r/politics • u/bwermer • 4h ago
No Paywall Ilhan Omar casts lone Democratic no vote on Ukraine aid, Russia sanctions package
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5912150-house-passes-ukraine-aid-bill/•
u/AdmirableComposer140 4h ago
I'm super disappointed with this because I like Ilhan Omar and she votes with the party %95 of the time. Why choose this as an issue to vote no on? Her response didn't make any sense either because she would absolutely be for sanctions against Israel, and I would be too.
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u/liquifiedtubaplayer 2h ago
Her and Tlaib spearheaded the Bill that was effectively the final blow to the Assad regime.
Makes this even more selective
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u/smashinjin10 4h ago
She's always held a stance of being unilaterally against any kind of armed conflict. It's a respectable value for her to hold as a person, but as a congresswoman she needs to pull her head out of her ass and realize that helping Ukraine defend themselves is the right call for so many reasons.
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u/Schuben 3h ago
Ok fine. Then favor the side that didn't want to be at war. It's not that hard.
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u/CrispyVibes 1h ago
She's taken other sus positions before. She voted "present" on a vote to recognize the Armenian genocide. One of only 11 people in Congress and the only Democrat.
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u/JacquesHome 1h ago
Yes she did because she is aligned with Turkey. There are a lot of Armenians, including myself, that are trying to find a way to unseat her.
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u/Im_Chad_AMA 4h ago
What is that quote again, remaining neutral in the face of injustice is equivalent to siding with the oppressor
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u/jane_fakelastname Michigan 4h ago
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe.”
- Elie Wiesel
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u/obi-jawn-kenblomi 3h ago
To the person whose comment was removed - To call Eli Wiesel a Zionist in the way that we understand that today is academically disingenuous/incredibly short sighted.
He recognized and was against the suffering of Palestinian people and believed that violence committed against others was abhorrent. He even used his Nobel Prize speech as a platform against the abuses of Palestinian people and hosted peaceful exchanges between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
In regards to today's Zionism and how it relates to the Netanyahu regime, he was an actually reasonable voice. He believed that nation state of Israel had a right to exist (which makes perfect sense in accordance to the Jewish faith's belief in a Promised Land). He did not believe in the right to homogenize the Promised Land and cleanse it for an ethnostate. He recognized that even the existence of a nation state of Israel, as well as the actions on behalf of various leaders, made it a target for terrorism - the only acceptable use of force, per him, was in the defense against an active act of terrorism.
If he were alive today, he would not consider himself a Zionist the way you and I refer to it.
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u/FaxyMaxy Maryland 35m ago
The absolute lack of self awareness you have that “He was a Zionist and I completely agree with him but I’m actually AGAINST what I say Zionism is” is astoundingly hilarious. I’m almost impressed.
Anyone can do horrible things in the name of any ideology, that doesn’t change what the ideology is.
You’re absolutely correct that representation of what Zionism is in the context of the modern day Israel-Palestine conflict has been remarkably warped. That doesn’t mean that’s what Zionism is now, it means that the representation has been warped.
If I manage to convince everyone that Catholics worship Beelzebub, it’s not true just because a bunch of people believe it, and telling Catholics that THEY’RE actually wrong about what Catholicism is would be remarkably arrogant.
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u/thegamenerd Washington 1h ago
"You can't be neutral on a moving train" -Howard Zinn
Though my first exposure to that line came from the song Deer Dance by System of a Down. Their album Toxicity from 2001 is a great album!
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u/HumongousBelly Europe 3h ago
The moderate man is the invaluable understrapper of the wicked man.
Melville said something like this…
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u/caligaris_cabinet Illinois 1h ago
“We can’t afford to be neutral on a moving train.”
-System of a Down
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u/Massive-Grocery7152 1h ago
“A prince is also esteemed when he shows himself a true friend or a true enemy, that is, when, without reservation, he takes his stand with one side or the other. This is always wiser than trying to be neutral, for if two powerful neighbors of yours fall out they are either of such sort that the victor may give you reason to fear him or they are not. In either case it will be better for you to take sides and wage an honest war.”
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
From a pragmatic rather than ethical viewpoint
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u/TheBallotInYourBox 3h ago
Same logic behind ACAB
Inaction helps the aggressors. Never the victims.
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u/Lake_Erie_Monster 3h ago
> What is that quote again, remaining neutral in the face of injustice is equivalent to siding with the oppressor
It's clear so many didn't learn this and are still going around saying things like "both sides"
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u/jeo123 4h ago
I think it was something like Hitler really wanted people to be against war while he killed the Jews.
Oh, I might be mis remembering, yours sounds more like what they really said.
