Pretty much, although I feel obligated to point out that many people went to court to sue to get the shit sandwich off the menu, and our Supreme Court insisted we are obligated to eat it.
⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️Guess what!⁉️⁉️⁉️ The New York Times put out enlightening article about the run up to Trump's war on Iran. Apparently, he was told all the potential pitfalls but insisted on going ahead. For gift Link, click here.
Did Netanyahu hold up the drawing of a Wile E. Coyote bomb in the Situation Room as he did in Congress years ago when he was trying to force Obama to do what Trump did?
That makes total sense for him. He’s said before he knows more than all the generals (military school, you know), and he’s been itching to do this for 46 years. Itch Scratched.
"If Dems refuse to be the adults in the room when they lack power our only choice is to keep empowering the children to run things!" - the American voter
Changing the subject somewhat, but happily so, it was a good night for Democrats in Wisconsin. We held another election for the state Supreme Court, and for the third time in three years a Democrat-leaning candidate won – and it wasn’t even close, about a 20-point gap. (Watching Scott Walker and his divide-and-conquer crowd get humiliated, again, never gets old.) What earlier was a Republican-oriented court now has a 5-2 liberal stance. Even in Waukesha, west of Milwaukee and a longtime conservative city and region, a Democrat won the race for mayor. (Actually, she is a former student of mine, not that I can claim credit for the outcome.) And among our local races downstate pretty much all the liberal candidates did well and either held their seats or picked some up. All in all, about as good of a result as could be had.
Overall voter turnout was somewhat low compared to last year, but especially in conservative areas of the state. It seems they had considerably less appetite for engagement and less enthusiasm to make their voices heard. Many stayed home. Takeaway: perhaps somewhat wishful thinking, but it appears that Trump- and MAGA fatigue is real – every time that man opens his mouth again, it seems another dozen people either are motivated to vote against him or opt to put distance between themselves and his craziness.
Hope for the future, as spring begins to emerge. I like that combination just fine.
A lot of the right wing influencers with large followings seem to have soured on his rotting, orange flesh. It will probably take some time, as there is no replacement for him, but we appear to be past peak Trump. The loyalty he once commended is eroding and the criticisms are mounting. A trickle here and there, but how many fingers and toes does he have to plug those holes, before something bigger gives way.
Until Trump is dead, I don't think we're going to get past Trump. The administration is in power and can, and will, continue to damage this country and the world. Consider the global damage to date and recall we still have almost three more years of this...
We won’t quickly get past the wreckage wrought by Trump. But the more Americans see his time as a colossal, resounding, immigrating failure, the more likely it can be defeated.
Hopefully, the stench of Trump will hang on the Republican Party as long as its Hoover Administration failures followed it. I'm not sure that even 20 years will be adequate to repair the damage.
The marks of slavery are all over us yet today, hundreds of years later. (And I, embarrassingly, was hardly aware of them my entire life!) The city I live in is still struggling to overcome the constraints of red lining that notionally ended almost 60 years ago...
Yeah, 20 years won't be enough, unless we look at the wreckage and use it as a real turning point, you know...a New Deal that shrugs off the constraints that got us to this point and we carve an all new path forward.
This should be an easily attainable outcome. It will be, however, up to Democratic leadership to focus on the goal and message it appropriately. At some point, the Dems will have to mesh MAGA/DJT/Republican failures to a Dem vision that appeals to a big enough swath of the electorate. If the Dems can accomplish this, the stench will have staying power. I'm skeptical that Chuck and Hakeem can carry it out.
I expect that many MAGA conservatives, sensing the turn of tide, will opt to not participate. Sadly, I think many other voters, tired of the nonsense, will do the same.
States Win, and other organizations are working to keep the Michigan State Senate Blue by getting the vote out for Chendrick Greene in a special election. Democracy takes effort in a big country like the US.
Thanks for the good news! We, and especially I, need some. Hopefully these exhausting festivities in the Middle East will cause a lot more Republicans to decide to sit it out.
Understood. The Iran thing is sucking the oxygen out of the room, as the guy at the top likely intends (think Epstein, think bad economic numbers). Given the trends, though, I was surprised that it wasn't covered in this column at least somewhat. Taken together with other recent results, something is going on. MAGA and the GOP will tell us that there's nothing to see and that we are delusional in how we read the tea leaves. That's good. The longer they remain complacent, the easier it is for the rest of us to tear down the edifice that they built.
On one hand, I am relived that the people of Iran haven't been wiped off the face of the map. On the other hand, they're still living under a totalitarian regime who has effectively and masterfully emasculated the President of the United States.
