Roman Army discipline.
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| Jefferson Beauregard Sessions |
Republican officeholders' loyalty to Trump doesn't "just happen." He enforces discipline.
Never cross Trump.
Jeff Sessions stayed steadfastly loyal to Trump in the face of withering criticism. No matter. There was no forgiveness or mercy from Trump.
The Roman army was a professional army, highly trained and disciplined. A soldier who was seen to have held back or hesitated in battle was subject to being beaten to death by his fellow soldiers. When an entire unit was thought to have underperformed it was subject to "decimation." Soldiers drew lots, with one unlucky stone out of ten. The other nine would be required immediately to club to death the unlucky comrade.
The Roman army was a professional army, highly trained and disciplined. A soldier who was seen to have held back or hesitated in battle was subject to being beaten to death by his fellow soldiers. When an entire unit was thought to have underperformed it was subject to "decimation." Soldiers drew lots, with one unlucky stone out of ten. The other nine would be required immediately to club to death the unlucky comrade.
Punishment like this sent a lesson: no retreat, no half way. Be 100% on the team.
Jeff Sessions just lost his bid to return to the US Senate. He was the first Senator to endorse Trump and was active in his campaign. He gave up his Senate seat to be Attorney General. The Russia investigation focused on the campaign in which Sessions was active and in which he himself had contacts with Russians, so he recused himself. Trump never forgave him.
The incident created some powerful political theater. One element was Trump's relentless criticism, which persisted during the period of his time as AG and then into his campaign to return to the Senate. Trump never, ever let up. Sessions proclaimed his support for Trump but Trump would not accept it, calling him "delusional." Trump's campaign wrote Sessions saying it noted that he was circulating mailers proclaiming how much Sessions liked Trump..
"The enclosed letter and donor form in fact mention President Trump by name 22 times. The letter even makes the delusional assertion that you are President ‘Trump’s #1 supporter.' We only assume your campaign is doing this to confuse President Trump’s loyal supporters in Alabama into believing the president supports your candidacy in the upcoming primary runoff election. Nothing could be further from the truth."
Instead, they said, they "unambiguously" support his opponent.
Trump maintained tweets and comments denouncing Sessions throughout the campaign. By not serving Trump personally, "Sessions let the country down," he said.
Alabama voters had plenty of opportunity to evaluate whether Sessions' recusal was required by law and whether or not it was in actual practice in Trump's own long term interest. Ann Coulter, the conservative firebrand and provocateur who supported Jeff Sessions, said the special prosecutor and recusal was Trump's fault, not Sessions'. She called Trump a "most disloyal actual retard ever to set foot in the Oval Office" and a "complete moron of a president."
Jeff Sessions campaign ads relentlessly praised Trump and touted his steadfast loyalty to Trump, notwithstanding Trump's abuse. I didn't do a tell-all, I didn't write a book, he said. I stayed loyal to Trump's agenda and to him personally.
No matter to Trump.
Even toward the end of the campaign, Sessions was tweeting that having been scrupulous saved Trump from impeachment. It was a good thing--for Trump. That didn't matter either. It wasn't what Trump wanted, and he said so, and the Alabama voters wanted what Trump wanted.
Trump's treatment of Sessions takes place in the context of Trump immediately denouncing any Republican who criticizes him, former senior aides, former Cabinet officers, officeholders. Jim Maddis. Rex Tillerson. Jeff Flake. Bob Corker. Mitt Romney. Mark Sanford. The list is long. Sessions is part of a pattern and it sends a message.
Trump does not always win. Sometimes the candidates he supports lose and officeholders survive being criticized, but mostly they do not, especially in Republican primaries. Trump has power to enforce discipline within the ranks. The important lesson is that Trump exercises that power. He doesn't forgive.
Sessions looked like a lap dog, hungering for abuse, praising his attacker. His loyalty probably backfired because his opponent mocked him for being weak, and Sessions' willingness to take abuse from Trump fed that meme. Sessions himself never wavered: loyal to the end and beyond. Last night in his concession speech Sessions thanks the people of Alabama, and said, "On recusal, I did the right thing. I saved the president's bacon in the process. . . . I didn't try to undermine the leader of our country and the great work he has to do."
Sessions tested the proposition whether a person can get forgiveness by staying loyal amid a beating. The answer is "no."
The person in the Roman army who drew the unlucky rock need not have been anything but brave and loyal. He was not beaten to death for misbehavior. He was beaten to death to send a message to the survivors.
Jeff Sessions just lost his bid to return to the US Senate. He was the first Senator to endorse Trump and was active in his campaign. He gave up his Senate seat to be Attorney General. The Russia investigation focused on the campaign in which Sessions was active and in which he himself had contacts with Russians, so he recused himself. Trump never forgave him.
The incident created some powerful political theater. One element was Trump's relentless criticism, which persisted during the period of his time as AG and then into his campaign to return to the Senate. Trump never, ever let up. Sessions proclaimed his support for Trump but Trump would not accept it, calling him "delusional." Trump's campaign wrote Sessions saying it noted that he was circulating mailers proclaiming how much Sessions liked Trump..
