When Reality Roars Back

The Signal debacle is only the latest example in our politics.

Titanic Sinking by Willie Stower, 1912. Public domain. Wikimedia Commons.

I was planning to write an uplifting post for this weekend. But then somebody went and texted a journalist plans for a military strike. I couldn’t help but notice a connection to two things I wrote recently.

Last week, I argued that Christians should be defenders of the Constitution and its Separation of Powers. Two weeks back, I wrote about how a longing for Christian virtues is resurfacing, sometimes even in non-believers.

Both of these ideas resonate with this week’s political turmoil. A little further down, I’ll pinpoint why. For now, keep in mind that virtue, or morality, is always tied to reality. With morality, we talk in terms of right and wrong. We’re able to do that because some things are true, while others are false. That’s what I mean by reality. Just a common-sense understanding of that word.

So what does that have to do with officials using an app called Signal for military planning?

It’s the latest example of a troubling pattern. Again and again, we find our nation’s leaders telling us that we shouldn’t believe our own eyes and ears.

Think back (ages ago, I know) to when Joe Biden was president. A lot of his supporters insisted that he wasn’t declining mentally. But even before the infamous debate that ended his campaign, the problem was plain to see.

We also had the Biden administration insisting that biological men be allowed to compete in women’s sports. And they condemned those who pointed out the obvious unfairness.

To top it all off, the former president kept telling Americans that the economy was great. Meanwhile, all but the richest were choked by inflation.

This “don’t believe your lying eyes” theme opened the door for President Trump’s re-election. And yet, here we are again, with another denial of reality.

For those who wisely limit their news intake, here’s a quick summary of recent events: National security officials in the Trump administration used an app called Signal to communicate beforehand about a military strike in Yemen.

And someone in the group accidentally invited journalist Jeffrey Goldberg into the chat. For several days, he observed the conversation, assuming it was fake. After all, it included over a dozen administration officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance. Signal is known for its encryption, but discussing military plans on an app that anyone can download is wildly risky. Keep in mind that these were people with access to the most secure communications facilities in the world. And staffers who will whisk them to one at a moment’s notice.

Goldberg couldn’t believe they would plan a military action on their phones. Yet, sure enough, an attack on Houthi terrorists in Yemen happened right when officials in the chat said it would. After that, Goldberg revealed publicly what had happened.

Embarrassed, the administration went into damage control mode. And while some may debate the difference between sensitive and classified information, an ordinary person can see the problem. Had an enemy spy intercepted the plans, the pilots who went on the mission could have been killed.

But did the administration own the error? Have they assured us that they’ll use secure communications for future military planning?

Sadly, no. Instead, we’ve been treated to dodging, blame-shifting, and contradictory statements. One official tiptoed toward taking responsibility—and then immediately pivoted to blaming the journalist. Understand that normally if a member of the military leaks sensitive information, it can be career-ending.

To my knowledge, none of the participants in the chat have even admitted that using the Signal app for operations planning was a problem. Neither has anyone faced any consequences for their carelessness.

In other words, the era of “don’t believe your lying eyes” leadership continues.

The fiasco points back to why we have a Constitution. This is where the rubber meets the road for its Separation of Powers. If the president isn’t willing to hold anyone accountable, Congress can investigate what happened. The Constitution even gives the House of Representatives the ability to impeach a member of the president’s cabinet. The Senate, in turn, could remove that person from office. Even without going that far, Congress can use its leverage to push for accountability.

And without accountability, those who handle military secrets are effectively told that the highest standards aren’t expected of them. Also, for the sake of morale, everyone in the military has to know that their leadership is responsible and trustworthy. Right now it’s unknown how often the administration uses the Signal app for this kind of planning. But the messages suggest it wasn’t a one-off.

Meanwhile, a glaring lack of public virtue is on display. Two weeks ago I wrote:

Today most Americans, Christian or not, have given up hope for virtue in our political leaders. But this is just another sad symptom of the decline of the church in our country. To repurpose Jordan Peterson’s quote: “We are increasingly falling prey to the desperation of meaninglessness.”

As Christians, we know that life has meaning. It has everlasting value. We know that the choices we make in life matter. We know that one day, from the most powerful to the most vulnerable, we’ll each give an account to the Lord for how we used our time on this earth. God has put us in a world where some things are right and others are wrong. Where some things are real and others are fantasies. We need to know the difference and live accordingly. Our salvation is by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. It can’t be earned by virtue or moral performance. But the Bible never suggests that this truth minimizes our personal responsibility.

In a world that bombards us with half-truths, the first step toward virtue is often to affirm that there is such a thing as the whole truth.

And to remember that in the end, reality wins.