Yesterday Trump made an ass of himself once again by making a Pearl Harbor joke while meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan. The world cringed. And I just read that Trump is asking advisors how to get his birthday declared a national US holiday. He’s got the mind of a spoiled, bratty child.
Jason Linkins wrote at The New Republic, “Imagine if the dumbest person in the world and humanity’s biggest asshole were the same person, and that guy was president. Then imagine he started a war with Iran. Now check the news. One look, and here’s what you should be thinking: ‘Yep, that tracks.'”
Republicans in Congress are still afraid to cross him. The Department of Justice is pursuing a hairbrained “grand conspiracy” theory, based on nothing but signals from Trump’s brain and vibes on the Internet, that targets a list of people Trump considers his enemies. Meanwhile, the price of oil is going to be high and higher for the foreseeable future, certainly well past the Midterms. Even if Trump were to pull U.S. military assets out of the war tomorrow, much damage has been done that will take a long time to fix. And Iran is unlikely to allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz without big concessions from the U.S. and Israel.
After the 2024 elections Republicans tried to make a scandal out of a “coverup” of Joe Biden’s alleged dementia. Biden certain was growing very frail, but I don’t think he was nearly as mentally addled as Trump. The Republicans should answer for this.
Anne Applebaum wrote at The Atlantic,
Donald Trump does not think strategically. Nor does he think historically, geographically, or even rationally. He does not connect actions he takes on one day to events that occur weeks later. He does not think about how his behavior in one place will change the behavior of other people in other places.
He does not consider the wider implications of his decisions. He does not take responsibility when these decisions go wrong. Instead, he acts on whim and impulse, and when he changes his mind—when he feels new whims and new impulses—he simply lies about whatever he said or did before.
Applebaum describes Trump’s shabby treatment toward our long-time allies these past several months. I read today that Denmark was planning to destroy Greenhand’s runways if Trump sent an invasion force. And now he demands those allies clean up his mess.
NATO faces a “very bad” future if it doesn’t help clear the strait, Trump told the Financial Times, apparently forgetting that the United States founded the organization and has led it since its creation in 1949. He has also said he is not asking but ordering seven countries to help. He did not specify which ones. “I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on the way from Florida to Washington. “It’s the place from which they get their energy.” Actually it isn’t their territory, and it’s his fault that their energy is blocked.
But the NATO cavalry isn’t coming.
This isn’t cowardice. It’s a calculation: If allied leaders thought that their sacrifice might count for something in Washington, they might choose differently. But most of them have stopped trying to find the hidden logic behind Trump’s actions, and they understand that any contribution they make will count for nothing. A few days or weeks later, Trump will not even remember that it happened.
As I’ve written before, he was never exceptionally bright, and he’s clearly psychologically miswired. Probably he’s been miswired since childhood. And now he’s making one colossally bad decision after another, because he’s a sloppy thinker with no patience for complexity. As I wrote a few days ago, his administration would be a great deal more successful if he’d done absolutely nothing but show up in the Oval Office now and then wearing a nice suit. He could even have his tacky gold crap all over the Oval Office walls; just leave the East Wing and Jackie’s Rose Garden alone. But no.
I recommend Trump Had No Plan B for Iran by Tom Nichols at The Atlantic.
The commander in chief was reportedly told that the mullahs might not agree to go gently into the night, but he seems to have waved away such concerns because he was so convinced that the Iranian regime would collapse almost immediately. According to The Wall Street Journal, when General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned the president that a U.S. attack would prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, Trump “told his team that Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the strait—and even if Iran tried, the U.S. military could handle it.”
Anyone who is even a casual reader of military history recognizes the pattern. So many wars have been started by an aggressor who assumed a quick victory that didn’t happen. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Trump now appears lost, unable to comprehend how a blockbuster movie that he scripted out, one in which he cast himself as the Liberator of Iran, has turned into a poorly received miniseries that might yet be renewed for another dreary season.
He still seems full of bluster I fear he’s going to keep doubling down, sending more troops and military assets into the war until he can claim a “win.” Experts on the teevee are saying it will require ground troops to open the Strait. Reminds me of Nixon’s “secret plan” to end the war in Vietnam, which turned out to be a major escalation — that didn’t end the war In Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Politico is reporting Putin offers to stop sharing intel with Iran if US cuts off Ukraine. Trump probably still thinks Putin is his friend.