There will be a lot of furious spin from the right wing media in the hours to come, but the truth of the matter is a sundowning idiot is the commander in chief of the US military, and he has led the United States to a humiliating strategic defeat. Iran's leadership is in a stronger position than they were prior to the war. The rest of our adversaries have taken measure of Donald Trump and are likely laughing their asses off. They can't believe their good fortune that 77 million Americans elected this guy.
On a side but tangentially related note, how many deaths throughout the world since January 20, 2025 can be attributed to the Trump administration?
I have been haunted by this question: "how many deaths throughout the world since January 20, 2025 can be attributed to the Trump administration?" too.
The shuttering of USAID alone has caused 100's of thousands of deaths before taking our war crimes in Iran into account. How many sailors in the Caribbean have we killed? How many people in Cuba have died because of our blockade there? How many people here at home have died/ are dying/ continue to suffer in ICE detention? I'm sure I am missing some categories here. I am filled with rage and shame over my country's actions. I'm not proud of it, but I went off on my Trump-supporting mother when she called to wish me a happy Easter (I had just read the deranged bleet of that morning and knew I should not answer her call, but I did...) and have not spoken to her since. I and am at a loss as to how to continue living this way.
There had better be an accounting and consequences for Trump and all the members and enablers of his criminal regime at some point if we are to ever move past this shameful chapter of our country's existence and not be considered a pariah state by our former allies across the globe.
I struggle with dealing with the shame as well, particularly over the past month or so. Decent people no matter their politics should struggle with it. The problem is the most vociferous Trump supporters are inherently indecent and simply do not give a fuck whether hundreds of thousands of people die due to the shuttering of USAID, or if our military blows up an Iranian school.
As for consequences, I hate saying this, but there won't be any. Ultimately the electorate chose not to punish Trump for 1/6/2021. If inciting a riot is not disqualifying, then nothing is.
And not just any riot, but one precisely timed and directed to prevent the duly elected president from supplanting Trump. Flagrant Constitutional violation, the Constitution he swore to uphold and defend, the works.
The lesson from the 2024 election is the electorate is rotten. We like to think that there are things that are disqualifying for a presidential candidate, but the reelection of Trump put that myth to rest once and for all. 700K+ excess COVID deaths? Stealing classified documents? 34 felony convictions in New York state? Not to mention sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll. All of this bounced off the collective conscience of the electorate. And I bet video could emerge of Trump having his way with that 13 year old that we've read about in recent weeks, and he STILL wouldn't lose his base level of support.
There won't be accountability for Trump because the electorate doesn't believe in accountability. If it did, Kamala Harris would be POTUS.
As I wrote a MAGA neighbor days after the election, "millions around the world will suffer and die b/c of him." She was indignantly insulted, assuring me that she and her husband "think he's going to do great things." As you can imagine, we have drastically different definitions of "great."
Last evening, I couldn't read a NYTimes story any further after I read the subheadline: "Even if the president does not carry out his threat, his violent rhetoric risks damaging his credibility as a negotiator and the country’s standing in the world." What credibility? And when did he switch from being a bully to a "negotiator"? He's already destroyed our standing in the world. Who writes this slop and WHY are major media outlets still trying to make him sound sane or thoughtful or cunning or someone who has a plan beyond his momentary whims?
Jeez, I must be dumb as a rock. The first issue was regime change, which actually happened! It's more hardcore than before. Before the "war" started, the dire straits were open. Now Iran is going to charge tolls to pass through- a firm victory for Trump. And in a post easter egg frenzy, we'll search together with Iran for the enriched Uranium, plus we had the privilege of testing all our cruise missiles on Iran, we can make fresh new ones for mere multiple billions. In my little town in New Hampshire, gas hit 4.28 gallon yesterday. I am really getting tired of all this winning all the time. He still has the support of the republican congress and party.
If it means that the killing is over, and the Strait is open, let King Donald crow about his total complete victory all he wants. There has been so much suffering from this folly, I just want that part over.
He gets off on the idea that his threats caused a lot of people to fear him actually carrying out his threats. He saw how threats effectively worked to have millions afraid he had finally, truly lost it and was going to nuke Iran. He loves that. He has learned that his threats make him feel big, and he will issue more threats, perhaps even more insane than previous ones.
Wow. I learned something from your post. I don't know how I got to be so old without it occurring to me, but, when these crazy authoritarian's issue threats like this it isnt primarily from not understanding real context and cause and effect... it is simply because they get off on it. That is even somehow more disturbing.
It's a clear sign of a narcissist who creates chaos for the enjoyment of it. That was his MO in his pre-presidential life: impulsively do stupid and destructive things, play people in his organization against one another, and then have wealthier and less destructive people bail him out when the "deal" or "enterprise" collapsed.
Trump is essentially a destructive, bipolar, and violent spouse while his voters are abused, battered, yet still adoring partners.
I had considered that it could come from some dark Psychopathy that required control and it was like a madness expressing fury at losing it. That is kind of ball park to what you were saying I guess.
