Whether ’tis enough for the country to suffer
The stings and lies by an outrageous leader,
And then to take arms against a foreign country
And by doing so cause many there to die and to weep.
Yes, it is said today is the day when the person in the clothes of the president will tell us what he decided with respect to Iran. He must decide whether to abide by an agreement with Iran that we entered into with our European allies, Russia and China; or whether to abandon that agreement because of his desire to satisfy the longings and prayers of Benjamin Netanyahu who has been coveting war against Iran for many years.
The odds are that he will side with Netanyahu. He has already shown his subservience to him by moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. All who have followed the Netanyahu saga know that his falling out with Obama was because of the latter’s unwillingness to war with Iran but to try to bring peace to the region.
Indications that Trump will bail is his hiring of John Bolton a strong advocate for attacking Iran and his promotion to secretary of state Mike Pompeo who, as we all know, made his initial trip abroad in that position to pay homage to Netanyahu (who by the way is right now preparing to travel to Moscow to pay homage to Putin). While Pompeo was there Netanyahu made a big splash alleging he had documents showing Iran had plans to build a nuclear weapon. Those with the greatest insight into Iran shrugged. The documents were ancient and well-known for many years. But Pompeo, was duly impressed and acted as if Netanyahu had come up with something new.
Trump, though, in his usual way, by now this too should be familiar to everyone, will set the table so that it appears Iran is the one walking away from the agreement. He will, I suggest, say he is withdrawing from the agreement while at the same time asserting that he will gladly enter into a new better agreement with Iran if certain conditions which are unacceptable to Iran are met. This will allow him to shift the blame from himself to Iran so later he will blame Iran for the failure of the agreement. We have seen this with the DACA matter, the Dreamers, where he abrogated the agreement entered into by Obama and then blamed Democrats for being unable to come up with a bill to help the Dreamers.
As part of the pitch for withdrawing, Trump will take a script, probably written by Netanyahu, pointing to all the evil things that Iran has done. He’ll talk about it killing American soldiers in Iraq and aiding terrorist groups that threaten Israel. These are the first drums of war – sort of like we saw with Iraq – the beginning of the propaganda which will lead to the eventual bombing war of Iran.
Yes, it will be a war in which few Americans suffer casualties. Americans are unhappy when its warriors get killed. There will be a great deal of death in store for the women, children and civilians in Iran which never bothers those at home. Trump will insist we are not at war against the Iranian people, even though we will be killing them, but are at war with the regime, most of who will not suffer because of the air attacks.
An article in March noted: “The views that Trump and Pompeo share – hatred toward the Iranian government and support of Israel’s far right – are a recipe for a US-Iran military confrontation. Perhaps the only way to avoid such a confrontation is a European intervention to prevent Trump from taking the first step toward it; i.e. re-imposing crippling sanctions on Iran.” Europe tried and failed. Two things still stand in the way of the war: Putin and Nobel. Trump covets the Nobel Peace Prize because his predecessor received it. Iran is an ally of Putin so he has to be offered a deal he can’t refuse to OK the US attack.
Of course I could be wrong but what are the odds against that? Stay tuned.
“intifada” means popular uprising. My bad
For the curious:
Palestinians are not all Muslims. There is a sizable Christian minority. They are part of the Palestinian Revolution, and, have greatly contributed, in, both, blood, and, treasure, to the struggle for Palestinian nationhood. George Habash was born a Christian, but, rose above sectarian issues by maturing into a seasoned Marxist Leninist.
Tomorrow’s Great March of Return will be a massacre. The IDF has been reported to be putting artillery fire on the crowds of demonstrators. There are many children among them. They threaten Israel with waving flags, and, sling-shots, and, are shot down by snipers, or, killed by cannon, and, mortar shells. Glorious Leader can be very proud of his work, today. Shaytan approves. Tomorrow will be the start of the last infitada. It will go on, until, there are no Palestinians left alive, or, Israel is no more.
Wa-llahi! Isn’t split-screen TV, truly, a wonder. On one side, Trumpist luminaries spewing ridiculous platitudes, leavened with outright lies, tout an illusory peace. On the other, an army of raging martyrs seeking the peace of the grave. rahimAllahum.
