The Iran Nuclear Deal: Just Another Sad, Terrifying Day for the U.S., Planet Earth
Donald Trump opposing the Iran nuclear deal
There is exactly one winner in Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal: Trump himself. His relationship with Fox News viewers will be strengthened, at this critical time when he’s under fire for dozens of different things, mostly the results of his prodigious capacity for lying.
On the other side of the ledger, you have everyone else on Earth, who will see that this fabulously stupid misstep in international relations will:
• Maintain Iran’s economic standing almost completely unharmed, as no one but the U.S. will support new sanctions and discontinue trade.
• Irreparably harm America’s credibility with every other sovereign nation on Earth, as the entire world can see so clearly that our word on a deal means precisely nothing. At the same time, it’s just another embarrassment, in this case, an indication to everyone on Earth that the U.S. lives in a post-truth world, where it ignores the testimony of weapons inspectors in favor of what the U.S. president happens to think at a given moment in time, with no regard for facts or objective truth. Further, it re-enforces America’s buffoonery, limitless arrogance, and disdain for the will of every other country on Earth. Most notably, we have China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom, but the following countries have also all made recent statements in support of the deal (detailed here): Bulgaria, Finland, Austria, Italy, Australia, Turkey, the UAE, Slovenia, Norway, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Hungary, Romania, Brazil, Slovakia, Japan, Namibia, Lithuania, South Africa, Singapore, Estonia, Latvia, Switzerland, Argentina, Ireland, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, Poland, Canada, Zimbabwe, and the European Union.
• Enable and actually encourage Iran to build nuclear weapons, bringing us closer to nuclear war in the Middle East.
But, again, Trump is the single clear winner.
Craig,
President trump has never been happy with the somewhat flawed and potentially ineffective deal concluded by the EU and Obama.
Iran undeniably exports dangerous missiles, fuels conflicts across the Middle East, and supports terrorist proxies and militias, such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban, and Al Qaeda. However, Iran has seemingly complied with the terms of the deal it struck with the Obama administration.
The President seems to be influenced by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegations of new evidence proving Tehran lied about its nuclear program and compliance with agreement.
Israel opinion is supported by most of Iran’s Arab Gulf neighbouring States. These States want a considerably weakened Iran, and need the US to help reduce Iranian power and influence.
The President could also be sending a message to China and North Korea not to expect the sort of soft compromise that Obama secured with Iran.
This is a new type of diplomacy from the US. More candid, more open, more honest. It’s also realistically brutal, and less subtle. The President believes US power was compromised and weakened by the previous administration’s consensual, apologetic approach. He states quite firmly agreement in the past were either ineffective or largely symbolic and not to America’s advantage.
His brutal warning to US enemies like Iran and North Korea may not be polite, but it does have the virtue of honesty. President Trump states the obvious when he flexes US muscle, he states very clearly, “the US is the biggest dog in yard so you better learn to get along with us, because we don’t need to get along with you !”
Whether or not it proves effective (and Iran could be a mistake, although Iran has no capacity to retaliate), only time will tell.
Whatever the President decides, that’s his job, and his alone. He stands or falls by the results of his decisions. In the end, all positions of command are lonely and for good or ill, the US constitution grants the President the power of decision.
NB: On a different subject, I notice your strange silence concerning another of your former hero’s who feet (along the rest of him) have turned to mud !
The spectacular demise of Eric Schneiderman’s public career with prove a massive blow to the anti-trump forces since he was such a highly respected Democrat poster boy.
I can’t wait to see how fast the lefties will desert their fallen warrior ! So, Craig ol’ boy, tell me how bad it is for elected officials to speak disrespectfully of women, even if it was years ago, long before public life.
Oh wait, but hey, your moral indignation and righteous outrage seems very absent and silent when it comes to New York States highest law officer, viciously bullying, beating and violently assaulting women ! What no call’s from you for a “special prosecutor” ?
(sigh) Oh well, I suppose Eric Schneiderman is entitled to the presumption of innocence, (although he never extended it to others). He’s entitled to defend himself and be heard with a fair and open mind.
Craig,
Oh dear, how sad ! It was only two days ago Eric Schneiderman confidently tweeted :
“I’m leading 8 AGs against Scott Pruitt’s absurd plan to have the @EPA limit the science it uses to make decisions about our public health and our environment “.
Yet today, he’s stands deserted by one and all, (even you). The NYT rails against it’s former paladin with hypocritical outrage, it had suppressed information about his heavy drinking and violence for years.
No one seems willing to even accede he may have a defense to these charges, which is a shame, because everyone’s entitled to due process.