X/@SenTedCruz
Senator Ted Cruz paid a salute to patriotism on social media, calling the Stars and Stripes “a logo of one of the best, freest, and most affluent nation within the historical past of the world.” He hooked up it to an image of the flag waving in opposition to a transparent blue sky-this didn’t lack a dose of nationalism. Some folks reacted positively, whereas others took this chance to castigate the Texas senator for the whole lot, from political beliefs to loyalties to former President Donald Trump.
Commercial
Each endorsement and backlash greeted Cruz. One person, in Vietnamese, “Thanks for sharing! ❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️” The sentiment was echoed by one other who wrote, “Love our flag and shield American Residents.” Contrarily, most responses took a unique flip, accusing Cruz of being hypocritical or having misplaced priorities.
Saying that Cruz offered out People to international pursuits began a story, with one individual saying, “Cruz is one other zionist who takes Israeli $$ to offer them credibility,” whereas one other mentioned Cruz was “paid agent Israel propaganda,” casting doubt on his patriotism. The professional-Israel stance of the senator has been snared in controversy, with these feedback exhibiting how impatient many citizens nonetheless are.
Others objected that Cruz has been silent on latest political violence. “Why aren’t you talking out concerning the assassination in Minnesota?” one person requested, referencing the latest killing of native politicians. One other mentioned, “How come you haven’t spoken out concerning the two politicians that have been murdered?” A number of of these offended by his silence launched the accusation of “gutless coward” in opposition to Cruz for declining to remark.
Critiques of Cruz additionally constructed upon his hyperlink with Trump. Sarcastically mocking: “And also you’re a toad who licks the sneakers of a 34-count felon. What’s your level?” One other mocked Cruz’ Cancun journey through the Texas energy disaster’s onset: “That’s not the flag of Cancun.” The dig was aimed on the 2021 incident surrounding Cruz for vacationing in Mexico whereas his constituents suffered freezing temperatures.
Others directed their ire at coverage grievances. “Record 3 issues congress has performed to assist People,” one challenged, reflecting wider disillusionment with legislative ineffectiveness. One other urged motion on immigration: “Can y’all go laws to ban sanctuary cities?” Such replies, then, give voice to voters’ frustrations mounting as they really feel representatives have did not ship any actual outcomes.
Some took up the chance to make a number of corrections in historical past. Whereas one person pitied Cruz for his inaccurate account relating to William Barrett Travis, a central determine within the Texas Revolution, one other went off on a long-winded evaluation of the lineage and sacrifices of Travis. Nonetheless, these factual exchanges have been virtually drowned by the overwhelming tide of condemnation.
However the backlash was hardly a shock. Lengthy recognized to be controversial and evocative, Cruz’s Flag Day publish turned a lightning rod for the minefields of different grievances. Be it his alliances, his selections, or outdated skeletons in his closets, the responses simply plainly go to indicate that for a lot of, there’s a sturdy shut relationship between patriotism and politics-and generally sadly to Cruz’s detriment.
Commercial
With the opinion pouring in with disapproval, one factor was apparent: Whereas Cruz celebrated the flag, his critics have been too preoccupied digging into what they thought-about regime failures on his half. Can one discover a starker divide between symbolic motion and concrete implementation?
