There’s a famous scene in the great musical ‘West Side Story.’ A social worker tries to bring two rival gangs together at a dance, hoping the Jets and the Sharks will put down their switchblades and mingle. Instead, the gangsters and their molls divide into two camps, bitter and eternal enemies engaged in a turf-and-power war.
That scene symbolizes the political era we live in. Whatever President Trump does is immediately and vehemently opposed by Democrats and warmly embraced by Republicans. That was evident again when the president gave the go-ahead to wipe out Iran’s leaders, who have been sowing global terror for nearly 50 years. It’s reasonable to view the action from two perspectives – it is a good thing to rid the globe of a malign influence, but it could lead to American casualties and even more strife in a region filled with it. So, yes, thoughtful people can be conflicted regarding the wisdom of the air assault and its possible repercussions.
But who has time for thoughtfulness when there’s a political battle to be waged and points to be scored? Like the Jets and the Sharks, Democrats and Republicans race to their battle stations and start lobbing verbal bombs. The hatred between the two sides has reached a dangerous point where love of country is supplanted by loyalty to party.
There are a few exceptions to this great divide. On the left, Senator John Fetterman continues to buck his party and the left-wing base that elected him. He is unashamedly pro-Israel and insists that eliminating the Jew-despising, terror-loving mullahs is an immense good. Fetterman is joined by Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer, who declared that ‘the world is safer’ because of the military action. But few others are willing to go against their leadership and their increasingly radical voters. Odious and feckless Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, like many others, denounced this as Donald Trump’s ‘war of choice.’
The Republican side is nearly as rock-solid, also with a few predictable exceptions. As a matter of principle, libertarian-leaning Senator Rand Paul opposes foreign adventures, and this one is no different. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie both vociferously oppose the action in Iran, perhaps partly because of their personal animosity toward President Trump. Meanwhile, conservative Tucker Carlson, lately accused of irrational antipathy towards Israel, calls the attack ‘absolutely disgusting and evil.’ But most on the right salute smartly and line up behind their commander-in-chief.
The most distressing thing about this is the malleability on both sides. When Barack Obama unleashed strikes on Libya without approval from Congress, Nancy Pelosi hailed his ‘courage,’ and her fellow Democrats agreed in lockstep. If the Iran bombing had been initiated by President Kamala Harris, Democrats would applaud, and Republicans would grouse. In this era of unending political warfare, Republicans and Democrats view the opposing party as not merely wrong but downright immoral. It’s not a recipe for national comity.
In the final scene of ‘West Side Story, the Jets and Sharks finally make some conciliatory gestures toward peace, but only after both sides suffered grievous pain and death. We hope that our own warring gangs will eventually do the same. No one expects them to dance together, but a rational, civil debate would be a great place to start.