Wa-llahi! If Trump calls a war, will anybody go? Folks in the Driftless Area figure, if Glorious Leader starts conscription to pursue his megalomaniac ambitions, we’ll fight the war right here at home.
Looks like Netanyahu will provide the causus belli for Glorious Leader’s war It’s quite mad. Both believe that a good one-sided blood-letting will take the political, and, legal, heat off them. Lebanon will become a battlefied, again. Bob Fisk, reporting from Damascus for the Independent, observed the Assad regime move an entire armored division from Aleppo to the capital in 48 hrs. The Syrians can strike the Israelis in force through Quneitra Province over the Golan Heights. Hizballah has the whole southern end of the province organized in depth. It’s extensively tunneled. Think of the defense works on Pelieliu, Iwo Jima, and, Okinawa. The last time the IDF was drawn into the Lebanese kill zone, they lost heavy. All of the modern era defenses in south Lebanon have been designed with US/Israeli air-superiority in mind. That’s why the bunker-busters were shipped to the IDF. The Israelis, with Trump’s backing, are planning another invasion of Lebanon. That oughta get the big war rolling. Good job, great, Glorious Leader! Total Employment!
We often see this Bible verse:
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” –Isaiah 2:4, English Standard Version
Yet another verse is also appropriate at times:
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”” -Joel 3:10, English Standard Version
This may be a spurious quote, but I like it:
“Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who kept their swords.” –Benjamin Franklin
http://www.azquotes.com/quote/826574
Trump is determined to throw warheads somewhere. If he thinks that Iran is just another “shithole” country—he better think again.
He’ll look real smooth trying to get North Korea to sign anything, or agree to anything. Great timing.
How about our special envoy for the Mid-East–Bibi baby and his 200 nukes?
Holbrook’s head must be spinning–wherever he was bound.
Norwood? Isn’t that like purgatory? All around the country and you end-up in Norwood? That explains a lot.
Vilma Grunwald wrote a letter .
THE GRUNWALD LETTER
As she accompanied her crippled Son into the Auschwitz night to be gassed to death. Though she could have lived.
Happy Mother’s Day
Oy Vey !!!
The rhetoric in this jeremiad is toxic and partisan. It involves irrelevant misstatements. Example, Obama’s DACA policy was not an agreement with anyone. There was no other side. It was a declaration of dictatorial authority by a tyrant who boasted that his Presidential oath was meaningless and that he would not faithfully enforce the law. That is what the DACA ‘agreement’ is.
Trump’s kowtowing to Israel is nothing new. In 1948 Harry Truman accepted a suitcase full of cash on his whistlestop train that had run out of coal to recognize the Jewish state. LBJ lied about deliberate massacre of 34 American heroes on the USS Liberty. John MCain’s father crafted a whitewash for the Navy. Richard Nixon denuded NATO’s supply of weaponry to save Israel which was getting ass kicked in 1973. No President since Eisenhower and Kennedy has stood up to the Israeli Lobby.
Every Presidential candidate for fifty years has promised to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. Trump kept his word. One is to suppose that integrity is a problem for some.
The Obama agreement with Iran was within his authority, unlike the DACA betrayal of the American people. It certainly should be retained and Trump is wrong to break it.
At this point one should reflect upon the context that brings about this shameful move. The breach will have bipartisan majority support in both Houses of Congress. It is driven by a a powerful, disloyal ethnicity in this nation. It is not limited to that demographic nor is it the entirety of it. There are too many Israel Firsters in Congress, in the media, in the Academy, in the Fourth Estate and so forth. Trump’s actions grows from that malignancy.
I shall say something no one in Washington will say, Republican or Democrat, Trump or Pelosi, Schumer or Ryan: Call me an Anti-Semite until the cows come home. That vitriolic lie is meaningless. Shout it and be damned.
The lie that American interest is one with Israeli interest is the real problem. It emanates, not from Trump, but from traitors. I am disappointed that he has not stood up to AIPAC, but he is not alone. Remember the endless standing ovations from our Congress of Bobbleheads whenever they invite Bibi to lecture them with lies.
Trump has to live with them. That context is missing from the above tirade and explains his actions.
We’re all descended from hunters and gatherers and most of them became farmers and ranchers and herders . . . .the Good Book says to make your swords into plowshares . . .
The Greeks make the best Mediterranean Platters . . .the Greek girls are gorgeous, as are all the young women of the MIddle East . . .remember the blue-eyed young woman on the cover of National Geographic from Persia or Pakistan or thereabouts . . .a true beauty
there are plenty of goatherders in Ireland . . .I saw a lot of them in Donegal and Galway, on the West Coast, where the Black Irish are from . .
Jesus’s followers included goat herders . . .
Wasn’t Jesus “the good Shepherd”?
No, man. English is, at present, the dominant language, but, not the only language. America has always been a multi-lingual nation. Norwood, are you some kind of proud white man? Tad is looking for people like you. How are you about, Jews?
It’s likely Trump thinks he can pull this off, and that Iran will come crawling back to the negotiating table to offer concessions. This is not the road to a Nobel peace prize.
Also, to fake person Norwood Born: Your remarks to Khalid are extremely offensive and inappropriate. Do you really think being born in Norwood is a big deal? Sad.
Fake person? I was born in Norwood in 1965 and I have lived all over the United States and been all over the world. I am a Democrat. I am tired of people like Khalid and the Boston bombers coming to America and complaining about it. The language here is English not Spanish. The millions of people who voted for Trump seem not to be respected. Your not happy with the way Trump handles Korea. I have seen so many weak Democrats come out of the Commonwealth. Offensive? Inappropriate? What about the gang rapes in India? The women in Saudi Arabia who can not even drive a car? Ted, Duke, Kerry, Mitt all of them bit the dust in a national run.
The architectonics of the LEFT are shifting on this blog. When the theoreticians get real, moment ; not a Pauline conversion, but the road to Damascus seems less cluttered.
That is a gambit worth pursuing further . The Hamlet soliloquy ! Be interesting to hear you political parody …out … the speech.
Cuz’ that is original, and different !!!
The American people are tired of Middle East conflicts. They want to vacate the region. One reason Trump won was because he pointed out the waste of blood and treasure Iraq and Libya were. A war with Iran will be a disaster. It won’t be contained to Iran’s territory and politically it would be suicide. 2. If the U S exits the agreement what do the Europeans and China do? Do they stay in? Are secondary sanctions to be imposed? If conflict results or Iran’s oil is off the market where do oil prices go? Nothing good can come of this.
So, it’s going to be Iran. Things will spin out of control after the first air-strike. The Iranians will close the Straits of Hormuz, requiring a land invasion of Iran to re-open it. Glorious Leader can’t do that without conscription. All US forward based assets in the Gulf will be attacked. Casualties will start to accumulate. It won’t be just Iranians who die. Not worth the cost.
So what if people in Iran die?America first! Maybe someone named Khalid does not understand that American born people are tired of third world people complaining. Go back and herd goats in the Middle East. Trump has done a great job with North Korea.The last three Presidents could not handle Korea and Trump has.Trump has been strong and at some point people who complain about America can go back to whatever rock they crawled out of.
my four grandparent came from Ireland and I complain about America’s Federal Government and its Abuse of Prosecutorial Power and its Incessant Wars and incessant Interventionism and its Deep State Neocons. Neither I nor Khalid will crawl back anywhere . . .we’ll speak our minds as the First Amendment says we can freely do . . .and we’ll stand tall, disagreeing with each other, trading verbal punches in the good old fashioned American Way . . .mano a mano . . .All are welcome here . . .all voices are welcome . . .as Leonard Cohen sang, “Democracy is coming to the USA”
Ma-sha-Allah, are you prejudiced against Muslims? Seeing, as, all the forward US bases are in Muslim countries, how’s that going to work? I was born in Chicago, man. Herding goats is very relaxing. I wasn’t always, a goatherd, but, I’m glad I took it up. It’s the idle hands thing. Boredom turns me towards thoughts of Satanville. Thanks for the encouragement. Persevere with your self-enlightenment. It’s worth it.