In a 55-44 vote yesterday, primarily along party lines, the US Senate decided to table the bipartisan S.J.Res.54. In effect, killing it for the foreseeable future. The vote was scheduled deliberately to coincide with the state visit of Saudi Arabia’s ruling crown prince Mohammad bin Salman.
Nora O’Donnell’s groveling interview for “60 Minutes” (see good discussions here and here) offered a Marie Antoinette moment for American viewers. Not only did she not ask a single question about the war in Yemen (something that would have never passed muster in the days of Mike Wallace).
But those of us who knew what was happening on the other side of The Hill, watched a repulsive spectacle. The United States Senate and CBS News, a king-pin in corporate broadcasting, were genuflecting before Saudi royalty while telling the Yemeni victims of our illegal war — “let them eat cake.”
Especially noteworthy was the president’s afternoon press conference with the crown prince. President Trump chose to focus attention on the tens of 
billions of dollars in arms sales that the Saudis will continue to buy from US manufacturers (what’s the deal with the big visual aids? I kept expecting Trump to poke the prince in the eye).
Obviously, in the calculus of our capital city, Yemeni lives just aren’t worth very much. At least not when Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Ratheon and other weapons manufacturers stand to make billions in profits.
But, then, this has always been the American way of war and diplomacy.
If you have never read it before, take a look at Marine General Smedley Butler’s important book “War is a Racket” (1935).
Sadly, it has ever been this way. As the Greek historian Thucydides (c. 460 – c. 400 BC) wrote, “The rich will do what they can, while the poor will suffer what they must.”
The rich have won another round, for the time being.
The poor in Yemen — and others like them who suffer wherever the 
American Empire (and our collaborators) places selfish, national, economic interests above the needs of humanity — will continue to die of starvation, disease, bombs and bullets. Each weapon proudly stamped “made in the USA.”
Yesterday’s political maneuvers were signed in blood, by both the Senate and the White House. America’s cup fills to overflowing, and the inspired warnings of John the Revelator (Revelation 18:23-24) were never more relevant:
“Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her/you was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.”
Their blood, like Abel’s, will cry out from the ground on Judgement Day (Genesis 4:10). God keeps close accounts. They will be avenged, and America, with all her leaders responsible, will be condemned.
Yet, followers of Jesus are neither shocked nor discouraged when sin shows its ugly public face, as it did yesterday. Justice and mercy will not always triumph in this world, but Christians know that goodness and love WILL reign supreme on that Last Day.
In the meantime, we have every reason to continue our witness to see Humanity Renewed here and now through Jesus Christ.
Check to see how your senators voted. If they voted AGAINST tabling the resolution (as did my two!), call or write and express your gratitude and appreciation. If they voted IN FAVOR of tabling S.J.Res.54, let them know in no uncertain terms that they have not represented your values. If their moral compass does not change, then they may not remain in office much longer.
And Pray. Pray for the people of Yemen. Pray for the victims who die every day in the multiple American wars raging continuously around the globe.
Pray for the people of God, especially that Christians in the USA will be conformed to the mind of Christ (Romans 12:1-2) even as we are exorcised of the spirit of partisan politics and of Donald Trump.
