Senator Kennedy: “make it clear to Mr. Putin that we are willing to turn him and his country into fish food.”

As an academic and a social scientist, I find myself alarmed at the repugnance of many of our elected officials on both sides of the political divide.  We are governed by a group of men and women who set critical policies for our nation, acting as if there is no guidance in history or political theory, that should guide their path.  The German philosopher Georg Hegel stated that “the one thing we learn from history, is that we do not learn from history.”   One would think that since many of our politicians were trained as lawyers they would understand the importance of precedents in rendering decisions regarding similar situations. Either the message was never received, or they were only there to pass enough tests to get them the credentials that they desired: ignoring the legal philosophy that is key to in rendering sound decisions.

I knew Arlen Spector personally, and I am a huge fan of Nixon’s writings on the strategy and history of his foreign policy.  Both men were highly rational and had a solid grasp on the need to manage political objectives with goals and outcomes that were best for our nation.  Nixon’s greatest accomplishment was opening relations with China, with the knowledge that his connection to China, divided the communist landscape, leading to the fall of the Soviet Union, two decades later.  This is what is referred to as aligning national policy to a political objective.  In Nixon’s retelling of his meetings with China, he was impressed with the demeanor, appearance and knowledge of the Chinese leadership.  In China, there was a long-standing tradition of training those who wished to be part of the political machine in political methodology and Confucian moral tradition.  One could surmise that moral training was thought to provide a buffer against self-interest driving the political landscape, in the same manner as James Madison warned us against self-interest in Federalist Paper 51.  

Turning back to the issue at hand, we have lost sight of the ideal of electing leaders who have the capacity and ability to lead our nation through the complex landscape of national, international and economic realities, instead voting for individuals who support superficial narratives, that can be embraced by the uneducated, unknowledgeable masses. Self-interested politicians, who see politics as a means to fame and generational wealth have replaced the men who wished to govern out of a patriotic love of a nation and a land.  Sadly, mankind fails at crossing temporal boundaries and did not see the fork in the road, where there was a departure from the model that made America a unique reality.  ( I refuse to use the word “great” since it has been hijacked by our president) Making American xxxxx again would mean removing our elected officials and following the historical Chinese model of moral and intellectual superiority in leadership.

Kennedy…

 “He has jacked around President Trump at every turn. He has disrespected our president. I don’t think it’s gonna get any better until we make it clear to Mr. Putin that we are willing to turn him and his country into fish food.”

When Senator Kennedy made this statement, he crossed the line of reason on a few different fronts.  First, disrespecting the president is a hyperbolic statement that was would both anger and appeal to both men’s unthinking supporters.  Respect is gained through a dignified, rational manner of negotiating with other parties.  Disrespect has nothing to do with negotiation, as negotiation only is viable when both parties are satisfied with the solution.  During the Cold War, Nixon met with the Soviet leadership every year to make sure that no misunderstanding could start a nuclear war. Nixon and our Soviet counterparts saw the need for dialogue and diplomacy.  Even though political interests framed the two nations as enemies, neither side engaged in divisive speech against the other. To extend to the level of a veiled nuclear threat, shows that Kennedy has no place in a government that is supposed to protect her citizens from harm.  Frankly, I listened to the audio of this statement, and I must ask why the masses would vote for a person who is lacking the erudition of a leader. 

We The People need to take a hard look at our political landscape and force the changes that will preserve the integrity of our nation.  Our citizens need to step away from social media and the divisive narrative that frame the American political landscape and adjust our focus to see the country as a collective where the good of the many rises above the desires of the few. To quote Harvard Graduate Tom Morello, it is time to ‘Take the Power Back!”

 

Michael Nelinson
04/30/2025