Oh no! Trump still is here!

 

As you may have noticed, I have resisted writing about Trump for a long time. No longer. Too much is going on to ignore. It is not just his physical decline. It is his mental state which is of greatest concern.

 

The top consideration is his behavior toward Iran. In 2016, he abandoned the JCPOA with Iran, which had been negotiated by the P5+1 (United States, UK, France, Russia, and China) plus Germany, and the European Union.

 

He now rants about preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon, but let's be reminded what the JCPOA accomplished:

 

o Reduction of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile by 98 %

o Dismantling of 2/3 of Iran's advanced centrifuges, and placing them under international supervision

o The Arak heavy-water reactor was redesigned so not to produce weapons-grade plutonium; spent fuel to be shipped abroad

o Granting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continuous monitoring of Iran's entire nuclear supply chain—including uranium mines, centrifuge manufacturing, and 24/7 access to key facilities.

 

If he truly was serious about keeping nuclear weapons out of Iran, going back to the JCPOA would be a good start, then improving it with our international partners. BUT since it was produced by Obama, there is no chance he would consider this approach.

 

Instead, we have the theater of bluff and threaten, with the sense that he would love to push the button for an attack on Iran.

 

The second consideration is the U.S. continuing to arm Israel, in spite of its behavior toward Palestinians, and the over 70,000 deaths it has caused since October 7. If around 1200 Israelis were killed on October 7, then Israel has killed nearly 60 for every Israeli killed. Is this a reasonable proportion? Is it consistent with international law? Why shouldn't the U.S. withhold aid to Israel until the killing stops and a Palestinian state has been established? Not one word from Trump on this.

 

Then, we have his recent behavior, appearing to threaten Cuba with military intervention. Let’s assume he authorizes intervention. Aside from the blood which would be spilled, this “sphere of influence” action could signal to China that annexing Taiwan is within their discretion. Is this a good idea?

 

It is clear that he is out of control, and why shouldn't he be? Congress is quiet no matter the provocation.

 

One hopes that the mid-terms provide some relief, with at least a Democratic majority in the House, if not the Senate. Once he becomes a lame duck, even some Republicans might grow some hair on their chests. This could slow him down a bit, but don't count on it: ignoring the law and his opponents is a feature.

 

And there still are two and a half years to go. Heaven help us...

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Monday, 1 Jun 26