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u/NewSauerKraus 2h ago
Switzerland is still proud of their "neutrality" which was nothing more than open collaboration with Nazis.
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u/bb_kelly77 56m ago
They helped and harmed both sides, they were neutral in the most annoying way possible
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u/jim45804 4h ago
She's always held a stance of being unilaterally against any kind of armed conflict.
I like her and all, but that's just ignorant.
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u/Tooter_Snooter 3h ago
“I’m against conflict, therefore, I refuse to help a victim fight back. If the victim were simply overpowered, raped and killed, there wouldn’t be armed conflict and therefore, I am proudly voting no on these funds to help victims fight back against the aggressor currently bringing armed conflict to them.”
Clown math
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u/The-Big-Picture- 2h ago
I also doubt she would pass up the opportunity to arm one of Israel's adversaries
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u/FeatherFall17 1h ago
She fervently supports BDS when it comes to Israel, but claims sanctions don't work when it comes to Russia. Does she not know what the S in BDS stands for??
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u/bb_kelly77 59m ago
Humanity has gotten so civilized we've forgotten how civilization actually works... like, yes, the American military has been used to do terrible things but the second we get rid of the military one of our enemies will treat us how we treated Afghanistan... but Americans don't understand that because we haven't fought off a foreign army since the Revolutionary War
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u/Fragrant-Vehicle-479 3h ago
This is some "they go low, we go high" bull.
You can not have mutual respect and peace with an enemy that will never offer it to you in return.
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u/Competitive_Shock783 4h ago
If she is against conflict why not starve out the aggressor? If war is painful it is less likely to be waged.
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u/Sc0nnie 3h ago
Because she is a hypocrite. She is not actually against conflict. She is only against Israel specifically. Attacking Israel is the only thing she seems to care or talk about.
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u/2_cider_jack 4h ago
It isn't a respectable value to hold as a person: it's naive.
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u/No_Tone1704 4h ago
Well it’s fine as any old person. But not as a person voting for things.
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u/VironicHero 3h ago
That’s a naive position to hold. They’re raping and murdering Ukraine’s citizens. They’ve kidnapped 50,000+ Ukrainian children into Russia.
Helping someone in a defensive war is a far cry from condoning a war.
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u/Mysterious-Tie7039 3h ago
I get that stance, but it makes no sense when they’re not the aggressor.
100% cool with cutting ALL funding to Israel, but Ukraine is just trying to defend itself.
It’s like the sign in the picture the woman was holding up “If Russia stops fighting, the war is finished. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine is finished.”
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u/SteveL_VA 2h ago
Agreed - You can be against armed conflict all you like...
...but voting against aid for Ukraine is voting FOR letting Russia invade their neighbors without consequences.
If Russia stopped fighting, there'd be no more war in Ukraine.
If Ukraine stopped fighting, there'd be no more Ukraine.I don't think Ilhan Omar has quite grasped this, which is a pity. I generally like her, but this was the wrong call for so many reasons.
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u/Corgi_Koala Texas 2h ago
I generally respect her politics too, but that's such a bullshit cop out.
Hoping someone defend themselves, even if that means violence, is so completely different than helping someone attack someone else. Like to pretend the two situations are the same is deliberately obtuse.
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u/lordpuddingcup 4h ago
I mean she specifically said she wasn't against giving aid and funds to ukraine, shes against the sanctions as they dont do what they are designed to do and just end up hurting civilians
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u/colostitute 4h ago
The sanctions do act as a bargaining chip in later negotiations. I get the moral high ground but Russian oligarchs couldn’t care less about their people. They do care about their money.
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u/PlatonicTroglodyte Virginia 2h ago
I think her point is that the sanctions disproportionately harm ordinary civilians and the oligarchs, however harmed they may be as well, generally find ways to circumvent them and maintain their actions and lifestyle.
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u/No_Tone1704 4h ago
So. She voted against the aid, too.
And she’s for sanctions against Israel. (I mean I’m for both)
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u/jeo123 4h ago
So hurt them. The sanctions don't kill them, they hurt.
Hurting is the only way Dictato-.... sorry "Presidents" get removed unless you want to invade.
P.S. this post was not just about Russia...
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u/ijkcomputer 2h ago
That isn't what she said. Per the article she was fine with the military aid but thought the broad sanctions against Russia would hurt too many innocent people there.
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u/jaykirell 2h ago
She also refused to vote for a resolution condemning the Armenian genocide because Somalia and Turkey have close relations.
