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Of Syria, Bullies and Work

I have not posted since March 1, a span of 6 weeks, and the longest break not officially announced here. This is the result of two factors. One is my sheer exhaustion with idiot press stories about Trump. I just can't keep commenting on the endless river of vomitoid nonsense on air and in print. The other is work. These two converge in Syria, of all places.

To no surprise, Trump's attack on Syria has been met with partisan reaction. Some people also conflate America First with Isolationism, which is facile and false. Trump simply did what Obama was too weak to do- retaliate for Syria's use of chemical weapons. In so doing he re-established America's engagement on the world stage, not so much as policeman or enforcer but more as a player rather than a cheerleader. Democrats have largely although not totally condemned the attacks, or presented them as an inchoate response of a confused, reactive president. For those who feel the response is unjustified, I have an analogy.

I am in the midst of an unsupportive and hostile workplace. I am willing to say this because I have told them this in the same words. I have been accused of being a bully and of being presumptuous in my care. None of this is true, and I have written material and data to support my assertions. I have politely let the institution know that, absent a retraction of the comments, the next steps involve lawyers. It is they who are the bullies, condoning misbehavior and asking that everyone subdue their egos except for a few sub-specialists, who are allowed to assert anything they please without consequence.

My father used to ask 'how many times will a man spit in your face and you say it's raining?' His answer, and mine, is none. I may stand still for you to spit at me, but only because it suits me, not because it is right or justified. I am completely done with the insinuations, accusations and vituperative atmosphere in which I work, and I am, fortunately, not alone in my outrage.

So how many times should the United States tolerate anyone violating our interests of warnings? My answer, now and always, has been none. I don't believe an ultimatum should be given lightly, but it also should never be given falsely. If you say you will act you must be willing to have your assertion called as a bluff, and be willing to carry through on your warnings. Obama never did, to the terrible detriment of our international standing, among both friends and enemies. As I have written some months ago, we are feared and distrusted by our friends and laughed at by our enemies, the opposite of what is necessary.

Trump restored the US to international meaningfulness. Prior sumit meetings involving Israel and Arab countries have taken place in Russia, a silent but crushing measure of our irrelevance. Russia has been the only actor and power in the Middle East for more than 2 years. That is now changed. US opinion and acts must be considered in any decision by any country.

Now, back to me. As long as I, or anyone, stands still for mistreatment, that mistreatment continues. The culture of an institution and the values of a person may not be changeable. In such a case, the only choice is to put up with abuse, or leave. I will not be mistreated. I grew up with enough of it, and I have lived my entire life with the goal of being free of it. I won't stand for it any more than I believe the US should.

I do enough professionally that I am employable instantly, and my absence would be painful for the institution. They ought to have thought about that before repeatedly mistreating the innocent, before equating wrongdoing with right, service with ego.

The US should not tolerate bullying internationally. I should not tolerate it personally either. And I do not.

Ted

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