When former vice president Dick Cheney died last fall, the usual tributes rolled in. Perhaps the most bizarre came in a Nov. 9 Newsmax article in which right-wing “historian” Craig Shirley absolved Cheney of his apparent sins because he was supposedly motivated by fear and patriotism:
Conservative historian Craig Shirley said Sunday on Newsmax that former Vice President Dick Cheney, who died last week at age 84, should be remembered for his lifetime of service, not just the Iraq War, a subject of harsh debates.
“Dick Cheney made mistakes, but ultimately he was acting in what he thought was the best interest of America,” Shirley told Newsmax, arguing that his actions came from a place of patriotism and fear in a post-9/11 America.
Shirley said Cheney’s legacy must be judged “by the totality of his life,” not through what he called “presentism,” or judging past decisions by today’s moral standards.
He noted that after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the nation was “really scared” and expected another major attack within months, creating conditions in which tough and sometimes flawed decisions were made.
Shirley did not indicate that he would give a Democratic politician the same “presentism” pass he gave Cheney, or why he deserves to be forgiven because he did it for the supposedly right reasons. Instead, Shirley declared that Cheney was “a good and decent man” who recreated the vice presidency.