
It’s odd to find myself aligned with our intelligence agencies, given the years of animosity over their misguided support for the war in Iraq. For so long, I harbored resentment toward an institution that, to my eyes, facilitated one of the gravest foreign policy blunders in recent history. But now, with a different fight on the horizon—a battle not of borders, but of ideals and democracy—I see them in a new light.
I can forgive them, understanding now that many were merely doing their duty, executing the policies handed down from above. It was only a select few who acted corruptly, driven by ambition or fear, not by the collective mission of those who serve in silence and sacrifice.
The Curious Case of Dick Cheney
And now, perhaps most astonishingly, we see Dick Cheney—a man once synonymous with the machinations of war—standing in opposition to Donald Trump. In essence, Cheney’s position, whether by conviction or strategic calculation, aligns him against the creeping authoritarianism Trump embodies.
Could this opposition make Cheney worthy of forgiveness, perhaps even a pardon, for his role in past misdeeds? Under the right conditions, maybe. But there would need to be a recognition—an acknowledgment—that the world has changed.
A New Western Security Council
For Cheney, and others like him, to earn redemption, they would need to recognize the need for a new Western Security Council—a body that could have checked the ambitions that led us into Iraq. A council with the power and foresight to prevent such unilateral misadventures, one that prioritizes collective security and wisdom over individual hubris.
If Cheney, with all his past decisions and their consequences, could come to see the necessity of this shift, then perhaps forgiveness is possible. But only if he accepts that the age of unchecked American interventionism must end, replaced by a multilateral approach that respects international consensus and the rule of law.
War Creates Strange Bedfellows
The landscape of conflict is ever-shifting, and alliances form in the unlikeliest of places. The lines between adversary and ally blur when the stakes rise high enough. Here I am, finding common ground with an intelligence community I once mistrusted, and considering the potential redemption of a man whose policies I once vehemently opposed.
War, in all its chaos and complexity, reshapes the world not just in visible ways but in these subtler, unexpected alignments. It forces us to reassess, to reconsider who stands with us and who stands against us. Strange bedfellows, indeed.
As we navigate this new era of conflict—both internal and external—the need for reflection and reconciliation grows. We must learn from the past, forge new alliances, and remain vigilant against those who seek to erode our freedoms. And in doing so, perhaps we can find redemption—not just for others, but for ourselves.
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