Any of these seem way more likely than 4d Chess, what a joke.
Honestly, I think Iran deserves the $2,000,000 toll as reparations for the massive damage we inflicted. The U.S. are shits. Who the hell gave us permission to slaughter little girls and damage major infrastructure. Let them rebuild better. They deserve the toll for the toll of the heartbreak we caused their people. I’m so ashamed.
Love your use of the word " folly" to describe trump's misadventure. I've been rereading Barbara Tuchman's great book "The March of Folly - from Troy to Vietnam" and I wish she were still with us, so that she could record this era of additional folly by our deluded President, his incompetent cabinet, and all the cowardly Republican toadies, congressmen and Senators who are afraid to stand up to this obviously sundowning old man.
Except it does not mean that. 0 oil tankers have crossed and only 2 cargo ships since the treaty was supposedly agreed to. Also, the Saudi oil pipeline to the Red Sea has been since attatcked.
This is a cease fire for two weeks, not a deal. Trump gave them two weeks, because that BS timeframe works on Americans (healthcare plan will be announced in "two weeks", 8 years ago). He assumes Iran will forget and move on, too, since that's always worked for him and his firehose of shite. Iran isn't likely to forget, tho, and we'll be right back where we were two days ago -- except that Iran will have time to re-stock its defensive and drone capabilities.
Are the other Gulf states, and the rest of the world, okay with paying a "toll" to Iran for every ship that goes thru Hormuz, just bkz Trump says so? I have doubts.
Probably not going to be paying a toll. The other Gulf states are not finished with this yet. And Saudi Arabia has its claws into the president's family members. They will expect a return on their investment.
Hooray, we won! We traded in an octogenarian ayatollah for one in his prime! We moved fifth fleet headquarters from Bahrain to Virginia Beach. All of our other bases in the region are “uninhabitable”. Four THAAD radars were destroyed, several fixed emplacement radars (including one that took 8 years to build and cost $1b), an E-3, four tankers, 12 other multimillion dollar aircraft. Not to mention we depleted our interceptor inventory. To top it all off, we killed thousands of non-combatants, including 160 little girls and 13 of our service members. But the straights of Hormuz are open! Just like they were before grandpa started Operation Epstein Distraction! USA USA USA USA
Remember, Macbeth may have said that, but he was wrong and didn't survive the play. And that was the point: he was wrong. He wanted life to be a tale told by an idiot because that would make him less culpable of being evil, but his life's tale was told by Shakespeare instead, and it didn't signify nothing or else we wouldn't still be quoting it.
Andrew writes, "Trump...is simply excited to have stumbled upon another possible place to wet his beak" and it's the most depressing prospect of this whole debacle: The U.S. and Iran working hand-in-hand to start shaking down other nations for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
If this happens, I assume Trump will work his hustle through our ally, Oman, to make it all seem slightly more legitimate, but the important point is that we'll be back to the thing we always know is true: Follow the money (into Trump's pockets).
It is horrible and delicious at the same time: the perfect encapsulation or this regime. How are those Gulf states feeling about the all that money they lavished on the Trump family now?
This isn't over yet. They will be expecting a return on their investments. Got some higher oil prices for a while so that was probably appreciated, but at least one country really would like to see Iran wiped off the map in terms of being an influence on the region.
I suspect the Gulf states are going to diversify their portfolio away from the US given that our protection and guarantees aren’t what they thought they were.
"“We’re thinking of doing it as a joint venture,” Trump told Karl. “It’s a way of securing it—also securing it from lots of other people.” It would be, Trump added, a “beautiful thing.”"
It is an insult to imply that “sales is a zero-sum game” based on deception.
I spent over 30 years in sales selling water and process treatments and services to various industries. While this may be more specialized than a most cited example of “car dealer”, there are principles of sales that all salespeople (should) admire and aspire to. Long term customers are built from meaningful productive relationships and sustainable value propositions. At a more granular level-- from individual traits of knowledge and experience, reliability, integrity, and credibility over time. The best sales groups and individuals engender perceivable and repeatable value. These principles can be applied across a universe of sales, relationships, and yes, diplomacy and politics.
Across my experience, credibility and integrity, based on honesty in relationship and transactional terms, are the most important. Simply, customers do not like people (or suppliers) that are perceived as deceptive, dishonest, overly aggressive, and/or do not “deliver”.
The idea of sales being the hard sell, based on some zero-sum game of ultimatums? Admittedly, some salespeople do employ these tactics (and some softer variants), often in single transactional relationships, but that is not what long term trust and relationships are built on. Ordinary people, and indeed multiple other parties, shirk from these tactics and “walk out of the dealership”.
