2. "RW Populist" Republicans have been pretty open about the fact that they are only against the proxy war in Ukraine because they want to reallocate resources to militarily oppose China. Tucker Carlson, Saagar Enjeti, Steven Bannon, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Green and others have all said this. Vivek Ramaswamy even said he wanted to end the proxy war in Ukraine to drive a wedge between Russia and China
3. Another reason for Republican opposition to Ukraine is also simple partisanship (the war was started by a Democrat). Republicans also opposed the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the intervention in Libya and the dirty war in Syria. Does anybody actually think they opposed any of those wars for any reason other than simple partisanship? Or that if Trump had launched the war in Ukraine, the Republicans wouldn't have lined up against it?
4. Christopher Hitchens of all people made a very similar point about Pat Buchanan back in 1999
I pull my hair out every time someone talks about Trump like he was some pacifist. As you state, he was a VERY militant President. It's absurd people think otherwise!
The “anti-war populist” rhetoric draws a big crowd because… surprise! People don’t actually like war! And yet, as much as they posture to be against it, they are just as complicit in the military industrial complex as any other capitalist leader and fund plenty of other wars in place of the one they are supposedly against.
Great piece. I completely agree and will save and bookmark this post.
A few additional points:
1. The idea that Trump and the Republicans are anti-war only works if you ignore what Trump actually did while he was president
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/08/09/the-persistent-myth-that-trump-opposes-war/
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/11/18/25-times-trump-has-been-dangerously-hawkish-on-russia/
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/opcw-leaks-syria/
https://jacobin.com/2023/06/donald-trump-tucker-carlson-antiwar-foreign-policy
2. "RW Populist" Republicans have been pretty open about the fact that they are only against the proxy war in Ukraine because they want to reallocate resources to militarily oppose China. Tucker Carlson, Saagar Enjeti, Steven Bannon, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Green and others have all said this. Vivek Ramaswamy even said he wanted to end the proxy war in Ukraine to drive a wedge between Russia and China
3. Another reason for Republican opposition to Ukraine is also simple partisanship (the war was started by a Democrat). Republicans also opposed the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the intervention in Libya and the dirty war in Syria. Does anybody actually think they opposed any of those wars for any reason other than simple partisanship? Or that if Trump had launched the war in Ukraine, the Republicans wouldn't have lined up against it?
4. Christopher Hitchens of all people made a very similar point about Pat Buchanan back in 1999
https://www.salon.com/1999/10/16/buchanan_5/
That's great context. Thanks Ben!
I pull my hair out every time someone talks about Trump like he was some pacifist. As you state, he was a VERY militant President. It's absurd people think otherwise!
The “anti-war populist” rhetoric draws a big crowd because… surprise! People don’t actually like war! And yet, as much as they posture to be against it, they are just as complicit in the military industrial complex as any other capitalist leader and fund plenty of other wars in place of the one they are supposedly against.
Spot on, Kaden. The idea that any Republican, much less Donald Trump, is "anti-war" is just factually untrue.
Just so the "Trump didn't start any wars" MAGA "commies" know.. but, honestly, I think they do.
That's such an absurd line! He bombed an Iranian general on a diplomatic mission in Iraq!