"The enclosed letter and donor form in fact mention President Trump by name 22 times. The letter even makes the delusional assertion that you are President ‘Trump’s #1 supporter.' We only assume your campaign is doing this to confuse President Trump’s loyal supporters in Alabama into believing the president supports your candidacy in the upcoming primary runoff election. Nothing could be further from the truth."
Instead, they said, they "unambiguously" support his opponent.
Trump maintained tweets and comments denouncing Sessions throughout the campaign. By not serving Trump personally, "Sessions let the country down," he said.
Alabama voters had plenty of opportunity to evaluate whether Sessions' recusal was required by law and whether or not it was in actual practice in Trump's own long term interest. Ann Coulter, the conservative firebrand and provocateur who supported Jeff Sessions, said the special prosecutor and recusal was Trump's fault, not Sessions'. She called Trump a "most disloyal actual retard ever to set foot in the Oval Office" and a "complete moron of a president."
Jeff Sessions campaign ads relentlessly praised Trump and touted his steadfast loyalty to Trump, notwithstanding Trump's abuse. I didn't do a tell-all, I didn't write a book, he said. I stayed loyal to Trump's agenda and to him personally.
No matter to Trump.
Even toward the end of the campaign, Sessions was tweeting that having been scrupulous saved Trump from impeachment. It was a good thing--for Trump. That didn't matter either. It wasn't what Trump wanted, and he said so, and the Alabama voters wanted what Trump wanted.Trump's treatment of Sessions takes place in the context of Trump immediately denouncing any Republican who criticizes him, former senior aides, former Cabinet officers, officeholders. Jim Maddis. Rex Tillerson. Jeff Flake. Bob Corker. Mitt Romney. Mark Sanford. The list is long. Sessions is part of a pattern and it sends a message.
Trump does not always win. Sometimes the candidates he supports lose and officeholders survive being criticized, but mostly they do not, especially in Republican primaries. Trump has power to enforce discipline within the ranks. The important lesson is that Trump exercises that power. He doesn't forgive.
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| Concession, praising Trump's great work |
Sessions looked like a lap dog, hungering for abuse, praising his attacker. His loyalty probably backfired because his opponent mocked him for being weak, and Sessions' willingness to take abuse from Trump fed that meme. Sessions himself never wavered: loyal to the end and beyond. Last night in his concession speech Sessions thanks the people of Alabama, and said, "On recusal, I did the right thing. I saved the president's bacon in the process. . . . I didn't try to undermine the leader of our country and the great work he has to do."
Sessions tested the proposition whether a person can get forgiveness by staying loyal amid a beating. The answer is "no."
The person in the Roman army who drew the unlucky rock need not have been anything but brave and loyal. He was not beaten to death for misbehavior. He was beaten to death to send a message to the survivors.
5 comments:
Autocrats function best by fear. It adds to their power which above all else they crave.
I can understand your analogy between Roman soldiers and Republican office holders. However it is a bit of a reach. Loyalty and performance are two different things. Congresspersons and Senators are elected by their constituency back home. It is the local voter that punishes when Trump disapproves. The Republicans of Louisiana were “tired” of Sessions and enthralled by a strong and powerful-looking football coach to inject virility into the Party. It’s not Trump that delivered the message to the voters of Louisiana but Fox News and Sean Hannity. Reminding the voters of right thinking is their job. All things being equal - Sessions was a used-up politician with little value way beyond the expiration date. I might add without McConnell the Senate Republicans would be a rowdy bunch towards Trump.
Alabama...50th in education...overall ranking (health, infrastructure, opportunity, etc.)...49th...
Last time around they barely missed electing an alleged child molester to the Senate.
Maybe we should have let them secede...
Anyway, assuming it was Trump's endorsement that swung it the question moving forward will be if other candidates, in particular the Senate races, will embrace him.
Sessions was exposed as a fraud. Like Graham, his support of Trump was opportunistic and he choked when he was asked to tank the DOJ. That small shred of integrity was unforgivable.
The comparison with the Roman army is chilling. The implication is that mortal fear is a necessary component for loyalty.
Jess Sessions has been described in many ways but notably lacking in any of
these descriptions of Jeff Sessions have been adjectives like "intelligent", "smart", or "wise." More often than not the term "racist" overrides any other quick classification of this ignorant hick. He is but another racist in the mold of Lindsey Graham, another ass-lickin' southern psycophant who has gained fame for his paradoxical descriptions of the lying scumbag we tolerate (thanks to the Republican senators eternal disgrace) as president. I will forever rue the day when the decision was made to fight a bloody war to insure that men like Jeff Sessions, Lindsey Graham, Theodore Bilbo and Strom Thurmond would have a national platform (the United States Senate)to spew hatred and ignorance to bigots who masquerade as Americans. If that observation offends Lincoln acolytes, so be it. The American political scene is still horribly skewed as a result of "saving the Union" instead of simply waving goodbye and good riddance to the garbage, garbage that inhibits progress in every aspect of our lives.]
Bob Warren
I am not convinced that trump's tromping on Sessions was the reasons Session's opponent won. The fact that the other candidate was a popular coach and attractive in his own right may have mattered more.
At any rate, what it DOES show me is that the base and maybe a few more voters are still loyal to trump, and that we should not get all relaxed about the polls that are showing trump way behind. I am seeing a lot of trump support on some Facebook pages, so we need to keep the pressure on.
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