Watched a morning CNN show. They had two U.S. senators, a Democrat from the Northeast and a Republican from the West. Senator Barrasso of Wyoming is a former doctor and seems like a reasonable man. No doubt he is. Yet he kept doing a common (but stupid) senatorial thing: he kept making assertions that simply are not supported by any facts. He kept saying things like “Syria is an enemy of the United States”. Now calling some country “an enemy” has big implications and should not be used cavalierly as many U.S. senators do, especially when the senator is not up for reelection.
Which started me wondering: how do you define “an enemy”? Which raised a few questions as I tried to figure out an appropriate definition:
- When was the last time Syria was at war with the United States (the traditional ‘official’ definition of ‘an enemy’)?
- When was the last time Syria attacked the United States?
- When was the last time the United States attacked Syria?
- When was the last time Syria took American hostages?
- When was the last time Syria arrested any American?
- When was the last time Syria was caught sending spies into the United States? (It does, but less than the Chinese).
- When was the last time any Syrian who is not a Wahhabi committed violence against American personnel or property?
- When was the last time Syria said that Mr. Obama’s days are numbered? (Even though in this case the days are numbered and well-known).
The immediate tempting conclusion is that an “enemy” to the U.S. Senate and Congress is someone who disagrees with U.S. government policy. But no, that is not quite correct, not in all cases. Mr. Netanyahu disagrees vigorously with United States policy in the Middle East, yet he is a hero to the U.S. Senate and Congress. Mr. Al Assad also disagrees vigorously with United States policy in the Middle East, and he is considered an enemy (and a skunk to boot).
