SETH MANDEL: The ‘America First’ Crew’s Complete Disregard for American Lives.
While the Iranians were hunting the U.S. president, their militias were slaughtering Americans—something Iran has been doing for four decades—and taking them hostage. Here’s how the Iranian militia in Gaza treated Americans and others in their dungeons:
“Meals were intermittent. Water was scarce. And any failure to follow their captors’ instructions risked violent retribution.
“As [American hostage Keith] Siegel stepped into the room, panic washed over him: He found himself in the audience of a ‘medieval-style’ trial by torture, he said.”
Another U.S. hostage, the New Jerseyan Edan Alexander, “was held with a bag over his head at times and handcuffed, beaten and interrogated.” He was also “plagued by hunger, thirst and a lack of sanitary conditions during his time in Gaza, not to mention constant anxiety about the war raging around him.”
As an American, I have a hard time shrugging this off. As an American, I find it increasingly difficult to even understand the psychology of those who can shrug it off. And as an American, I find it incomprehensible that the defenders of these innocent American victims are accused of being disloyal Americans.
“They were schoolyard bullies,” Trump said of Iran this morning. “But now they’re not bullies anymore.” He specifically mentioned the Iranians’ motto of “Death to America,” which was also their battle plan and organizing program. He seemed pleased that there were finally consequences for Iran’s long war on the United States, that there is a price to be paid for all Iran’s mischief.
And here is the most interesting part: The price Iran has paid has not, in fact, been steep or cruel and unusual. In the history of mankind, no nation’s civilians have been safer while an enemy state controls their airspace during a live war. There’s nothing really to even compare it to. We are watching something no one has ever watched before. Israel, in response to Iran’s pursuit of the destruction of the Jewish people, not to mention its role in the worst daylong mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust, took control of Iran’s airspace and used that to patiently eliminate the sources of the Iranian regime’s power to oppress its people.
Trump supports this.
Indeed.
I’d add that Israel has so far done 100% of the heavy lifting in this campaign, restoring some of the honor we lost over two generations of pretending Iran is not at war with us.