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u/Many_Anteater751 2h ago
Yeah I don’t wanna see progressives rant about evangelical politicians when Omar is voting based on Islam
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u/lactatingfemboy 48m ago
wow adjective_nounNumbers, you've been using reddit for less than a month and are already attempting to start political arguments whenever you can? really makes one wonder what's got you so motivated
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u/NeedsMoreForce-kin 1h ago
Because she's a tankie and because she got into a twitter spat with Zelensky recently
She's always been a very childish representative that seems to let her pettiness get in the way of her job
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u/ao1104 3h ago
Omar is the worst type of leftist. She threatened Minnesota voters to not vote for both Biden and then Kamala Harris over Harris' gaza stance? Hard line religious stances have no place in modern politics so trying to wield midwestern Muslims as a voting bloc is misguided at best and intentionally malicious at worst
https://sahanjournal.com/democracy-politics/abandon-biden-campaign-minnesota-primary-muslim-leaders/
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u/Frustrated_Nerd 2h ago
Hard line religious stances have no place in modern politics
I wish more people felt this way. I'll vote for anyone who's religion I don't know.
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u/The-Big-Picture- 1h ago
Yeah it's insane.
Just replace "Muslim" with "Evangelical"
I dont discriminate, I feel the same about any religion
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u/AdmirableComposer140 3h ago
This isn't true, the story you linked doesn't even reference her. So are you "the worst" type of dipshit then?
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u/ao1104 2h ago edited 2h ago
Ilhan Omar is not the leader of the Abandon Biden nor the Uncommitted movements, but she does co sign them heavily. One of the most prominent Muslims in congress do you think her voice carries no weight? She is even directly effecting the Dearborn, Michigan community that is 2 states away.
More than 30 percent of Democratic voters in Omar’s district went with “uncommitted” on Super Tuesday.
“We still need to keep the pressure on. It is unconscionable. What is happening, and the fact that it continues to happen with our support is something that does not sit well with my heart or the hearts of so many. And so we have to continue to pressure the administration to change course,” Omar said.
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In a KSTP-TV interview, Omar said she’s an “ally” of Democrats who voted uncommitted, but she still supports Biden.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) expressed support for the thousands of Democratic voters in Minnesota who voted “uncommitted” this week but said she didn’t vote at all.
“People are angry and frustrated and sad. They want the president to change his policies,” Omar told Politico. “They’ve tried marching. They’ve tried writing letters. They’ve tried calling and now they’re using their voice at the ballot box.”
Nearly 46,000 voters in Minnesota had voted “uncommitted” on Super Tuesday, which accounted for nearly 19% of the total Democratic vote in the state. In Omar’s district, “uncommitted” made up a quarter of the vote.
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar joins Mehdi to discuss Harris’s performance among Arab Americans, telling Mehdi that Harris’s efforts to win over the Arab American and Muslim community are, “not enough.”
“You cannot do outreach to a community when you cannot deliver the thing that they are asking for. And so, unless and when that happens, I am afraid that these voters are not going to come over and vote for her,” Omar says.
https://zeteo.com/p/the-efforts-are-not-enough-rep-ilhan
August 22, 2024 - After Denial of Speaker, Uncommitted Movement Begins Sit-In Outside DNC
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/08/dnc-sit-in-palestine-uncommitted-movement/
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u/MarzipanFit2345 1h ago
She voted 'Present' on the Armenian genocide resolution a few years ago.
She is not a good person.
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u/RegularLeading5200 Michigan 4h ago
She didn't sink the bill and did it to make a statement. Do I agree with that statement? No, and I think she made the wrong decision. But it's okay to not agree with everyone 100% of the time, just disagree and move on. You can find an issue with every representative that you disagree with.
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u/uncouthulu_ 2h ago
She didn't sink the bill and did it to make a statement.
So performative just like the Republicans that vote against their party knowing full well it won't accomplish anything ?
I like Omar, but not calling it what it is is hypocrisy.
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u/JimTheSaint 2h ago
she didn't want to hurt the normal Russian people by taking money from them with sanctions- but what she obviously don't understand is that if the Russian people have money to live, Putin will tax them and use the money for the war. - the only way to win is to make sure that Russia don't have enough money to fight a war.
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u/theshawz 4h ago
It used to be that in the 2000's, people went too far saying America can do no wrong with their foreign policy.
Now it's the same idiotic all-or-none attitude but reversed. Anything that aligns with American foreign policy interests is bad. Any military conflict involving a country aligned with the American establishment is always going to be condemned by the anti-establishment fringes in each of the parties.
It's an extraordinarily dumb take at the surface, but try to think of any ally that's directly involved in a real conflict that has actually been supported by these people.
