In the 2016 election, I found Hillary Clinton’s stance on intervention in Syria extremely troubling. It was incomprehensible to me that after decades-long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that someone who said she regrets her Iraq vote, could be so forward about her intent to make another colossal mistake by setting up a no-fly zone between Syria and Russia.
In 2017 Tulsi Gabbard met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. A decision that enraged most Republicans, and many Democrats. I was not enraged. I still believe that then-presidential candidate Barack Obama was right in 2007 when he said about meeting with our enemies, “And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration — is ridiculous.” The Republicans managed to bully President Obama and the Democratic party out of this position, unfortunately.
In 2019 Tulsi is still dead to a number of Democrats who call her an Assad apologist. Some have called her a Russian puppet. Personally, I think that these attacks are absurd and frankly, pro-war propaganda. The right decision is to stop meddling in the affairs of other countries. The right decision is to stop arming “rebel groups” today, that become terrorists tomorrow. These are the right decisions EVEN IF al-Assad and Putin agree in this one particular instance. Tangentially, when it comes to Venezuela, it is NOT OUR PLACE to meddle in their affairs.
This Wednesday Tulsi appeared on The View and defended her position against a hostile Meghan McCain, who again accused her of being an Assad apologist. Tulsi rebuked this assertion with eloquence and grace, and calmly made her case against the US policy of regime change, including US sanctions on Venezuela. Her eloquence on this issue is something unique to Tulsi, and her military service gives her personal insight that no other Democrat can match.
Candidates like Tulsi and Andrew Yang as another example, may not have a chance of winning the primary. However, her perspective on issues of war and peace, and his on Universal Basic Income MUST be heard, and I’ll support their insurgent candidacies as long as they are running.
***UPDATE***
Thank you all for the support, and for the civil discussion, both for and against this perspective!