Let’s be clear, experienced salespeople are ordinary people who (should) possess a wide range of observational, listening, and negotiation skills to create sustainable relationships. While I am just a salesperson, I think I can say there is no place in international negotiations for ultimatums in building sustainable relationships. Certainly not threatening total destruction of any negotiable asset. These are not single transactions, they are a series of transactions based on follow-through, honesty, credibility, trust, and quantification. “Trust but verify”.
Does anything that the current administration has done (currently and ranging back years) read to you as engendering “experience”, trust, reliability, credibility, or integrity? Why would anyone want to do business with such an organization?
I used to be a product manager for a company that made scientific instruments. We had a sales manager that was uber aggressive, and in your face. Sure, he got the deal, but he pissed a LOT of customers off.
I left there and went to a different company (doing the same business), and one of our customers told us about that asshole sales person at my former company. I suggested his name and the customer was "Yeah, that's the guy, what an awful human being he was" and I had to stifle my laughter.
I'm a municipal water and wastewater engineer. I've probably specified some of the lines you rep. There are two kinds of salesmen: sleazeballs just trying to move product and ones who provide good technical information to help my project. Guess who kept getting calls from me and had their products specified? 😀
Over the long-haul, the not-pushy helpful reps always had their phones ringing.
I once worked for an equipment manufacturer and spent time talking with the national sales manager. He gave me outstanding advice. At the end of the day, all you really have to sell is your reputation (integrity, etc., however you want to say it). Protect your reputation at all times, it's valuable. Good advice!
Yes. Sales 101 - 301 and, Life 101 - 301. Our individual integrity, credibility, and 'reputation' are the very things we have direct control over in this life. Employers, clients, friends, acquaintances, and relatives (!) come and go. Some transition based on their perceived integrity and credibility.
"In what universe would America benefit from locking arms with the terror regime in Tehran to extract these bribes from everybody else?"
In the universe we are in now, where the United States is also a terror regime. But luckily Iran is too smart to lock arms with the US. They know whose hegemony is over.
I grew up in a fairly happy household. Dad had a temper, Mom could be cold, but I never had any doubt they would stand up for my brothers and me and look out for our interests.
So I have no experience of an abusive household with an insane parent, one who threatens to kill you and then backs off, or drinks heavily and takes to bed before reappearing and denying anything was awry.
Unfortunately, we’re all stuck in the latter now. It’s pretty terrifying.
It’s incredible that the world is buying this as anything but a pause in the hostilities. They are still firing back and forth in Lebanon. The two proposals are no where near each other in scope. What happens when the whole world points this out and Trump realizes he has been had and is now the butt of all the “surrender monkey” jokes.
Yea, this isn't a done deal, not by a long shot. Does Trump think he can tell Israel to stop attacking Lebanon (or Iran, or Gaza)? Bibi might play ball, even for the two-week ceasefire, but he's not going to agree to something he didn't even have a hand in negotiating. In two weeks we'll be right back where we were, only with a re-stocked Iran who has already made The Great Satan bleed and back off once.
No advantage to our World for Trump to realize he is the butt of jokes - he will only escalate the craziness. Let’s all SHUT UP - let him declare victory and stop the killing and destruction.
I know what you're saying, but it sounds a little like "Just let Dad have what he wants and he'll stop threatening us." Perhaps we should be discussing family annihilators.
Trump just showed the world that the US is what we refer to in some corners of the gaming community as a "glass cannon": a character build that can dish out massive damage but breaks quickly against firm counterattack. We showed the world that while we can do extraordinary things with our military, we have a political and economic glass jaw. We can throw one hell of a haymaker, but we can't take more than a jab or two before throwing in the towel. That's our global reputation now.
"Maybe he wouldn’t insist that Iran stop tolling the Strait of Hormuz, as they’d begun to do since the war began. Maybe, instead, the United States would just get in on the action too."---Trump 4/8/26. So now POTUS is a bridge troll?
"Donald Trump made America walk into the diner to eat the shit sandwich."
No. America walked into the voting booth and ordered up a shit sandwich. Donald delivered.
Pretty much, although I feel obligated to point out that many people went to court to sue to get the shit sandwich off the menu, and our Supreme Court insisted we are obligated to eat it.
Not only were we obligated to eat it, we were obligated to like it.
⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️Guess what!⁉️⁉️⁉️ The New York Times put out enlightening article about the run up to Trump's war on Iran. Apparently, he was told all the potential pitfalls but insisted on going ahead. For gift Link, click here.
https://kathleenweber.substack.com/p/gift-link-how-trump-took-the-us-to
You know, I'm starting to think this Trump fellow may not a strategic thinker.
Say it ain't so!!!
You don't say!
Did Netanyahu hold up the drawing of a Wile E. Coyote bomb in the Situation Room as he did in Congress years ago when he was trying to force Obama to do what Trump did?