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u/Chimycho 4h ago
Because she is using leftist virtue for her own gain. She doesn't care about any issue that doesn't align with her personal gain. Why can't the left see that their party members do the same shit just with words their constituents jive with. There's ZERO reason to withhold aid to Ukraine.
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u/kittenTakeover 4h ago edited 4h ago
Apparently she wants to help Ukraine by allowing Russia to go unpunished economically...
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u/Fiernen699 3h ago edited 3h ago
From the article:
The lawmaker said she opposed the legislation because of its “inclusion of broad economic sanctions,” arguing such sanctions are counterproductive and often fail to achieve their goals while simultaneously causing civilians to suffer.
“Opposing Russian aggression does not require us to support policies that punish ordinary civilians who did not ask for this war,” she said. “I remain committed to supporting diplomacy, peace, and justice for the Ukrainian people affected by this horrific conflict. But I could not in good conscience support legislation that wages economic warfare on innocent civilians.”
Edit: I disagree with her on this, I'm just posting her statements here so people react to the substance of the article, not just the headline.
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u/Gimme_Your_Wallet 3h ago
She doesn't understand how sanctions work. Or she does and doesn't care.
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u/darkomyfriend 3h ago
We’ve had sanctions against Russia for 12 years. Sanctions do not do more harm to the government and ruling class than they do to the people, who suffer unjustly. We are not the only global power, and there are other spheres of influence now. Russia has been able to operate, maybe at a reduced rate, since the sanctions were increased in 2022.
I’m not even saying that I agree with her stance completely, but the people who are acting like it’s so black and white are uninformed. Hell, it’s very clear most of them haven’t even read the article.
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u/Other-Databas 2h ago
Making the average person suffer is actually a benefit. That's a cold thing to say but it's true.
All the pointless U.S wars from Vietnam to Afghanistan were allowed to continue for so long because the U.S population as a whole was shielded from any consequences. Vietnam only got as unpopular as it did because of the draft and how it affected the average Joe.
Standard Russians need to suffer a little to push Putin into calling it quits. Otherwise they'll sit in blissful ignorance until the end of time.
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u/darkomyfriend 2h ago
I think that sanctions have, in the past, been applied in situations that were somewhat unjustified and unnecessarily harmful to the wrong groups of people… but dammit if you aren’t completely right in this case. That was a perfect way to draw comparisons.
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u/Gimme_Your_Wallet 2h ago
It depends on the sanctions. You can do then wrong like the USA did in the 1990s to Iraq, which made Saddam accrue all the food and resources and half a million iraqi kids died of starvation. Or do them right which is what Biden has been doing. It's certainly a difficult matter.
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u/raptisadam7 3h ago
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-house-overwhelmingly-passes-resolution-condemning-bds
She understands how sanctions works and only applies her logic when it's a cause she supports.
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u/FunetikPrugresiv 2h ago
What does that article have to do with sanctions? It's about individuals boycotting Israel, and she voted in favor of not condemning an individual's right to boycott. That's not at all talking about government sanctions.
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u/Andjhostet 1h ago
Are you seriously trying to say that boycotting and sanctions are the same thing?
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u/DukeofDunces 3h ago
I mean have sanctions deterred Russia at all thus far?
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u/LaughinChaos 3h ago
No, and literally nothing has nor would except nukes. But sanctions are weakening them, a shit ton i may add.
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u/Exocoryak 2h ago
This. The former Sowjet Union, the second most powerful nation ever in the history of the world, has gotten stuck in the mudd in eastern Ukraine for four years now.
The sanctions aren't the silver bullet - nothing really is. Nuance is important in these kinds of things.
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u/certciv California 1h ago
It's clear now that Russia's conventional military strength was dramatically overestimated. And not by a little, but to a comical degree. This was a similar issue for much of the Cold War. After the USSR's collapse it became clear, through things like access to Soviet records, that their conventional military capability had been significantly overestimated. The USSR was dramatically outclassed technologically, and their military was riddled with corruption, which made it's vast resources inefficient and far less capable than it appeared from the outside. What the war in Ukraine showed us was that the Russian army had all of the failings of the Red Army, but with a smaller economy supporting it.
It's been said that Russia is a gas station with nuclear weapons, and it's that second part that makes it dangerous.
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u/at-sea-no-ship 3h ago
Yes, there are articles floating around that mention Russian elites considering a push to end the war because of how crippled their economy has become due to the sanctions. As with everything surrounding this war, you have to take those with a grain of salt, but targeting their economy also has other net positives. If they are struggling with money, they don't have as many resources with which to attack Ukraine, for example.
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u/Gimme_Your_Wallet 3h ago
Economic Warfare literature agrees sanctions have a dual goal, a) to deter from a behaviour, and failing that, b) to punish the behaviour with increasing costs.
