The ultimate irony of the human condition
How can this Speaker of the House, second in line to the presidency, actually become the president?
For example, the fate of the world at war in situations like Ukraine and Gaza … or whether women control their own bodies, should be decided by such a man?
But the irony persists. This guy Mike Johnson so-called Speaker of the (Trump) House finds himself “kissing the ring” of someone who is consistently both for and against abortion rights … and I do mean consistently. Trump tries to follow the political wind but increasingly doesn’t know which way it blows.
And now Johnson can easily let go of his staunch pro-life political idea to follow Trump … or Jesus or Marjorie Taylor Greene.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that these folks are all about power and money. But the Supreme Irony in politics is that it is always possible to accuse the “other” of doing the same.
Politics is belief, just like religion and like the law in the judicial system: Judges and juries don’t necessarily get to the truth. They get to what is believed — whatever the truth may be, as DNA evidence proves lately again and again how wrong they can be.
Trump just happened on the ultimate lie. He isn’t a genius or even extremely clever in politics, he just found himself there; a narcissist in heaven and ran with it. He got the ultimate irony: that what people believe is so much more important than what is actually true to so much of the population.
It’s the ultimate irony of the human condition. We know the truth but can’t believe it because of what we already believe!
Michael Dille, Boulder
U.S. must use power of purse to stop Israel
The United States must start using the power of the purse against Israel. This is not an anti-Semitic stance but a pro-humanity one. The Israeli military has now killed more than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza, besides reducing their homes and hospitals to rubble. Soldiers have reportedly even targeted aid workers. Besides the mass killing, Israel has blocked the delivery of food and medical supplies into Gaza, so people are starving. Palestinian lives matter!
Time magazine published an interesting article a few months ago by Ian S. Lustick. He stated, “No Israeli leader has explained how the military campaign, even as it has destroyed much of the Strip, could possibly achieve its objectives. That’s because it can’t — and they know it.”
So, how will it end? Lustick claims that all Israeli wars of the past 75 years have ended because “leading nations (often the U.S.) determine that its military has gone too far.” No one is defending the horrific Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, but Israel’s response has gone too far. The U.S. must join other nations in demanding an immediate, permanent cease-fire.
Israel won’t end the war without being forced to do so, according to Lustick. By ending it themselves, they would be admitting that they cannot solve their security problems with force. If, however, other countries demand an end to the war, Netanyahu can save face by claiming he would have been successful if only the U.S. and others had not called a halt.
Lustick says, “An American order to stop is not what Israeli leaders fear, it is what they expect.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, stated that Israel is actually hurting its chances for survival by perpetuating this cruel war.
The U.S. gives at least $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel every year. It’s time to use that big, powerful purse.
Cherry Sokoloski, Loveland
