Trump does not work toward 'Win/Win' outcomes; he is too much the bully for that. He always looks to win at others' costs and this continuously reveals itself in his turning on supposed "allies". He was brought up to win at any cost, and he has shown this cowardly bully mentality in every aspect of business and politics.
I believe I thought Trump was a wannabe dictator in his first term as President. His second term has only clarified to me that I was right.
Dictator or not, Trump is a spineless, narcissistic, ill-informed moron who always caves in, TACO is the term I believe. I know this term was made in relation to his on again/off again tariffs, but I think we can apply it to just about anything that Trump does.
Trump appears incapable of making any educated or informed decision and is nothing but a mouthpiece for the likes of Putin and it now appears, the Ayatollahs of Iran. What next? Kim Jong Un? I have no love of Netanyahu and his ilk, but I have even less for the Ayatollahs of Iran and Trump’s wheeling and dealing in the middle east leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The people of Gaza obviously don’t have the cards in Trump’s eyes.
Maybe one day, Trump will realise that the world does not revolve around him or money. Everybody else knows it already.
Since the birth of the nuclear bomb, it has only been the certainty of mutually assured destruction that has prevented their use. Once such a bomb is in the hands of a country governed by a religious cult who welcome death as the fastest and most direct route to heaven there will be no deterrent to its use. I don’t know what is keeping the US and Israel from using their bunker busting bombs to put an end to the threat a nuclear armed Iran poses to the world.
I'm sorry, Barry, but your characterization of Shia Islam as 'a cult' lacks nuance. First of all, no cult lasts for @ 1500 years. Shia is a branch of Islam, much as Catholicism is a branch of Christianity. Secondly, it arose at least in part because Iranians (then Persians) wanted to assert various of their native Zoroastrian beliefs by making them part of any Islam they adopted. There are cult-like aspects to Shia, mostly within the less educated members of Iran's current population, but most educated people take their beliefs with a grain of salt. And furthermore, America is more responsible than the Ayatollahs for their ascension to power. You may not know, but the CIA engineered the ouster of a democratically elected Iranian president (Mossadegh) in the middle of the last century, installing a corrupt satrap, the so-called Shah, in his place. The people of Iran saw him as a stooge of the US and eventually this allowed for the ascension to power of religious figures. Ignoring all this is not helping us make intelligent decisions. And that whole bit about holy martyrs differs not one whit from beliefs held by many within Christendom over the centuries. Just read some history.
Keep on outlining the basics of the power plays in the Middle East. We now know that the Obama/ Biden de-escalation approach resulted in Russian aggression and more allies for China. The Reagan/Bush deterrence approach continued a stable and peaceful cold war. Both were policy driven by experts at the State Dept. Trump's gambler approach does not need experts, just fools masquerading a heroes. Let's hope the Europeans are up to the challenge.
Solid, Diane. Thanks. I think (I'm years past worrying about this hair-trigger existence - what's the point..), that even if our wannabe 'boss of bosses' down here had knowledge, empathy or ability (and neither he nor his sycophantish toadies do), he's far more focused on figuring out an angle to extract a putinesque 'percentage' of 'the deal' than in preventing us all from being incinerated to smoke and ash.
Yet, still, I keep gathering firewood for winter and tending my messy garden: there is gravity, and it weighs equally on us all, the meek and the grasping.
Diane. As you know the Court of International Trade has ruled that the President may not impose tariffs unless there is a national emergency and ' the US Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to regulate commerce with other countries '. This ruling can be appealed to the US Court of Appeals and ultimately the Supreme Court. Trump lawyers have argued that trade deficits with other countries constituted 'a national emergency that has decimated American communities' which is nonsense.
Please let us have your comments on this huge development. Much appreciated. Thanks.
Given that Trump appears to have no appreciation for history and any understanding of real game theory around warfare and diplomacy, I've come to the conclusion he has no capacity for moving the world forward, rather than backward.
Thank you, Diane. What a complicated mess, and Trump (and his cronies) are unqualified to resolve any of those issues. Trump is grifting for himself and his family. When the Saudis invest $1 trillion into the US, in what companies/projects will the money be invested? I'm sure Trump will invest some of his money to benefit from those investments. Corruption on a grand scale.
Exactly right, Diane. Assuming Trump has America's best interests at heart (and that is a very, very generous assumption), and that he is applying his best talents and expertise to the job, his self-assessed expertise as a premier "negotiator and "deal-maker" may work in the business world but not in the international diplomatic/political arena. After six bankruptcies and lots of backroom support from his father, even his business success is highly questionable.
When he offered the Canadians economic benefits if they chose to join the U.S. as the 51st state, or when Vance hoped to convince the Greenlanders that they would benefit if the U.S. occupied them, the two must have been smoking something.
Unfortunately, unless Trump recognizes his limitations and begins to rely on deal makers like John Bolton and Kurt Volker, Americans may not only lose their preeminence but also become objects of scorn and ridicule.