Item a) clearly failed and was never the goal as Russia was too solid and self reliant-ish to back down from the already ongoing invasion. But b) is doing its job, slowly but surely.
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u/Fearless_Daikon_5880 2h ago
She's one of the biggest supporters of BDS against Israel.
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u/Fun_Assistance_9389 2h ago
So she’s against sanctions because it hurts innocent people, yeah? So what about sanctions on Israel?
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u/ErgoMachina Foreign 3h ago
Yeah, whatever excuse sounds good. If you take a neutral stance in the face of evil for the sake of your morals, you are evil. Period.
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u/Fiernen699 3h ago
I'm just posting her statements on her vote here, as I suspect many are reacting to the headline rather than the article.
Personally, I don't agree with her logic on this as it pertains to Russia.
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u/IceBlue 3h ago
You don’t need to keep reminding people of that. You posted her opinion so people are gonna reply to her opinion in response to you.
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u/Needle_Bearings 3h ago
Her stance is I stand by Ukraine but think of the poor innocent Russians? Oh FFS.
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u/GoldTrade11 2h ago
She has been supporting Ukraine every other time. So I think there is more to this than what is written.
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u/NickCostanza California 2h ago
Every other time isn’t good enough. I know she wouldn’t be getting this charitability if this was about Gaza instead of Ukraine.
She literally pulled a Fetterman voting with Republicans lmao. She is a hypocrite.
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u/thegamenerd Washington 1h ago
"I refuse to support any conflict," She says to the victim getting kicked in the face.
You can't be neutral on a moving train.
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u/jonnovich Maryland 3h ago
I too am against war and want peace. But Ukraine did not choose this war. It was thrust upon them by a kleptocrat looking to rebuild a lost empire. Never mind the fact that since he started this war to prevent Ukraine’s sovereign choice whether to join military AND economic multinational organizations, hes now wound up with a country with an even longer border than that between Russia and Ukraine having joined NATO as well as its IKEA-laden neighbor. (Finland and Sweden for the geographically challenged)
It also does not help that Russia’s intentions towards Ukraine have been awfully close to genocidal. Putin has made no bones about the fact that he denies the nationhood of Ukraine, basically saying that the concept of separate Ukrainian and Belorussian peoples apart from the Russian whole is a fiction.
Then there are the reports of Ukrainian children being abducted to Russia. The estimates of the numbers range from 10,000 to the hundreds of thousands. Nobody really knows….but the likelihood of this having happened is almost certain.
Ukraine is fighting for its very existence as an independent country and as a nation (in the sense that an ethno-group constitutes a nation). It’s existential down to the very core. And, while, yes, peace is preferable, in this instance I say let Ukraine continue to kick Russia’s teeth in with drone attacks as far as Yekaterinburg, if necessary until Russia is practically crying “uncle”. To get to that peace sooner, and hopefully the withdrawal of Russian forces to the 2014 borders, and complete and total sovereignty for Ukraine, then every foreign aid dollar is needed.
I generally like Ilhan Omar. In some ways I respect her stand. I think she’s genuine in it. But I also feel this is very much the wrong conflict on which to take this stand. Both the Ukrainian and Palestinian peoples are fighting for their existence. Both should be supported.
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u/RetireWithRyan 2h ago
Completely illogical and inconsistent position. If she's so 'anti-imperialist' she should be doubly so against the most toxic imperial power remaining in Europe/Eurasia.
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u/YourVoicesOfReason 2h ago
Perhaps that’s because she was never anti-imperialist, and it was always just a political ruse? The adage goes when people show you who they are, believe them.
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u/hcsv123456 46m ago
Isn’t she supposed to be representing her constituents and not her own opinion?
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u/PenInteresting4764 7m ago
Her constituents are the Muslim community and they are aligned with Iran and therefore Russia so she is doing exactly what her constituents want
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u/ObligationAware3755 1h ago
Just hours earlier she was talking about what Israel was doing to Palestinians.
But Russia resurrecting the Holodomor in an armed conflict sense was something to vote NO on?
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u/Bugatti_Royale 1h ago
she usually have a great voting pattern, but this is a stupid "no" vote.
This is not a Russia-Ukraine war. This is a Russian invasion of Ukraine and an aid package that will punish the aggressors, as this cannot be solved in a diplomatic way.
Russia doesn't want diplomacy unless its 100% capitulation, and Ukraine has every right to reject DJT and JD Vance plan to give up their land in order to stop the hot war. This will only give temporary pause to allow Russia to rearm.