Seemingly, er astoundingly the bomb never even came up - it was all regime change and of course, it HAD to be done this moment.
And Wile E Coyote is about to plunge off a cliff followed by the Acme anvil.
Yup well we know the human Wile E Coyote now. Actually there seem to be several in the administration.
LOL!
Bomb brought to you by Acme Industries.
Yes, because he trusted his gut. WTF? We are in deep trouble.
My observation is that Trump's gut is consistently fallible. God help us!
Not only that, but there's a lot of it!
Took the words right outta my keyboard.
That makes total sense for him. He’s said before he knows more than all the generals (military school, you know), and he’s been itching to do this for 46 years. Itch Scratched.
Thank you. To read of Vance and Carlson making some kind of sense is hard, then again, the others. . . . .
ENOUGH of America walked into a voting booth and ordered the shit sandwich which is Trump and all he does. I did not. You did not.
And then America looked at Biden and said, “How dare you allow shit sandwiches to be made! The Dems are the worst, most feckless party!”
"If Dems refuse to be the adults in the room when they lack power our only choice is to keep empowering the children to run things!" - the American voter
I agree. They ordered it and got a free scoop of ice cream and are ready to give the diner a 5-star review. Like and subscribe!
The people who voted for Trump love Trump still. They think he just signed the Deal of the Century.
" Hold the pickle, hold the relish. Special orders don't upset us".
And collected a big tip!!!!
"Hold the relish... ."
No electric green relish?
Where s the beef?!
No, detracts from the shittiness.
And watch out for the Hamburglar!
where s the ketchup?
James - as when Trump drops by a fast food joint for a photo op and loudly orders for all... then exits w/o paying the tab
Touche'!
Changing the subject somewhat, but happily so, it was a good night for Democrats in Wisconsin. We held another election for the state Supreme Court, and for the third time in three years a Democrat-leaning candidate won – and it wasn’t even close, about a 20-point gap. (Watching Scott Walker and his divide-and-conquer crowd get humiliated, again, never gets old.) What earlier was a Republican-oriented court now has a 5-2 liberal stance. Even in Waukesha, west of Milwaukee and a longtime conservative city and region, a Democrat won the race for mayor. (Actually, she is a former student of mine, not that I can claim credit for the outcome.) And among our local races downstate pretty much all the liberal candidates did well and either held their seats or picked some up. All in all, about as good of a result as could be had.
Overall voter turnout was somewhat low compared to last year, but especially in conservative areas of the state. It seems they had considerably less appetite for engagement and less enthusiasm to make their voices heard. Many stayed home. Takeaway: perhaps somewhat wishful thinking, but it appears that Trump- and MAGA fatigue is real – every time that man opens his mouth again, it seems another dozen people either are motivated to vote against him or opt to put distance between themselves and his craziness.
Hope for the future, as spring begins to emerge. I like that combination just fine.
A lot of the right wing influencers with large followings seem to have soured on his rotting, orange flesh. It will probably take some time, as there is no replacement for him, but we appear to be past peak Trump. The loyalty he once commended is eroding and the criticisms are mounting. A trickle here and there, but how many fingers and toes does he have to plug those holes, before something bigger gives way.
Until Trump is dead, I don't think we're going to get past Trump. The administration is in power and can, and will, continue to damage this country and the world. Consider the global damage to date and recall we still have almost three more years of this...
I do, but there are many ways those 3 years play out, and one where his followers start despairing is better than other outcomes.
We won’t quickly get past the wreckage wrought by Trump. But the more Americans see his time as a colossal, resounding, immigrating failure, the more likely it can be defeated.
Hopefully, the stench of Trump will hang on the Republican Party as long as its Hoover Administration failures followed it. I'm not sure that even 20 years will be adequate to repair the damage.
The marks of slavery are all over us yet today, hundreds of years later. (And I, embarrassingly, was hardly aware of them my entire life!) The city I live in is still struggling to overcome the constraints of red lining that notionally ended almost 60 years ago...
Yeah, 20 years won't be enough, unless we look at the wreckage and use it as a real turning point, you know...a New Deal that shrugs off the constraints that got us to this point and we carve an all new path forward.
This should be an easily attainable outcome. It will be, however, up to Democratic leadership to focus on the goal and message it appropriately. At some point, the Dems will have to mesh MAGA/DJT/Republican failures to a Dem vision that appeals to a big enough swath of the electorate. If the Dems can accomplish this, the stench will have staying power. I'm skeptical that Chuck and Hakeem can carry it out.
Immiserating. Although the immigration piece is also a fail.
I expect that many MAGA conservatives, sensing the turn of tide, will opt to not participate. Sadly, I think many other voters, tired of the nonsense, will do the same.
States Win, and other organizations are working to keep the Michigan State Senate Blue by getting the vote out for Chendrick Greene in a special election. Democracy takes effort in a big country like the US.