The potential consequences of MAGA voting the TACO into the White House are alarming and horrifying. Just the sort of scenario that could bring about a full blown nuclear war. If Iran lobs a bomb at Tel Aviv. You could think are these Ayatollahs that deranged, probably, yes. Are they looking forward to paradise? Excellent article as always.
So true LG. Also good to get Diane's thoughts on the recent decision of 3 judges that the President has no legal right to impose tariffs. The media seems to have not made much of this hugely important judgment.
Trump is conflicted on Iran and on Putin. He has termed himself many times as a president who wants to stop wars and not be embroiled in the losing ones that have unfortunately happened in the past....think Vietnam and Afghanistan to name 2. He has a great armed forces and a society, part of which would support him no matter what. But their is a huge number of influential pacifists in his milieu who he cannot bring himself to ignore. It's tough to be president or any leader right now in the west. Not a job I would want. What some call chaotic or worse, is his way of doing things. At least as a president he is in 'charge' of the government. I do not think America could have survived another Democratic weak government...it may already be too late. As much as I find American rah-rah view of their country, it may be the only thing that unites them.
Oh dear. Trump is a malignant narcissist and a coward with Russia and Iran and mentally unstable. Yes Democrats put him there as lied about Biden's mental state. America in sharp decline now and Trump has broken the Constitution on imposing tariffs. He has no legal authority to impose tariffs.
I find Americans know more about nothing than most other democratic countries. They are undereducated about the world - & most of their arrogance started decades ago - thinking they were invincible. Donny has exposed how weak & corrupt America really is. Their elected politicians seem to lack a spine & no will to do what is right for their democracy. All about the $$$.
The recent battle between Musk and Trump only highlights that the American system of democracy is broken. Money buys politicians, and they are often spinless, playing the game for their benefit. The transfer of wealth and power to the top 1% continues at the expense of the poor and middle class. When is the rebellion going to start?
Simple and powerful. You can analyze Trump and his “moves” from any point of view that seems rational strategically but it is all a waste of time. Trump and his “people” are incapable of being strategic and implementing the actions necessary to achieve the defined objectives. Their best option is to fully support in all ways those who must defeat the animals who want to destroy our civilization. All of us who live in so-called free countries owe it to Ukraine and Israel. We were complicit in allowing this chaos threatening us all to take root and now we can’t afford to not help those who can defeat these criminals from achieving complete success!!!
Trump does not work toward 'Win/Win' outcomes; he is too much the bully for that. He always looks to win at others' costs and this continuously reveals itself in his turning on supposed "allies". He was brought up to win at any cost, and he has shown this cowardly bully mentality in every aspect of business and politics.
I believe I thought Trump was a wannabe dictator in his first term as President. His second term has only clarified to me that I was right.
Dictator or not, Trump is a spineless, narcissistic, ill-informed moron who always caves in, TACO is the term I believe. I know this term was made in relation to his on again/off again tariffs, but I think we can apply it to just about anything that Trump does.
Trump appears incapable of making any educated or informed decision and is nothing but a mouthpiece for the likes of Putin and it now appears, the Ayatollahs of Iran. What next? Kim Jong Un? I have no love of Netanyahu and his ilk, but I have even less for the Ayatollahs of Iran and Trump’s wheeling and dealing in the middle east leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The people of Gaza obviously don’t have the cards in Trump’s eyes.
Maybe one day, Trump will realise that the world does not revolve around him or money. Everybody else knows it already.
Trump is incapable of seeing that the world does not revolve around him
Since the birth of the nuclear bomb, it has only been the certainty of mutually assured destruction that has prevented their use. Once such a bomb is in the hands of a country governed by a religious cult who welcome death as the fastest and most direct route to heaven there will be no deterrent to its use. I don’t know what is keeping the US and Israel from using their bunker busting bombs to put an end to the threat a nuclear armed Iran poses to the world.
I'm sorry, Barry, but your characterization of Shia Islam as 'a cult' lacks nuance. First of all, no cult lasts for @ 1500 years. Shia is a branch of Islam, much as Catholicism is a branch of Christianity. Secondly, it arose at least in part because Iranians (then Persians) wanted to assert various of their native Zoroastrian beliefs by making them part of any Islam they adopted. There are cult-like aspects to Shia, mostly within the less educated members of Iran's current population, but most educated people take their beliefs with a grain of salt. And furthermore, America is more responsible than the Ayatollahs for their ascension to power. You may not know, but the CIA engineered the ouster of a democratically elected Iranian president (Mossadegh) in the middle of the last century, installing a corrupt satrap, the so-called Shah, in his place. The people of Iran saw him as a stooge of the US and eventually this allowed for the ascension to power of religious figures. Ignoring all this is not helping us make intelligent decisions. And that whole bit about holy martyrs differs not one whit from beliefs held by many within Christendom over the centuries. Just read some history.
