During World War II, the Allied forces, including Britain, the Soviet Union and even the United States, were far from perfect.
However, in the face of the genocidal ambitions of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, they recognized the need to set aside their differences and unite against a common enemy that represented an unprecedented threat to humanity.
Had the Allied nations become mired in endless debates and protests over each other’s imperfections rather than focusing on the urgent task, the world could have been plunged into a darkness from which it might never have recovered.
The horrors of the Holocaust, the brutalities of the Japanese occupation and the untold suffering inflicted by the Axis powers could have been allowed to continue unchecked, forever altering the course of human history.
Sen. John Fetterman made a similar point on CBS News’ “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday.
The Pennsylvania Democrat has been an outspoken supporter of Israel’s war against the Islamic terrorist group Hamas after its brutal, unprovoked attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7.
“CBS Mornings” host Tony Dokoupil conceded that “Israel has a right to defend itself, Hamas attacked them, Hamas has to go.” However, he pushed Fetterman on Israel’s “means and methods,” which, he said, people “are in agony over.”
Bringing up “thousands of dead children” and “thousands of dead civilians,” Dokoupil said to the senator, “I know you support Israel’s efforts. Do you see an alternative?”
Fetterman acknowledged that it is a “tragedy,” adding that he didn’t assign any more value to the life of a Palestinian child than to one of his own.
However, he said, “What is going on where Hamas now is hiding behind civilians … and Israel, they have the right to defend themselves and destroy Hamas. I think that’s critical.”
Host Gayle King chimed in at that point, arguing that “the position [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu seems to be taking … is to destroy Hamas at all costs … and many of the victims now are women and children.”
“At what point do you come up with another strategy that at least keeps the innocent, the women and the children, safe?” she asked.
“It is very important to minimize the kind of collateral damage and protect [civilian] lives as well, and I would hope that Hamas decides to not [trying] to hide behind civilians and creating those circumstances that make it difficult as well,” Fetterman responded.
Continuing to make his point, the senator said, “We also can’t forget about the hostages as well, too. They’ve been now in custody since Oct. 7, so it’s an awful situation.”
Fetterman hit his point home with a basic truth. “You don’t have to agree with every leader’s views,” he said. “But, you know, we have an opportunity to stand with Israel in this situation, and that’s what I’ve decided to do.”
There used to be a time when most Democrats would agree with Fetterman, but those days are long gone.
As some on social media have observed, Fetterman is just a normal, old-fashioned Democrat, and how he’s treated by Democrats today shows just how extreme the party has become.
The new Democratic Party is driven by the religion of “wokeism,” a pursuit of a radical leftist concept of perfection, often without regard for practical considerations or real-world constraints.
It is a theology unto itself, one far more rigid and without grace than Christianity, built on a foundation of moral “supremacy.”
It is this same woke theology that leftists use to condemn America for its “sins.”
The greatness of America does not lie in its perfection but in the willingness of its Founders to sacrifice and fight for a set of principles that have helped save nations around the world and paved the way to a more equal society.
Can America be good without being perfect?
A self-righteous belief in one’s moral superiority, like the one promoted by “wokeism,” is not an asset but a barrier to growth and progress, as it lacks the ability to see any other point of view.
America’s greatness, on the other hand, was fueled by a recognition that the work is never complete but an ongoing process toward a more perfect union.
Like America or the Allied Forces in World War Two, Israeli leadership is not perfect.
They are fallible humans doing their best under the worst of situations.
However, unlike Hamas and other extremist groups, Israel’s government is routinely held to unrealistic and unattainable standards by segments of the international community and the woke left.
Every decision Israel makes in the realm of security or diplomacy faces intense scrutiny and criticism, often from “moral supremacists” who fail to fully grasp the intricacies of the situation or acknowledge the existential threat this tiny nation is contending with for its survival.
As Fetterman said, you don’t have to agree with every decision Israel makes, but when you look at both sides without rose-colored glasses, there is only one side you can stand with.
