Alarming Bookends
This weekend brought a pair of stories from either end of the spectrum. In the first, the Congressional primaries in New York City resulted in victories for 3 candidates endorsed by NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani. I support voters getting to choose who they want to represent them, and not surprisingly I believe a spectrum of inputs yields a better result. But as many other commenters have noted, the views in recent years expressed by Darializa Avila Chevalier are troubling. She has tried to walk some of them back, but has let others stand, including her participation in an anti-Israeli protest on Oct 8th, some 24 hours after Hamas terrorists killed over a thousand Israelis, including women and children, in cold blood. Other views include the abolition of the police, prisons, and any border enforcement. Again, in America we let people hold - and express - whatever views they want, but her nomination points to the destabilizing turmoil within the Democratic party as moderates and progressives battle for power and agenda setting.
On the flip side, we learned of the removal of General Chris Donahue, currently serving as Commanding General U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Not for any identified lapse in performance, nor for any identified policy disagreements. Apparently just because SECDEF Pete Hegseth wanted Gen. Donahue out and President Trump went along with it. A 20+ year Special Operations officer, Gen. Donahue commanded the Army's Delta Force, multiple joint and multinational efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was the last U.S. soldier to redeploy from Afghanistan. Perhaps this last item was the trigger here - a highly decorated soldier, one who had put his life on the line for this nation countless times, dutifully carrying out the orders of his Commander in Chief, President Biden, executing a treaty negotiated by his prior Commander in Chief, President Trump. Doing his duty at each step, executing lawful orders regardless of the political valence of the Commander in Chief. That this is what likely got him fired is perhaps the most troubling scenario of all.
Comments