WAG THE DOG

Let’s cut through the bullshit.  Thanks to Iran’s restrain in their retaliatory response, we are not beginning another war in the Middle-East.   Trump’s assassination of an Iranian general could have gone unbelievably bad.

Iran is as large as Afghanistan and Iraq combined.  It has a formidable field-tested army and air force, along with missile capability of reaching any target in the middle east with accuracy.    Iran has surrogate forces around the world.

We have spent eighteen years bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there is no reason to believe that a war with Iran would be short or decisive. 

 

Let’s begin at the beginning: In 2011 President Obama made fun of Trump during the White House Correspondence Dinner.    Trump has never been able to let that go.   His jealousy of Obama was the only reason for pulling out of the Iranian Nuclear Agreement, which was verified as being adhered to.    Since that time, any diplomatic cooperation with Iran has been out of the question. 

Senator Bob Corker described the White House as ‘an adult day care center.’    General Kelly called Trump an Idiot.    The people from NSA that brief the President say that Trumps attention span is ten minutes maximum, he doesn’t read intelligence briefings, and in order to keep his attention they prepare their briefs as show and tell.   When he doesn't like the content of the brief he gets belligerent. 

Trump is swayed more by Fox and Friends then he is by his intelligence community.   He is a person that reacts in the moment without any restrain or concern for the consequences, other than what is good for Trump at that moment.   He is ignorant of history, ignorant of political science, ignorant of government and the Constitution.  He is a charismatic con man; but not very bright.  His wealth came from wealth he inherited, and very possible from laundering money for the Russians.

For two years political pundits have predicted that in Trump’s last year in office, just before the 2020 election, he might start a military conflict to enhance his image as Commander in Chief.  

There was no immediate threat.  The decision to assassinate the Iranian General was made in Trump’s last year in office, just as his impeachment trial is to begin in the Senate.   Trump could give a shit about the Middle-East, except for Turkey and Saudi Arabia where he has financial dealings. 

 

We are fortunate that no U.S. military casualties resulted from Iran’s response to the assassination of an Iranian official.  But, 176 people have died from collateral damage when Iran mistakenly shot down a passenger aircraft immediately after launching ballistic missiles against U.S. targets in Iraq. 

 

The decision to take out the Iranian General was strictly an attempt to wag the dog.  Trump is now taking victory laps for his irresponsible action.  

the Ol'Buzzard