Keep on outlining the basics of the power plays in the Middle East. We now know that the Obama/ Biden de-escalation approach resulted in Russian aggression and more allies for China. The Reagan/Bush deterrence approach continued a stable and peaceful cold war. Both were policy driven by experts at the State Dept. Trump's gambler approach does not need experts, just fools masquerading a heroes. Let's hope the Europeans are up to the challenge.
Solid, Diane. Thanks. I think (I'm years past worrying about this hair-trigger existence - what's the point..), that even if our wannabe 'boss of bosses' down here had knowledge, empathy or ability (and neither he nor his sycophantish toadies do), he's far more focused on figuring out an angle to extract a putinesque 'percentage' of 'the deal' than in preventing us all from being incinerated to smoke and ash.
Yet, still, I keep gathering firewood for winter and tending my messy garden: there is gravity, and it weighs equally on us all, the meek and the grasping.
And so 'the Beast' slouches toward Armageddon, no?
Diane. As you know the Court of International Trade has ruled that the President may not impose tariffs unless there is a national emergency and ' the US Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to regulate commerce with other countries '. This ruling can be appealed to the US Court of Appeals and ultimately the Supreme Court. Trump lawyers have argued that trade deficits with other countries constituted 'a national emergency that has decimated American communities' which is nonsense.
Please let us have your comments on this huge development. Much appreciated. Thanks.
Given that Trump appears to have no appreciation for history and any understanding of real game theory around warfare and diplomacy, I've come to the conclusion he has no capacity for moving the world forward, rather than backward.
No wonder he's now tagged with the TACO label.
Thank you, Diane. What a complicated mess, and Trump (and his cronies) are unqualified to resolve any of those issues. Trump is grifting for himself and his family. When the Saudis invest $1 trillion into the US, in what companies/projects will the money be invested? I'm sure Trump will invest some of his money to benefit from those investments. Corruption on a grand scale.
Exactly right, Diane. Assuming Trump has America's best interests at heart (and that is a very, very generous assumption), and that he is applying his best talents and expertise to the job, his self-assessed expertise as a premier "negotiator and "deal-maker" may work in the business world but not in the international diplomatic/political arena. After six bankruptcies and lots of backroom support from his father, even his business success is highly questionable.
When he offered the Canadians economic benefits if they chose to join the U.S. as the 51st state, or when Vance hoped to convince the Greenlanders that they would benefit if the U.S. occupied them, the two must have been smoking something.
Unfortunately, unless Trump recognizes his limitations and begins to rely on deal makers like John Bolton and Kurt Volker, Americans may not only lose their preeminence but also become objects of scorn and ridicule.
The potential consequences of MAGA voting the TACO into the White House are alarming and horrifying. Just the sort of scenario that could bring about a full blown nuclear war. If Iran lobs a bomb at Tel Aviv. You could think are these Ayatollahs that deranged, probably, yes. Are they looking forward to paradise? Excellent article as always.
So true LG. Also good to get Diane's thoughts on the recent decision of 3 judges that the President has no legal right to impose tariffs. The media seems to have not made much of this hugely important judgment.
Trump is conflicted on Iran and on Putin. He has termed himself many times as a president who wants to stop wars and not be embroiled in the losing ones that have unfortunately happened in the past....think Vietnam and Afghanistan to name 2. He has a great armed forces and a society, part of which would support him no matter what. But their is a huge number of influential pacifists in his milieu who he cannot bring himself to ignore. It's tough to be president or any leader right now in the west. Not a job I would want. What some call chaotic or worse, is his way of doing things. At least as a president he is in 'charge' of the government. I do not think America could have survived another Democratic weak government...it may already be too late. As much as I find American rah-rah view of their country, it may be the only thing that unites them.
Oh dear. Trump is a malignant narcissist and a coward with Russia and Iran and mentally unstable. Yes Democrats put him there as lied about Biden's mental state. America in sharp decline now and Trump has broken the Constitution on imposing tariffs. He has no legal authority to impose tariffs.
I find Americans know more about nothing than most other democratic countries. They are undereducated about the world - & most of their arrogance started decades ago - thinking they were invincible. Donny has exposed how weak & corrupt America really is. Their elected politicians seem to lack a spine & no will to do what is right for their democracy. All about the $$$.
The recent battle between Musk and Trump only highlights that the American system of democracy is broken. Money buys politicians, and they are often spinless, playing the game for their benefit. The transfer of wealth and power to the top 1% continues at the expense of the poor and middle class. When is the rebellion going to start?
Simple and powerful. You can analyze Trump and his “moves” from any point of view that seems rational strategically but it is all a waste of time. Trump and his “people” are incapable of being strategic and implementing the actions necessary to achieve the defined objectives. Their best option is to fully support in all ways those who must defeat the animals who want to destroy our civilization. All of us who live in so-called free countries owe it to Ukraine and Israel. We were complicit in allowing this chaos threatening us all to take root and now we can’t afford to not help those who can defeat these criminals from achieving complete success!!!