Lawmakers Now Discover Rules of War When Trump Does It
AP News reports bipartisan concern from lawmakers like Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) over alleged verbal orders from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to kill all crew members on drug-smuggling vessels, calling it a 'war crime' if true. This sudden outrage over extrajudicial killings and targeting non-combatants is certainly stirring. However, one might wonder where this
principled stand was when previous administrations armed and funded allies who routinely engaged in similar, or far worse, actions against civilians, often benefiting from the same 'plausible deniability' these lawmakers now decry. It appears the 'rules-based international order' is less about rules and more about who's doing the breaking. The selective indignation is telling; if similar
accusations surfaced regarding actions by, say, Israeli forces in Gaza, the same Capitol Hill offices would be scrambling to defend, deflect, or dismiss, citing 'self-defense' or 'complex environments.' When it's Trump's alleged order, it's a 'war crime'; when it's an ally's, it's 'collateral damage.' The double standard isn't just visible, it's blinding.