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Steel Yourself: Criticism of Dissent is Coming
Brief thoughts on rhetorical conflation and cheap propaganda tricks in three key areas
As we inch closer to a war with Iran lead by a deeply unqualified and erratic “Commander in Chief,” get ready for Trump supporters to conflate criticism of the administration’s foreign policy with support for the Iranian regime. It’s already happening as Twitter trolls and Facebook “friends” suggest moving to Iran if you don’t agree with what they consider to be Trump’s decisive and necessary action last night.
Three key things to keep in mind then:
• The Founders considered dissent so important they enshrined it in the First Amendment. Teddy President Roosevelt said, “Patriotism is standing by your country, not by your President.” Criticism of Trump and this administration’s policies is not and never will be unpatriotic and nobody has to quiet themselves because we’re preparing for war or engaging in it.
• Criticism of U.S. foreign policy does not equal support for the Iranian regime. It’s a cheap rhetorical trick but it’s already being deployed. It’s quite possible to be emphatically against the Iranian regime and also believe an aggressive, violent and pre-emptive U.S. foreign policy is toxic and will only worsen the situation, getting not just…