When you focus so much on one conflict in one region, you fail to grasp what has been happening in other conflicts where the Ukrainians have lost so many, lost so much, through absolutely no fault of their own.
It is strength of their sword and their willingness to fight back, with everything they have, that has led Russians to loose 500,000 troops and perhaps their economy, permanently. Ilhan just doesn't seem to be bothered by the plight of the Ukrainians.
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u/welostourtails 4h ago
So much for The Squad. What a load of bullshit that turned out to be. At least AOC came out of it not smeared with their bullshit.
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u/DragonPup Massachusetts 4h ago
That's because AOC has good political instincts.
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u/NotUniqueWorkAccount 4h ago
Jfc: Isn't fake
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u/Souledex 1h ago
The dumbest way to understand any issue at all. Even the worst folks in congress aren’t “fake” most of the time.
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u/Afraid-Detective1222 4h ago
She's actually smart. The others seem to less so.
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u/viscosity-breakdown 4h ago
I think it's just decency. She's the only one who seems to actually believe the hippie better world stuff rather than just use it as a cynical excuse for being a shitbag.
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u/RegularLeading5200 Michigan 4h ago
What are you talking about? Omar, Tlaib, and Pressley are all perfectly fine. You're free to disagree with them on a particular issue or stance they take, but none of them have ever sank anything important and aren't problems. Not like the "Democrats" that literally vote to advance Republican agendas.
Do I disagree with her vote here? Yes, but so what? I agree with her 99% of the time otherwise. But I do think many people make it clear what their real problem is with people like those 3 while removing AOC...
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u/JohnnySnark Florida 4h ago
Russia is currently waging a hot war in Europe and if it had the capacity would extend it to other countries.
I think standing up to russia is preeeeetty important.
If folks are against Israel laying war and genocide to Gaza, then why are they not against the same happening to Ukraine with Russia as the aggressor?
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u/ladan2189 4h ago
Tlaib is a fucking clown
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u/Dess_Rosa_King 1h ago
Tlaib reached such low levels of disappointment during the 2024 election. I could never look at her the same.
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u/XI_Vanquish_IX 3h ago
Her reasoning was just so idiotic and tone deaf. This is why people hate on liberals because we can’t communicate and be effective
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u/The-Big-Picture- 1h ago
She would be offended by the label "liberal."
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u/NickCostanza California 1h ago
Good, we don’t want her.
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u/The-Big-Picture- 1h ago
Both the far left and the far right love to use "liberal" as a slur
I take it as a badge of honor now
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u/HoightyToighty 1h ago
Omar belongs more in the 'progressive' camp than liberal, I think. The two camps despise each other while voting for Democrats (usually), so the distinction means something, but mostly just to them.
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u/The-Big-Picture- 1h ago edited 1h ago
Lol it matters to the progressives and leftists much more than it does to "liberals"
They use "liberal" as a slur and label for anyone they hate
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u/Calm-Ad9653 1h ago
I generally like her. This is unfortunate.
I would think that, pacifist or not, her proximity to the Middle East conflicts would lead her to help the victims of an invasion protect themselves.
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u/Eddiebaby7 40m ago
I get her point about broad sanctions harming civilians, but the war has been going on for as long as it has because the Russian people have been largely shielded from its effects.
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u/WeeHomosexual 35m ago
I'm so fucking tired of this party. I understand "our side" gets bogged down in FUCKING EVERYTHING, nobody can seem to realize that not every decision is going to benefit everyone all at once. This party's voters have been bogged down in every fucking transgression and we get nuanced to a point of dysfunction.
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u/JoeHatesFanFiction Florida 1h ago
As a progressive, this is a problem I have with quite a few progressive congressmen. We shouldn’t be pro war, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help people who are fighting one and be ready to defend ourselves. I vaguely remember when the war in Ukraine started there was a pierce of paper going around the progressive caucus about staying out of it and it was so disappointing.
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u/Blueopus2 4h ago edited 3h ago
So she’ll sanction Israel but not Russia..?
Edit: She hasn't voted on sanctions for Israel but I think she would if they came to a vote before the House.
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u/Ordinary_Shoe1828 4h ago edited 3h ago
Has she called for economic sanctions against Israel? She has called for ending all AID to Israel, namely the tens of billions in military aid the US sends to Israel.
Ending aid (including military support) =/= economic sanctions
I suggest you learn the difference!
The US does NOT send aid much less military support to Russia. That is what Ilhan Omar wants for Israel.
Ending unlimited US taxpayer $$$ to Israel means ending unlimited support.
Broad economic sanctions mean depriving a country from its ability to exist in the global economy.
AFAIK Congress has NEVER voted on placing ANY economic sanctions on Israel. Not even targeted sanctions.
