This is important: Over the years we witness much political wrangling over our American military. Even the question of whether our service members should answer to the law can become fraught with the cheap politics of patriotism. But a question has been nagging at me for years: Why do conservatives get to abuse our service members this way?
Via msnbc:
• The perils of political paranoia in Texas (MaddowBlog, 29 April)
• Cruz sympathizes with ‘Jade Helm 15’ conspiracy theorists (MaddowBlog, 4 May)
• Walmart, Pentagon try to knock down conspiracy theory (MaddowBlog, 5 May)
• Fearful Texas GOP base amuses nation with conspiracy panic (TRMS, 6 May)
Two points:
(1) Look me in the eye and tell me our service members would do it. I dare you.
(2) This insulting nonsense has reached the top valence of American politics, with at least three Republican presidential candidates joining in: Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
There is no point three.
This is absurd.
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Image note: Detail of frame from The Rachel Maddow Show, msnbc, 6 May 2015.
This Is 