On Heroism

July 1, 2024
The editor-in-chief of the Atlantic gathers five essays on key figures from the modern Republican Party who have exemplified--or utterly distorted--the meaning of patriotism. As the Trump administration came to an end, Goldberg published articles about Republicans who chose to serve their country rather than the whims of a "racist...misogynist [and] megalomaniac" president. Among those he celebrates are former Arizona senator John McCain, who turned down early release from captivity in North Vietnam "unless all [other American POWs] were released with him." In his later years as a statesman, he became a "North Star" to other Republicans, including fellow senator Lindsay Graham. But when Trump--who once famously declared that "avoiding STDs, in the 1990s was his own personal Vietnam"--took office, McCain stood almost completely alone in supporting the Constitution as other Republicans (including Graham) chose to support the president, who said about McCain, "He's not a war hero. He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured." Another individual Goldberg highlights is former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley. Though he never outwardly disobeyed or criticized Trump, in the weeks before the 2020 election, he reassured allies and adversaries about U.S. stability, an act Trump later called "treasonous." Milley also told lawmakers and media figures that the "military would play no role" in the outcome. The armed forces serve the country and not the president, a point Milley dared to make in front of hardcore Trumpists like Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller. As the author showcases the sometimes maligned heroes who have battled to save the U.S. from the growing rot within, he also reveals the frightening ease with which democracy can be undermined by those unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to protect it. Candid, timely reading.

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