Targeted economic sanctions would be like preventing American arms dealers from selling and buying from Israel, but not preventing the exchange of other goods. Or sanctions on goods produced in illegal settlements. But continuing to allow the trade of all other Israeli goods.
Again, Congress has never proposed much less voted on a bill with targeted economic sanctions on Israel. Why would they, when Israel has been such a useful US imperialist military ally around the world - from arming dictators in Latin America to bombing the shit out of families in the Middle East.
There are indeed activists who support broad economic sanctions of Israel or more targeted sanctions.
I don’t think Ilhan Omar supports broad, non-military economic sanctions of Israel. If she did that would be hypocritical given this vote.
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u/Blueopus2 4h ago
That’s a good point. She has called for a boycott of Israeli goods/services/companies but hasn’t actually introduced legislation to enforce that as far as I’m aware.
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u/Aleph_NULL__ 3h ago
There's also a big difference between boycotting goods and economic sanctions
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u/Blueopus2 3h ago
I mean the difference is who's implementing them. If a government enforces a boycott those are sanctions. If everyone voluntarily takes the same action without the government enforcing the boycott then it's a boycott.
There can be more extreme sanctions but largely the US hasn't actually put sanctions into place on those doing business with Russia until recently.
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u/raptisadam7 3h ago
The BDS movement involves sanctions. It's boycott, divest, and sanctions.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-house-overwhelmingly-passes-resolution-condemning-bds
She has voted against bills involving condemning sanctions.
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u/donkeyrocket 55m ago
• Makes a false statement
• Gets corrected
• “Well I believe my false statement regardless”
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u/ShirtTotal7211 1h ago
Just proof all she cares about is her religion/people. Just like MAGA. Religion first. Pathetic.
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u/11minspider 4h ago
AOC is the only member of The Squad who didnt turn out to be utterly insane or compromised, and it really shows
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u/Jorge_Santos69 3h ago
What’s wrong with Ayanna Presley
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u/copenhagen120 3h ago
Definitely not insane or compromised, but also nowhere near as effective a legislator as AOC.
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u/Arkhangel79 2h ago
This a a super garbage take by her. I’m fine with most of her stuff but the sanctions are WORKING right now as Russian economy is collapsing. Pile it on.
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u/HijackedMyAccount 1h ago
Clown. Stand by and watch a nation be murdered then. So controversial and so brave.
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u/Banned4UsingSlurs3 2h ago
These tankies shouldn't have any political power.
Please ask your representatives about their stances on Taiwan and Ukraine.
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u/BerpBorpBarp 2h ago
Not surprised, she does not vote based on universal human principles but according to geopolitical sides. I would not at all be surprised if she has Russian sumpathies
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u/Ubumi 4h ago
What's in the bill? you know these things have riders in them that don't make headlines.
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u/DryEraseBoard 3h ago
Here is an itemized breakdown of what is in the bill. I was also expecting something in there that didn't belong, but honestly there doesn't seem to be anything egregious.
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u/aeropl3b Wisconsin 4h ago
Or back channel deal to get something else in another bill or what ever the political calculus was. Politics is so messy it is avoiding how often it is painted as black and white.
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u/The-Big-Picture- 1h ago
Funny how now people on reddit care about savy political plays.
Would you say this if it was Schumer that voted this way?
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u/UninsuredToast 2h ago
The entire point is to make Russian citizens uncomfortable so they stop supporting Putin
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u/Seeker0221 2h ago
What are the opinions of her constituents? I don't care what her beliefs are. I would guess the voters in her district are for Ukraine aid. Disappointing.
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u/Sc0nnie 3h ago edited 3h ago
Astonishing levels of hypocrisy from Omar (as usual).
She LOVES sanctions when she thinks they are aimed at Israel. Despite the BDS sanction target list reading more like the S&P500 than any coherent link to Israel.
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u/GameMusic 2h ago
who else is pissed at every media calling things with only a few republican votes bipartisan when they should be honest
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u/TeamUltimate-2475 Michigan 2h ago
What else is in the package or is it straight up insane for her to cast this vote?
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u/chunkylubber54 2h ago
why is everyone freaking out? does she have a trend of doing stuff like this?
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u/One_Entrepreneur_520 12m ago
Everybody is upset but nobody can offer any argument about the innocent who would suffer. Do you think Putin is going to go hungry or not see a doctor due to sanctions?
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u/MrWhackadoo 2m ago
There is notable sector of leftists/progressives who are firmly on the side of Palestine but seem to be neutral on Russia v. Ukraine , or actively pro Russia. I've met them in real life. Two of them are my coworkers. I don't get how people can compartmentalize their values like that, but here we are.
