Donald Trump ‘s authorization of the drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has sparked fears of the United States going to war with Iran, as well as both criticisms and justifications for the attack. Taking to Twitter on Friday, progressive commentator Kyle Kulinski made it clear where he stands — he does not believe the notion that the “assassination” was due to an “imminent” attack from Soleimani and vehemently disagrees with the president’s decision and those defending it.
Kulinski outlined his belief in maintaining an ethical and moral framework to justify war, adding that he believes the most “reasonable standard” is an imminent attack on the United States.
“Obviously this doesn’t come remotely near that. This is the whims of psychos,” he tweeted.
The 31-year-old talk show host pushed back against the notion that Soleimani’s killing was to make the world safer, claiming that Trump’s decision has placed the world in “significantly *more* danger” and saying that the U.S.’s justification is in conflict with reality.
“It created the conditions its [sic] pretending to protect against,” he wrote.
“This isn’t ‘reckless’ or ‘irresponsible’ or ‘a strategic blunder,’” he wrote in another tweet. “It’s a targeted terrorist assassination in contravention of U.S. law & international law by a rogue regime of corrupt and bloodthirsty war criminals.”
Kulinski also noted the absurdity of the powers that Trump? — and presidents in general ?— have in their position.
“I mean it’s wild that the president quite literally orders assassinations in between watching fox news, tweeting and golfing. Very healthy system. Glad the groundwork was laid for this kind of unitary executive authority to murder.”
Flashback to 1998 pic.twitter.com/r1BjRDkbvZ
— Eric Columbus (@EricColumbus) January 3, 2020
In response to Vice President Mike Pence’s claim that Soleimani helped bring terrorists responsible for the September 11 attacks to Afghanistan, Kulinski noted that Saudi Arabia and the jihadists funded by the United States were behind the said attacks.
The co-founder of Justice Democrats likened Pence’s comment to the “playbook” used against Saddam Hussein.
“We live in the twilight zone,” he added.
Kulinski also claimed that reporters should be not just “skeptical” but “hostile” to the justifications for the attack pushed by Trump’s administration.
“The default assumption should be they’re lies,” he said.
Fellow progressive commentator David Pakman previously slammed the corporate media for its coverage of the Iraq War, which Truthout reported pushed claims that, much like Soleimani, Hussein posed an immediate threat to the U.S. Such outlets ?— including traditionally left-leaning outlets like NPR ?— reported the pro-war talking points of George W. Bush’s administration. As Rolling Stone ‘s Matt Taibbi wrote, the Bush administration lied about multiple things — Hussein’s possession of weapons of mass destruction, how he “trained and harbored terrorists,” and the threat that these purported terrorists posed to the U.S.