About 6 hours ago, Trump said things are "winding down" and opening the Staight of Hormuz is no big deal. (If it's no big deal, why doesn't he do it?) Because you have to control the territory, the land, from which an attack can be launched. The Staight is only 10 miles wide at the closest point. That means the channel, if it's at the midpoint, is only 5 miles from the coast of Iran. It's not my area of expertise, but that mission does not require a big missile from Iran, partly because the distance is so short, but also because the target, a tanker or freighter, is not heavily armored. I read an article that cited a think-tank that predicted escorting tankers with destroyers capable of providing cover would still reduce traffic by 90 percent. Interceptor missiles are expensive – Iran can launch decoy stuff just to drive up the cost.
I have to laugh. In the American Revolution, the colonies could not match England on the battlefield. So the Continental Congress authorized 'privateers', which means pirates, to wage economic war against England. Wealthy individuals built or converted sailing ships with guns to stalk and ambush British merchant vessels. Not just along the US coast but all the way down into the Caribbean. Big money ruling government is an ancient theme. King George was besieged by the ruling class to crush the rebellion and/or provide a military escort for every merchant ship (Impossible.)
You may disagree, but IMO, the economic chaos of US piracy on the high seas had as much to do with victory as the military battles. England had the troops to continue the war, but the merchant class could not afford the losses.
We can keep pounding Iran until the attacks are genocidal, with no strategic excuse, but I think Iran can punish Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait for months. They've been sucking up to Trump through Kushner for years. Gifts of a 747, on top of billions to Jarrad must make Iran sick. If Don TACOS out with the Straight closed, I predict a diplomatic resolution, and the US won't have a seat at the table.
Anne Applebaum wrote two paragraphs, quoted here, that deserve to be embellished, framed, and treated as sacred text. These two paragraphs define in common English the minimum human characteristics, when absent, that make a person unhuman.
He does not. Then another he does not. Then another he does not. A whole paragraph of human characteristics that are not evidenced by his behavior.
Then she continues the 'he does not' theme in the nest paragraph until the last sentence when she ends with the maladaptive behavior, he is quite proficient at doing. Lying.
Might I dare to add that his axis partner in this war also seems quite proficient at that same maladaptive behavior.
The Jason Linkins quote was also remarkable. Yep. On Track.
Trump is NOT winning the assault on the press.
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5794028-pentagon-press-restrictions-violate-first-amendment/
OT: right wing loser politician way behind in the polls hatches a plan for a fake assassination attemp. Gee I wonder were he got that idea? Sounds vaguely familiar?
https://swedenherald.com/article/document-russian-proposal-for-fake-assassination-attempt-in-hungary
The March 21 edition of the NYT contained an editorial entitled Trump is hiding the Truth about the War in Iran. That does assume that he knows the truth in some way other than anything I say you must agree is the truth.
The editorial goes on to list lies and evidence they are untrue. The list is extensive and the evidence is strong.
They end by writing why this dishonesty is an error:
Do not lie to a veteran. It is the highest insult to them and their service one can make.
Opinion | Trump Is Hiding the Truth About the War in Iran – The New York Times
Quote of the Day:
They called him "Sleepy Joe" because you could sleep at night when he was president.
Trump threatened to attack Iran's energy grid starting Monday if Iran does not open the Hormuz Staight. Iran responded by threatening energy targets in the Mideast if Trump follows through. I'm guessing all targets are on the table, including oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. A CNN map says everything in the Middle East is in range of Iran, IMO, some targets will be hardened, almost impervious. Other targets will burn pretty good.
Iran can't 'win' militarily. They can win economically. All they have to do is stay in the game. That means hitting some of the ships that try to traverse the Straight and hit some of the energy targets in countries friendly to the US. This is bizarre. The US can score every time they get the ball and will lose the game if Iran can sometimes set a ship on fire and occasionally hit an oil storage facility.
The power is with the money. Oil sales from the Middle East are virtually ended – somebody tell me how much a day that's costing OPEC countries. Europe is looking at the same recession that the US is, with gas up a buck a gallon at the pump. Russia is the only country winning this game, which is why I think Iran will have the arms to stay in the game.