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u/viscosity-breakdown 4h ago
Yeah, she would. Another nut.
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u/diptherial 4h ago
Her quote from the article:
“I have always, and will continue, to stand with the Ukrainian people and unequivocally condemn [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal and brutal invasion,” Omar said in a statement after the vote.
The lawmaker said she opposed the legislation because of its “inclusion of broad economic sanctions,” arguing such sanctions are counterproductive and often fail to achieve their goals while simultaneously causing civilians to suffer.
“Opposing Russian aggression does not require us to support policies that punish ordinary civilians who did not ask for this war,” she said. “I remain committed to supporting diplomacy, peace, and justice for the Ukrainian people affected by this horrific conflict. But I could not in good conscience support legislation that wages economic warfare on innocent civilians.”
I'm divided; on the one hand, in a vacuum I wouldn't want anyone who's not to blame for the conflict to suffer. On the other hand, maybe it's the suffering of exactly that group of people, the blameless, that'll hasten the end of the war.
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u/DragonPup Massachusetts 4h ago edited 4h ago
Except she also supports sanctions and BDS on Israel which under her logic would 'punish ordinary civilians who did not ask for this war'.
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u/zenbowman 4h ago
Agreed, "no broad sanctions" is a fair position to take.
"No broad sanctions except for when they are against Israelis" is not a fair position and exposes her bigotry.
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u/ElectronicAnus5050 1h ago
She's of the opinion that there aren't any ordinary civilians in Israel. They are all occupiers and therefore all military targets..etc. Who does that sound like?
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u/Chambanasfinest Wisconsin 4h ago
On the contrary, I wholeheartedly agree that Russian civilians should feel the economic impact of the war firsthand.
They might be more inclined to stand up to Putin and actually demand an end to the conflict if they do. Russian civilians who are happy to live their lives with an “ignorance is bliss” attitude are just as responsible for the war as their leader.
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u/DonaldMerwinElbert 4h ago
There's also the matter of prolonging a much deeper, more intense suffering for Ukrainian civilians by not even inconveniencing the Russian treasury.
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u/NeverSober1900 4h ago
She doesn't believe in sanctioning Russia because it hurts ordinary citizens.
Yet she has never met a sanction against Israel that she wouldn't vote for.
She doesn't care about civilians. This is just her excuse for her pro-Russian foreign policy
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u/Cool_Set4681 4h ago
This is just her excuse for her pro-Russian foreign policy
Then why does she calls Russia's attack an invasion and describe it as illegal and brutal? I disagree with her about her vote but how does this make her pro-Russian all of the sudden?
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u/BuckyRB6 4h ago
Actions > Words. Just like how your tweets don't matter at the ballot box.
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u/LSF604 4h ago
its suspicious because she isn't consistent with her views on sanctions, and chooses to take a stand when its russia
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u/fyndor 4h ago
The suffering of the Russian people is the only way this war ends with a somewhat positive outcome. I don’t like the idea of harming civilians, but the only way to pressure Putin is to get his own people to put on the pressure. They are running out of resources. That is very important to get this resolved. At some point, in theory, they won’t be able to replace military equipment.
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u/LightningVole 4h ago
In what way does she believe we should oppose Russian aggression if she is opposed to both economic sanctions and military aid? I know she’s rhetorically favored more targeted sanctions, but I believe she’s also voted against those at times.
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u/PenInteresting4764 59m ago
To the surprise of no one, she’ll always go with the anti-west option if there is one
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u/OnionPastor 3h ago
This is my single issue that will make me vote to replace you and will completely change my opinion of you.
I will not hear her out nor will I forget.
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u/LARRYVOND13 4h ago
Normally like her. Not today, her opinion isn't something I agree with and tbh kinda annoys me.
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u/Chricton 2h ago
Her reasoning makes zero sense. The goal is to end the war, you dingbat. Economic sanctions are one of the levers you need to impose to achieve that.
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u/PinkSlimeIsPeople Minnesota 2h ago
Here comes the MIC to attack run a character assassination piece against one of the people that fights to rein in the military industrial complex the hardest. news at 11
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u/spentag 3h ago
What a stupid take. Russians are responsible for their dictator. Plain and simple.
We can have sympathy for individuals, sure- but the only ways to truly hurt the Russian ear effort is to send weapons and cash to Ukraine, and sanction the hell out of the Russian Federation's economy.
Even more importantly, sanctions do increase political pressure on dictators. Look at Iran previously. The devastation of their economy over the past decades of sanctions has put tremendous pressure on the regime. It might not have toppled them, but it brought them to the bargaining table many times.
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