And many American's, if not most, are lazy.
Congrats, and great work WI!!!
Thanks for the good news! We, and especially I, need some. Hopefully these exhausting festivities in the Middle East will cause a lot more Republicans to decide to sit it out.
Great news. Thanks!
Thanks for this news. I was not paying attention to this.
Understood. The Iran thing is sucking the oxygen out of the room, as the guy at the top likely intends (think Epstein, think bad economic numbers). Given the trends, though, I was surprised that it wasn't covered in this column at least somewhat. Taken together with other recent results, something is going on. MAGA and the GOP will tell us that there's nothing to see and that we are delusional in how we read the tea leaves. That's good. The longer they remain complacent, the easier it is for the rest of us to tear down the edifice that they built.
Ahh Tim, you are my eyes in Wisconsin!
Having grown up in Waukesha under the thumb of the Don Taylor Republican Syndicate . . . wow. Just wow. Nice work. Go Northstars.
< sighs deeply >
On one hand, I am relived that the people of Iran haven't been wiped off the face of the map. On the other hand, they're still living under a totalitarian regime who has effectively and masterfully emasculated the President of the United States.
There will be a lot of furious spin from the right wing media in the hours to come, but the truth of the matter is a sundowning idiot is the commander in chief of the US military, and he has led the United States to a humiliating strategic defeat. Iran's leadership is in a stronger position than they were prior to the war. The rest of our adversaries have taken measure of Donald Trump and are likely laughing their asses off. They can't believe their good fortune that 77 million Americans elected this guy.
On a side but tangentially related note, how many deaths throughout the world since January 20, 2025 can be attributed to the Trump administration?
I have been haunted by this question: "how many deaths throughout the world since January 20, 2025 can be attributed to the Trump administration?" too.
The shuttering of USAID alone has caused 100's of thousands of deaths before taking our war crimes in Iran into account. How many sailors in the Caribbean have we killed? How many people in Cuba have died because of our blockade there? How many people here at home have died/ are dying/ continue to suffer in ICE detention? I'm sure I am missing some categories here. I am filled with rage and shame over my country's actions. I'm not proud of it, but I went off on my Trump-supporting mother when she called to wish me a happy Easter (I had just read the deranged bleet of that morning and knew I should not answer her call, but I did...) and have not spoken to her since. I and am at a loss as to how to continue living this way.
There had better be an accounting and consequences for Trump and all the members and enablers of his criminal regime at some point if we are to ever move past this shameful chapter of our country's existence and not be considered a pariah state by our former allies across the globe.
I struggle with dealing with the shame as well, particularly over the past month or so. Decent people no matter their politics should struggle with it. The problem is the most vociferous Trump supporters are inherently indecent and simply do not give a fuck whether hundreds of thousands of people die due to the shuttering of USAID, or if our military blows up an Iranian school.
As for consequences, I hate saying this, but there won't be any. Ultimately the electorate chose not to punish Trump for 1/6/2021. If inciting a riot is not disqualifying, then nothing is.
And not just any riot, but one precisely timed and directed to prevent the duly elected president from supplanting Trump. Flagrant Constitutional violation, the Constitution he swore to uphold and defend, the works.
The drumbeat to "look forward, not back" will be deafening.
And my answer will be fuck off.
My husband says the same re: consequences never being forthcoming. I simply cannot accept that.
The lesson from the 2024 election is the electorate is rotten. We like to think that there are things that are disqualifying for a presidential candidate, but the reelection of Trump put that myth to rest once and for all. 700K+ excess COVID deaths? Stealing classified documents? 34 felony convictions in New York state? Not to mention sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll. All of this bounced off the collective conscience of the electorate. And I bet video could emerge of Trump having his way with that 13 year old that we've read about in recent weeks, and he STILL wouldn't lose his base level of support.
There won't be accountability for Trump because the electorate doesn't believe in accountability. If it did, Kamala Harris would be POTUS.
As I wrote a MAGA neighbor days after the election, "millions around the world will suffer and die b/c of him." She was indignantly insulted, assuring me that she and her husband "think he's going to do great things." As you can imagine, we have drastically different definitions of "great."
Well, we know now who was correct, don't we?
Come on, the Army Navy game won't have to compete against other college football games. What more do you need? /s
It’s not a TACO…It is a FUBAR!
Last evening, I couldn't read a NYTimes story any further after I read the subheadline: "Even if the president does not carry out his threat, his violent rhetoric risks damaging his credibility as a negotiator and the country’s standing in the world." What credibility? And when did he switch from being a bully to a "negotiator"? He's already destroyed our standing in the world. Who writes this slop and WHY are major media outlets still trying to make him sound sane or thoughtful or cunning or someone who has a plan beyond his momentary whims?
