We’ve been through this before. In the wake of 9/11, we were called “unpatriotic” when we criticized the administration’s conduct of the “Global War on Terror.” When President Barack Obama was invading Libya, we were called traitors for pointing out it was a bad idea.
Now if you criticize President Joe Biden at all, or vote against Democratic legislation, your patriotism is called into question, and you are called a crony of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The word “treason” is even getting thrown around. And these accusations aren’t coming from random people on Twitter, but from elected Democrats, Republicans, and leading liberal commentators.
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This will become the main line of attack from liberals and Democrats this spring and summer: Oppose Biden, and you’re doing Putin’s bidding — or at least you’re harming the Ukrainians.
To start with the more mild stuff. Watch demagogic Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy malign his colleagues who voted against a massive spending bill that also included some Ukrainian aid.
Of the Republican Senators who attended this weeks “Biden isn’t doing enough for Ukraine” press conference…
2/3 of them:
Risch
Sasse
Kennedy
Cruz
Marshall
Fischer
Lankford
Hoeven
Sullivanvoted AGAINST the bipartisan $12B Ukraine aid package. https://t.co/LLArQKh74m
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 17, 2022
This viral tweet garnered cries of “sedition” or “Putin caucus.”
But again, that was standard-order dishonesty from Murphy.
Sen. Mitt Romney was worse. He was criticizing Tulsi Gabbard, the former congresswoman. Gabbard was talking about U.S.-funded biological labs in Ukraine, which exist, but which sounded to Romney like Putin propaganda. So Romney accused Gabbard of treason.
Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 13, 2022
But you don’t need to venture into Gabbard territory to get called a traitor. You just need to vote “wrong.”
Here’s a Democratic strategist getting 5,000 retweets after he called several GOP members of Congress “Russian agents” for their votes on trade policy:
8 Russian agents voted against removing the most-favored trade status for Russia and Belarus. Their names are:
Biggs (AZ)
Bishop (NC)
Boebert (CO)
Gaetz (FL)
Greene (GA)
Grothman (WI)
Massie (KY)
Roy (TX)— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) March 17, 2022
This will all just build. Pope Francis will likely come in for vicious attacks because he’s trying to leave open a door for Putin to repent and seek peace.
War is the health of the state, in part because it builds a protective layer around the people in charge: Criticize the president or his party, or question our conduct of the war, and you’re giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
It’s vile. And it will only become more common.
