Some Cabinet members need to follow her lead. Though I can't help but notice her typical blind regard for our role in the disaster that is Ukraine.
She states, "For some, US support for Ukraine against Russia’s illegal occupation and bombardment seemed to reestablish America’s moral leadership." For the blind and deaf and all ignorant of the past 10-20 years, perhaps. She also states, "Whatever credibility the United States had as an advocate for human rights has almost entirely vanished since the war [in Gaza] began."
I hate to burst her bubble, but for most of the world that credibility has been lost for some time. The genocide has awakened some in America--finally.
Yes, it's true... the genocide is broadly witnessed and a substantial part of an otherwise somnambulant population are beginning to get a glimpse of what U.S. foreign policy has been producing; and some are perhaps finally questioning their blind, slavishly partisan allegiance.
Along with you and others no doubt, I was annoyed by Ms. Sheline's comment about the nobility of US support for Ukraine. It reflects a couple things. For one, the success of the decades-long propaganda promoting Russophobia / hysteria, which reached fever pitch with the successful tarring of the already disturbing, loudmouth narcissist as a Russian asset. When a propaganda campaign can tie together two different fears - that of Trump, as manifest broadly in Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), and that of the Empire's perennial bogeyman (Russia, and now Putin in particular), and do it at the scale that the debunked but still functional Russiagate program has reached, the result is more like amplification by squaring than by mere addition.
While the architects and main drivers of the campaign know they're pumping b.s., it's obvious from Sheline's remark that many others both in government and among the citizenry firmly believe it. After all, they've likely not been privy to the historical facts and they, too, have grown up immersed in the same propaganda.
My own hope, however faint, is that the awakening that has begun as a result of seeing the results of the security establishment's irrationally self-defeating ties to Apartheid Israel, may help switch on other light bulbs- producing other 'aha' moments wherein the observers finally begin to see that the Gaza debacle is just one aspect of imperial injustice and criminality; and that common threads are found in much of U.S. foreign policy since at least the Carter years. and probably longer. They might even begin to understand that the war in Ukraine didn't begin in 2022 any more than the tragedies of Palestine began on Oct. 7 of last year; and that the same liars responsible for many of these wars have remained embedded in high offices among State, the Intel agencies and Pentagon through multiple Presidencies.
i agree completely, TomG. The first time i read her Letter, when i came upon that i was shocked. And had to re-read it several times to believe it.
Fortunately, there was no further reference to Ukraine, and but for that, that is a Letter that a bunch of people ~ inside and outside of government, and especially the American Peoples ~ need to read, ponder, reflect upon, and then act upon.
Mr Hoh’s Letter of Resignation as a Political Officer in the American Foreign Service in Afghanistan deserved then and still deserves today the same widest possible distribution and posting to print, electronic, and digital media as does Ms Sheline’s Letter.
A brave, courageous woman. Annelle Shelline's public resignation is an inspiration to everyone who is appalled at the complicity of the neocon cabal in supporting Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza. Biden/Blinken/Sullivan could have put a halt to the carnage long ago, yet they continue to ship the weapons of death and destruction to Israel and provide diplomatic cover to the Israeli government. Hopefully, others will follow Annelle Shelline's lead and resign in protest. She deserves all our support for speaking truth to power.
That this is so striking highlights how timid most people are when there is a risk they might lose something by standing up for something. Death, one's own or that of someone in the family made for quite an uprising during the Vietnam War years. The end of the draft put an end to that. As things stand now we should be lauding all whistleblowing, making it as easy as we can on those who do it.
Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaik of Democracy Now interview Ms Sheline today at https://www.democracynow.org/2024/3/28/annelle_sheline . In the interview, she goes deeper into exactly why she resigned than she did in her Letter, and it is, well, Bracing.
My guess is her position is popular among her colleagues. Glad she had the courage to quit and voice her restrained disgust with her psychopath bosses enabling the genocide. Expect a story soon in the papers of record denouncing her.
More power to her. It’s a well stated argument except for the Ukraine moral authority line. As a retired Fed, I think I’ll look into the group mentions.
Ms Sheline’s Letter of Resignation needs to be similarly posted as widely as possible in the print, electronic, and digital media all over this Nation, if not the Planet. And as many Americans as possible ~ in and out of government, and on all sides of the Blue/Red-Trump/Biden divide ~ need to read it, ponder it, reflect upon it, and then act upon it.
i hope that Tom Dispatch, anti-war.com, and all the rest of the online News and Views sources that publish Your work give this top billing.
And wouldn’t it be GREAT to see her Letter posted as a full-page ad in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal? i wonder if the Eisenhower Media Network would undertake that project like they did with their “Force For Peace” ad in the NYT back in May 17, 2023
i believe that Ms Sheline’s Letter is in the same category as Dr Martin Luther King’s “A Time to Break Silence” speech/sermon about Vietnam 57 years ago next week. Let’s just hope it doesn’t get her killed a year to the day later.
A nearly perfect public resignation. Now let's hope more State Department employees follow her lead, while brushing up on US provocations leading to the ongoing slaughter in Ukraine.
This is so sweet and so full of ignorance. This young lady has evidently no clue about US foreign policy history. She joint an outfit that is infamous for supporting and engaging in human rights violations. Being young and ignorant must be a prerequisite for employment. Her statement about the Ukrainian affair shows how infantile she is. Yes, I know children can show courage.
Permit me to offer an interpretation of Annelle Sheline’s statement regarding “US support for Ukraine…seemed to reestablish America’s moral leadership.”
Several people ~ including me ~ have noted the seeming inconsistency of Ms Sheline’s statements about Gaza and her comment about Ukraine:
“After four years of then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to cripple the department, State employees embraced Biden’s pledge to rebuild American diplomacy. For some, US support for Ukraine against Russia’s illegal occupation and bombardment seemed to reestablish America’s moral leadership. Yet the administration continues to enable Israel’s illegal occupation and destruction of Gaza.”
Thinking about it further, and based on what the rest of her Letter said ~ and what she said in her interview on DEMOCRACY NOW ~ i think the key words in that paragraph are “FOR SOME.”
My hunch is that she is NOT saying that SHE believed that US support for Ukraine reestablished America’s moral leadership.
She is saying that SOME of those “State employees [who] embraced Biden’s pledge to rebuild American diplomacy” believed that about US support for Ukraine. But not ALL State employees.
And based on what she said about Gaza, my further hunch is that she is not among those folks who believe that Ukraine reestablished that leadership.
Based on that, i don’t think there is anything that is inconsistent in that statement. Or in anything else that she wrote. This Nation could use a whole Army of Annelles
It would be very interesting to learn her exact thoughts on America’s War On Russia via Ukraine, eh?
Service and working for this country, doesn't always mean you accept whatever they do., Annelle has more balls than some men that work for and in the government. Of course in the age of DEI is it any wonder!!!
Some Cabinet members need to follow her lead. Though I can't help but notice her typical blind regard for our role in the disaster that is Ukraine.
She states, "For some, US support for Ukraine against Russia’s illegal occupation and bombardment seemed to reestablish America’s moral leadership." For the blind and deaf and all ignorant of the past 10-20 years, perhaps. She also states, "Whatever credibility the United States had as an advocate for human rights has almost entirely vanished since the war [in Gaza] began."
I hate to burst her bubble, but for most of the world that credibility has been lost for some time. The genocide has awakened some in America--finally.
Yes, it's true... the genocide is broadly witnessed and a substantial part of an otherwise somnambulant population are beginning to get a glimpse of what U.S. foreign policy has been producing; and some are perhaps finally questioning their blind, slavishly partisan allegiance.
Along with you and others no doubt, I was annoyed by Ms. Sheline's comment about the nobility of US support for Ukraine. It reflects a couple things. For one, the success of the decades-long propaganda promoting Russophobia / hysteria, which reached fever pitch with the successful tarring of the already disturbing, loudmouth narcissist as a Russian asset. When a propaganda campaign can tie together two different fears - that of Trump, as manifest broadly in Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), and that of the Empire's perennial bogeyman (Russia, and now Putin in particular), and do it at the scale that the debunked but still functional Russiagate program has reached, the result is more like amplification by squaring than by mere addition.
While the architects and main drivers of the campaign know they're pumping b.s., it's obvious from Sheline's remark that many others both in government and among the citizenry firmly believe it. After all, they've likely not been privy to the historical facts and they, too, have grown up immersed in the same propaganda.
My own hope, however faint, is that the awakening that has begun as a result of seeing the results of the security establishment's irrationally self-defeating ties to Apartheid Israel, may help switch on other light bulbs- producing other 'aha' moments wherein the observers finally begin to see that the Gaza debacle is just one aspect of imperial injustice and criminality; and that common threads are found in much of U.S. foreign policy since at least the Carter years. and probably longer. They might even begin to understand that the war in Ukraine didn't begin in 2022 any more than the tragedies of Palestine began on Oct. 7 of last year; and that the same liars responsible for many of these wars have remained embedded in high offices among State, the Intel agencies and Pentagon through multiple Presidencies.
i agree completely, TomG. The first time i read her Letter, when i came upon that i was shocked. And had to re-read it several times to believe it.
Fortunately, there was no further reference to Ukraine, and but for that, that is a Letter that a bunch of people ~ inside and outside of government, and especially the American Peoples ~ need to read, ponder, reflect upon, and then act upon.
Bless her.
And bless you, Matt, for setting the example 15 years ago.
What a shame we have a system where honest, principled people are sidelined whereas dishonest, unprincipled ones are promoted.
Mr Hoh’s Letter of Resignation as a Political Officer in the American Foreign Service in Afghanistan deserved then and still deserves today the same widest possible distribution and posting to print, electronic, and digital media as does Ms Sheline’s Letter.
[ https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/ssi/wpc/ResignationLetter.pdf ]
It’s a shame Obama never read it and acted upon it, as then did Trump.
