On Thursday October 3rd, Vice President Kamala Harris held a campaign event with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. Liz Cheney officially endorsed Harris in the beginning of September, and soon after her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney followed suit. Harris said she was honored to have their endorsements, and many fellow liberals are celebrating the Cheney endorsements. When asked about the former congresswoman’s campaign event with Harris, President Joe Biden said that Liz Cheney and her father “have character.” MSNBC contributor Tim Miller notably said Dick Cheney’s endorsement should be a wake-up call to everybody, his implication being that Trump is so bad even “conservative” Dick Cheney is backing Harris. The Cheney endorsement should indeed be a wakeup call to everyone, but not in the way Miller is suggesting.
While these endorsements may come as a surprise to some, it shouldn’t be that surprising given key policy positions. Vice President Cheney was an architect of the Iraq War. In the Bush administration, he was a primary figure pushing for the war. The war in Iraq was started under false pretenses. During this era, many young people joined the military in response to the heinous attacks by Al-Qaeda on September 11th, 2001. Over 4,400 military service members, the best of a generation, lost their lives in this war. Many more were left with physical and mental health problems for life. Large amounts of Iraq civilians died, infrastructure was destroyed, and the region eventually became destabilized. This allowed groups like ISIS to grow.
Many companies, meanwhile, were able to benefit from it. Overall private contractors reaped $138 billion. Most notably Halliburton, a company Dick Cheney was CEO of before becoming vice president, initially received a no bid contract with the government and made lots of money. Cheney's family, his former colleagues, various special interests, and many Bush donors profited heavily off this war.
Along with the Cheneys, over 200 Bush, McCain, and Romney alumni have thrown their support behind Harris. Like the Cheneys, these three leaders supported the Iraq war and a continued neo-conservative foreign policy. The neo-conservatives endorsing Harris are likely doing so in part due to her foreign policy positions and the foreign policy of the Biden-Harris administration. For example, former President Donald Trump has vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war through negotiations, pushing for de-escalation and peace. Harris lambasted this position and supports continued military aid for Ukraine. Harris and her running-mate, Governor Tim Walz will likely continue to push for increased escalation and conflict abroad. It’s hard to imagine that this doesn’t factor into the Cheney’s decision to support Harris.
As president, Trump notably started no new wars and had policies pushing for peace through strength. It was clear that he wasn’t influenced by special interests that profit from endless war. His administration pushed for more peace and stability, which are better for humanity as a whole, but not the wallets of some.
Unlike the global war on terror, the current focus is against Russia, a large nuclear superpower. The risks associated with this have the potential to be far more dire and dangerous than Iraq. An increase in escalation risks turning the war into a global conflict rather than a regional one. If this happens, more people will suffer and die while a privileged few will continue to grow their wealth. During Liz Cheney’s campaign stump for Harris, she told listeners to “Stand in Truth.” She claimed President Trump didn’t have an ounce of compassion and was cruel. Given her family’s political history, it’s astounding she has the audacity to say any of this. A sign in the back read “Country Over Party, ”a phrase often tossed around by Never Trumpers and the neo-conservatives who oppose Trump. Their use of this phrase feels like it’s being done under a false guise. The reality seems much more like “profits over people.”
Think about all this before you vote. The many troubles facing the world today are arguably greater than they have been in recent history. It’s our duty as the American people to learn from the past to create a safer and more peaceful future. All of this absolutely should be a wakeup call, a wakeup call to vote for Trump.