I wind up writing about John Kirby a lot for some reason.

As the spokesman for the National Security Council and shadow White House Press Secretary (he always winds up taking the tough questions when important issues come up), he has a lot of opportunity to defend Biden policies and, hence, a lot of opportunities to look like a fool or a liar.

On most issues, he looks like a hostage being forced to mouth insanities, which has lulled me into a sense that he must be smarter than he appears when defending Biden. And he has occasional flashes of genuine sanity and intelligence, such as when he pushed back against criticisms of Israel’s acts of self-defense.

But alas, he is a liberal and has proven to see things through that lens most of the time. He really does believe some horrifically stupid things.

For example:

Well, that's a take there … Shipmate. https://t.co/a3NpgXwV53

— cdrsalamander (@cdrsalamander) January 22, 2024

Kirby has been assigned the ridiculous job of defending the Biden administration’s terrible policies in what amounts to a proxy war with Iran. As Iran attacks US and Western troops and vital interests in the region, the Biden administration has displayed the weakness you expect out of a 110lb weakling confronting an MMA fighter. We beg, we plead, we send our lunch money to Iran, and simply sit back and get pummeled because Iran knows they can do what they want to the Great Satan.

Iran is striking–through proxies–US troops and bases. And we are doing just about nothing to stop them.

Kirby’s answer as to why: it’s only a few troops getting hurt and only traumatic brain injuries. So, no big deal.

WTF?

I was blown away when I watched this. American servicemembers are being targeted and, in some cases, injured, and this is how our government responds.

This is how a Rear Admiral responds? I never thought I would see the day.

We all should expect our military leaders to weigh the costs and benefits of responding to attacks and provocations and occasionally make the hard calls. Dropping nukes in response to attacks like this would be satisfying but stupid.

But we should also expect our leaders to prioritize the safety of servicemembers and to punish anybody who attacks them. Not just because it is morally right but also because not doing so is an act of weakness and an invitation to escalate.

Kirby’s response is a bad joke in bad taste. Our country deserves better, and our servicemembers deserve a damn sight better.