Permit me to heartily second Your “bless You” to him.
Thank you for sharing Matt's letter.
A brave, courageous woman. Annelle Shelline's public resignation is an inspiration to everyone who is appalled at the complicity of the neocon cabal in supporting Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza. Biden/Blinken/Sullivan could have put a halt to the carnage long ago, yet they continue to ship the weapons of death and destruction to Israel and provide diplomatic cover to the Israeli government. Hopefully, others will follow Annelle Shelline's lead and resign in protest. She deserves all our support for speaking truth to power.
Since the US supports Israel, ipso facto that means that Israel obeys international law. Even when they don't. Just like we do. Even when we don't.
If the U.S. does it -- that means it's not illegal. (Credit to Nixon here.)
Or immoral.
Or illogical.
Let alone ill advised.
That this is so striking highlights how timid most people are when there is a risk they might lose something by standing up for something. Death, one's own or that of someone in the family made for quite an uprising during the Vietnam War years. The end of the draft put an end to that. As things stand now we should be lauding all whistleblowing, making it as easy as we can on those who do it.
Lest we forget: quit your job in America and you lose your health care.
Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaik of Democracy Now interview Ms Sheline today at https://www.democracynow.org/2024/3/28/annelle_sheline . In the interview, she goes deeper into exactly why she resigned than she did in her Letter, and it is, well, Bracing.
I just commented that link. Glad to know someone beat me to it.
Profile in true moral Courage..!
I wish her the best. I am surprised that someone with a conscience has lasted this long.
My guess is her position is popular among her colleagues. Glad she had the courage to quit and voice her restrained disgust with her psychopath bosses enabling the genocide. Expect a story soon in the papers of record denouncing her.
More power to her. It’s a well stated argument except for the Ukraine moral authority line. As a retired Fed, I think I’ll look into the group mentions.
Thank You, Bill, for posting this.
Ms Sheline’s Letter of Resignation needs to be similarly posted as widely as possible in the print, electronic, and digital media all over this Nation, if not the Planet. And as many Americans as possible ~ in and out of government, and on all sides of the Blue/Red-Trump/Biden divide ~ need to read it, ponder it, reflect upon it, and then act upon it.
i hope that Tom Dispatch, anti-war.com, and all the rest of the online News and Views sources that publish Your work give this top billing.
And wouldn’t it be GREAT to see her Letter posted as a full-page ad in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal? i wonder if the Eisenhower Media Network would undertake that project like they did with their “Force For Peace” ad in the NYT back in May 17, 2023
[ https://matthewhoh.substack.com/p/a-force-for-peace-in-the-new-york ].
i believe that Ms Sheline’s Letter is in the same category as Dr Martin Luther King’s “A Time to Break Silence” speech/sermon about Vietnam 57 years ago next week. Let’s just hope it doesn’t get her killed a year to the day later.
Thank You again. ~ jeff
A nearly perfect public resignation. Now let's hope more State Department employees follow her lead, while brushing up on US provocations leading to the ongoing slaughter in Ukraine.
This is so sweet and so full of ignorance. This young lady has evidently no clue about US foreign policy history. She joint an outfit that is infamous for supporting and engaging in human rights violations. Being young and ignorant must be a prerequisite for employment. Her statement about the Ukrainian affair shows how infantile she is. Yes, I know children can show courage.
Permit me to offer an interpretation of Annelle Sheline’s statement regarding “US support for Ukraine…seemed to reestablish America’s moral leadership.”
Several people ~ including me ~ have noted the seeming inconsistency of Ms Sheline’s statements about Gaza and her comment about Ukraine:
“After four years of then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to cripple the department, State employees embraced Biden’s pledge to rebuild American diplomacy. For some, US support for Ukraine against Russia’s illegal occupation and bombardment seemed to reestablish America’s moral leadership. Yet the administration continues to enable Israel’s illegal occupation and destruction of Gaza.”
Thinking about it further, and based on what the rest of her Letter said ~ and what she said in her interview on DEMOCRACY NOW ~ i think the key words in that paragraph are “FOR SOME.”
My hunch is that she is NOT saying that SHE believed that US support for Ukraine reestablished America’s moral leadership.
She is saying that SOME of those “State employees [who] embraced Biden’s pledge to rebuild American diplomacy” believed that about US support for Ukraine. But not ALL State employees.
And based on what she said about Gaza, my further hunch is that she is not among those folks who believe that Ukraine reestablished that leadership.
Based on that, i don’t think there is anything that is inconsistent in that statement. Or in anything else that she wrote. This Nation could use a whole Army of Annelles
It would be very interesting to learn her exact thoughts on America’s War On Russia via Ukraine, eh?
With you 100%.
Thanks for courageous moral dicission
Thanks for sharing this, Bill; will definitely be linking it @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
Service and working for this country, doesn't always mean you accept whatever they do., Annelle has more balls than some men that work for and in the government. Of course in the age of DEI is it any wonder!!!