That's precisely the kind of thing that made me cancel my subscription a couple of years ago.
I read the whole article but had the same reaction to that line.
Paul Krugman has been calling this folly "Operation Epic Fubar" for a while now. That seems an appropriate name for it.
A TACOBAR perhaps?
Jeez, I must be dumb as a rock. The first issue was regime change, which actually happened! It's more hardcore than before. Before the "war" started, the dire straits were open. Now Iran is going to charge tolls to pass through- a firm victory for Trump. And in a post easter egg frenzy, we'll search together with Iran for the enriched Uranium, plus we had the privilege of testing all our cruise missiles on Iran, we can make fresh new ones for mere multiple billions. In my little town in New Hampshire, gas hit 4.28 gallon yesterday. I am really getting tired of all this winning all the time. He still has the support of the republican congress and party.
If it means that the killing is over, and the Strait is open, let King Donald crow about his total complete victory all he wants. There has been so much suffering from this folly, I just want that part over.
He gets off on the idea that his threats caused a lot of people to fear him actually carrying out his threats. He saw how threats effectively worked to have millions afraid he had finally, truly lost it and was going to nuke Iran. He loves that. He has learned that his threats make him feel big, and he will issue more threats, perhaps even more insane than previous ones.
Wow. I learned something from your post. I don't know how I got to be so old without it occurring to me, but, when these crazy authoritarian's issue threats like this it isnt primarily from not understanding real context and cause and effect... it is simply because they get off on it. That is even somehow more disturbing.
It's a clear sign of a narcissist who creates chaos for the enjoyment of it. That was his MO in his pre-presidential life: impulsively do stupid and destructive things, play people in his organization against one another, and then have wealthier and less destructive people bail him out when the "deal" or "enterprise" collapsed.
Trump is essentially a destructive, bipolar, and violent spouse while his voters are abused, battered, yet still adoring partners.
The high needs to be fed, the ego protected. There is no sating just ever increasing hunger. It will grow until stopped. He must be removed.
Why would his threats be any more reality-based than his statements of supposed fact? He lives in a fantasy world.
He was titillated. Expect more of this.
I had considered that it could come from some dark Psychopathy that required control and it was like a madness expressing fury at losing it. That is kind of ball park to what you were saying I guess.
Any of these seem way more likely than 4d Chess, what a joke.
Honestly, I think Iran deserves the $2,000,000 toll as reparations for the massive damage we inflicted. The U.S. are shits. Who the hell gave us permission to slaughter little girls and damage major infrastructure. Let them rebuild better. They deserve the toll for the toll of the heartbreak we caused their people. I’m so ashamed.
Now King Trump moves on to Cuba! What could possibly go wrong? (We are likely to find out.)
Unfortunately, I'm not sure we're even going to get that.
I know, but it was nice to have a small ray of optimism. 😀
Love your use of the word " folly" to describe trump's misadventure. I've been rereading Barbara Tuchman's great book "The March of Folly - from Troy to Vietnam" and I wish she were still with us, so that she could record this era of additional folly by our deluded President, his incompetent cabinet, and all the cowardly Republican toadies, congressmen and Senators who are afraid to stand up to this obviously sundowning old man.
I haven't read that one, but "The Guns of August" was amazing.
Except it does not mean that. 0 oil tankers have crossed and only 2 cargo ships since the treaty was supposedly agreed to. Also, the Saudi oil pipeline to the Red Sea has been since attatcked.
I misunderstood what was reported, I appreciate the clarification!
However, I still regard the pause in killing a net good.
This is a cease fire for two weeks, not a deal. Trump gave them two weeks, because that BS timeframe works on Americans (healthcare plan will be announced in "two weeks", 8 years ago). He assumes Iran will forget and move on, too, since that's always worked for him and his firehose of shite. Iran isn't likely to forget, tho, and we'll be right back where we were two days ago -- except that Iran will have time to re-stock its defensive and drone capabilities.
Are the other Gulf states, and the rest of the world, okay with paying a "toll" to Iran for every ship that goes thru Hormuz, just bkz Trump says so? I have doubts.
Probably not going to be paying a toll. The other Gulf states are not finished with this yet. And Saudi Arabia has its claws into the president's family members. They will expect a return on their investment.
Hooray, we won! We traded in an octogenarian ayatollah for one in his prime! We moved fifth fleet headquarters from Bahrain to Virginia Beach. All of our other bases in the region are “uninhabitable”. Four THAAD radars were destroyed, several fixed emplacement radars (including one that took 8 years to build and cost $1b), an E-3, four tankers, 12 other multimillion dollar aircraft. Not to mention we depleted our interceptor inventory. To top it all off, we killed thousands of non-combatants, including 160 little girls and 13 of our service members. But the straights of Hormuz are open! Just like they were before grandpa started Operation Epstein Distraction! USA USA USA USA
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Reading this today, the line "And then is heard no more" seems like hope.
