Tawdry Politicking on D-Day Is as Old as the Day Itself

Tawdry Politicking on D-Day Is as Old as the Day Itself

Tawdry Politicking on D-Day Is as Old as the Day Itself

A dispatch from the House of Representatives, June 6, 1944.

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

World War II is remembered in the US as an apolitical war, at least after it began. But that truism is belied by a brief editorial note in The Nation issue of June 17, 1944, first printed after the invasion of Europe began seventy years ago today.

At least one person objected to yesterday’s Back Issues blog post about Bowe Bergdahl on the grounds that there is no criticizing conventional military wisdom on D-Day, just as there is no fighting in the war room. But as the 1944 editorial blurb notes, even on the original D-Day itself, politics and argument and democracy never stopped.

Shallow politicians converting another tragedy into a tawdry issue of party gain: the oldest D-Day tradition.

* * *

Curious how we covered something? E-mail me at [email protected]. Subscribers to The Nation can access our fully searchable digital archive, which contains thousands of historic articles, essays and reviews, letters to the editor and editorials dating back to July 6, 1865.

Support independent journalism that does not fall in line

Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets. 

Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.  

As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war. 

In these dark times, independent journalism is uniquely able to uncover the falsehoods that threaten our republic—and civilians around the world—and shine a bright light on the truth. 

The Nation’s experienced team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers understands the scale of what we’re up against and the urgency with which we have to act. That’s why we’re publishing critical reporting and analysis of the war on Iran, ICE violence at home, new forms of voter suppression emerging in the courts, and much more. 

But this journalism is possible only with your support.

This March, The Nation needs to raise $50,000 to ensure that we have the resources for reporting and analysis that sets the record straight and empowers people of conscience to organize. Will you donate today?

Ad Policy
x