That ended our political discussion for that round of golf and I’m certain we’ll continue the next time we play.

I cannot count the number of times I have heard people criticize Hillary Clinton for the Benghazi disaster. Of course it was tragic to lose the lives of fellow Americans in such a way and I do hope my rant is not perceived as my belittling their deaths. It is not!

But let’s get real, shall we? 

Let’s compare what happened in Benghazi to what happened on 9/11. Four precious souls lost their lives in Benghazi. 

That’s bad enough for sure and there’s an unwritten rule that states that someone needs to be punished for such a disaster. A Scapegoat is needed to satisfy America’s need for justice and revenge. I get that, I really do although I don't always agree with it. 

From my perspective we all make mistakes and imparting grace is much more generative than scapegoating.

Yet Hillary Clinton seems to have been the prime candidate for blame regarding Benghazi. She is still haunted by that unfortunate tragedy that occurred on her watch as Secretary of State.

Now not so long ago, on a clear September morning the United States of America was attacked in what is now simply referred to as “9/11”. The scope of this national tragedy far exceeds that of Benghazi in terms of the several thousands of innocent lives killed that day and the estimated cost of about $178 billion in property damage and economic consequences.

9/11 changed us as Americans. It contributed to a national obsession with fear that still persists today. It helped create a hard edge on the American soul that is easily detectable in ways we Americans relate to one another and others in the world. 

America sensed her own vulnerability for the very first time in her short history and it unsettled us. 

In light of these horrific attacks on 9/11 historian Andrew Bacevich points out: 

“In the performance of their most fundamental mission—the Bush administration and the world’s largest and ostensibly most sophisticated national security apparatus failed utterly.”

In the days, weeks, and months following 9/11 not one U.S. official lost his or her job. Not one! Not one of those responsible for the security of our Homeland was fired or reprimanded. Not one!

Not one U.S. official was called on the carpet. No special congressional hearings were conducted to determine who might be responsible for the attacks. At least not anyone I am aware of.

Heads rolled following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but not as the result of the most unprecedented tragedy ever to occur on American soil. Not one! Nada!

And if the hypocrisy of the GOP isn't blatant enough over this, 15 of the 19 young men who attacked the Untied States on 9/11 were Saudi Arabians, yet the Bush administration simply turned a blind eye to this fact. Sometimes I suppose political expediency and hypocrisy move in the same circles.

After two of the most protracted wars in U.S. history as the result of this administration’s apparent security failures Republicans are still calling for Hillary’s head. Unbelievable!

So here’s my rant for the summer: 

Hypocrisy knows no limits!

I’m done.