Remember, Macbeth may have said that, but he was wrong and didn't survive the play. And that was the point: he was wrong. He wanted life to be a tale told by an idiot because that would make him less culpable of being evil, but his life's tale was told by Shakespeare instead, and it didn't signify nothing or else we wouldn't still be quoting it.
His sycophants lied to him and told him he could beat Malcolm.
Act 5, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Andrew writes, "Trump...is simply excited to have stumbled upon another possible place to wet his beak" and it's the most depressing prospect of this whole debacle: The U.S. and Iran working hand-in-hand to start shaking down other nations for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
If this happens, I assume Trump will work his hustle through our ally, Oman, to make it all seem slightly more legitimate, but the important point is that we'll be back to the thing we always know is true: Follow the money (into Trump's pockets).
It is horrible and delicious at the same time: the perfect encapsulation or this regime. How are those Gulf states feeling about the all that money they lavished on the Trump family now?
This isn't over yet. They will be expecting a return on their investments. Got some higher oil prices for a while so that was probably appreciated, but at least one country really would like to see Iran wiped off the map in terms of being an influence on the region.
I suspect the Gulf states are going to diversify their portfolio away from the US given that our protection and guarantees aren’t what they thought they were.
"“We’re thinking of doing it as a joint venture,” Trump told Karl. “It’s a way of securing it—also securing it from lots of other people.” It would be, Trump added, a “beautiful thing.”"
It is an insult to imply that “sales is a zero-sum game” based on deception.
I spent over 30 years in sales selling water and process treatments and services to various industries. While this may be more specialized than a most cited example of “car dealer”, there are principles of sales that all salespeople (should) admire and aspire to. Long term customers are built from meaningful productive relationships and sustainable value propositions. At a more granular level-- from individual traits of knowledge and experience, reliability, integrity, and credibility over time. The best sales groups and individuals engender perceivable and repeatable value. These principles can be applied across a universe of sales, relationships, and yes, diplomacy and politics.
Across my experience, credibility and integrity, based on honesty in relationship and transactional terms, are the most important. Simply, customers do not like people (or suppliers) that are perceived as deceptive, dishonest, overly aggressive, and/or do not “deliver”.
The idea of sales being the hard sell, based on some zero-sum game of ultimatums? Admittedly, some salespeople do employ these tactics (and some softer variants), often in single transactional relationships, but that is not what long term trust and relationships are built on. Ordinary people, and indeed multiple other parties, shirk from these tactics and “walk out of the dealership”.
Let’s be clear, experienced salespeople are ordinary people who (should) possess a wide range of observational, listening, and negotiation skills to create sustainable relationships. While I am just a salesperson, I think I can say there is no place in international negotiations for ultimatums in building sustainable relationships. Certainly not threatening total destruction of any negotiable asset. These are not single transactions, they are a series of transactions based on follow-through, honesty, credibility, trust, and quantification. “Trust but verify”.
Does anything that the current administration has done (currently and ranging back years) read to you as engendering “experience”, trust, reliability, credibility, or integrity? Why would anyone want to do business with such an organization?
I used to be a product manager for a company that made scientific instruments. We had a sales manager that was uber aggressive, and in your face. Sure, he got the deal, but he pissed a LOT of customers off.
I left there and went to a different company (doing the same business), and one of our customers told us about that asshole sales person at my former company. I suggested his name and the customer was "Yeah, that's the guy, what an awful human being he was" and I had to stifle my laughter.
I'm a municipal water and wastewater engineer. I've probably specified some of the lines you rep. There are two kinds of salesmen: sleazeballs just trying to move product and ones who provide good technical information to help my project. Guess who kept getting calls from me and had their products specified? 😀
Over the long-haul, the not-pushy helpful reps always had their phones ringing.
That statement about going into business with Iran in the Strait is salesman talk, trying to spin a negative into a positive.
I once worked for an equipment manufacturer and spent time talking with the national sales manager. He gave me outstanding advice. At the end of the day, all you really have to sell is your reputation (integrity, etc., however you want to say it). Protect your reputation at all times, it's valuable. Good advice!
Yes. Sales 101 - 301 and, Life 101 - 301. Our individual integrity, credibility, and 'reputation' are the very things we have direct control over in this life. Employers, clients, friends, acquaintances, and relatives (!) come and go. Some transition based on their perceived integrity and credibility.
"In what universe would America benefit from locking arms with the terror regime in Tehran to extract these bribes from everybody else?"
In the universe we are in now, where the United States is also a terror regime. But luckily Iran is too smart to lock arms with the US. They know whose hegemony is over.
I grew up in a fairly happy household. Dad had a temper, