"Nothing gets you over the last one like the next one," or so goes common advice after the termination of a serious relationship. We Americans recently dwindled down our long-term relationship with Iraq and are looking to move into a new Middle Eastern residence. Did we find a new beau in Syria? Or will it just be—I pray—a one night stand.
The joint bombing of Syria has the distinct flavor of Bill Clinton's 1998 bombing of an abandoned factory in Iraq during his impeachment for using his office to cover up his infelicitous soiree with Monica Lewinsky. Or perhaps this is the influence of John Bolton, the UN ambassador under the most recent Bush? Neo-conservatism shares with its socialist ancestor the belief that all contemporary problems could be solved if only other cultures would embrace our post-Roosevelt federal system and be "free." Apparently Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq did not sufficiently convince Western leadership otherwise. It is a long discredited idea, but, like witchcraft and democracy, it tells a comforting lie: that we can do something about everything we do not like.
Trump is even more dangerous than Clinton, insofar as he regularly fires someone, talks of the same, or does something else which is contrary to common sense or, at the very least, what he already stated was his plan. In this case, it was that attacking Syria was bad. This is always a distraction, however brief, from his personal life.
ReplyDeleteIt is worth noting that Bolton is not in fact a neo-conservative, even though he has shared power at the same time that the neo-cons were also in power. Bolton wants what is best for perceived American interests, is skeptical of multilateral alliances and international organizations, and generally opposes nationbuilding and reconstruction. But, he's not entirely opposed to NATO--he'd stay in it--and he respects the power of international law, to the point where he actually doesn't want the ICC to exist. The same is true of a few other organizations, which he instead tried to use to his advantage...
They just needed to test those "nice and new" missiles. Syria has become a new jousting ground for big nations. To rely on new weapons or war tactics, they should be tested.
ReplyDeleteExcept that half or so of those missiles were the Tomahawk missiles. And Syria reportedly shot down more than half of all the missiles launched. If those reports are true, it shows the US less than technologically superior.
DeleteI suppose Trump should be congratulated on his dog-training skills: a bitch called Tessy only has to have Trump command 'Jump', even by Twitter, and she leaps into action.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the little barbet Manu.
DeleteABS has a compact with the Federal Government. It can drag us all into political Hell and voting won't stop it but they owe us some laughs on the way to Hell (which doesn't exist we learned recently) and Donald Trump is the funniest SOB to ever be elected POTUS.
ReplyDeleteThe nicknames of his enemies are fantastic and his insouciant arrogance is a wonder to behold.
His tweets are funny if one possesses the dark humor necessary to appreciate them but there can be no doubt he has a certain way with words.
O, and Bolton, with his Walrus 'stache is an insane and dangerous war-mongerer who still insists the invasion of Iraq was the right call (He has yet to admit we invaded Iraq before Iran because Bush thought we should invade those countries in alphabetical order).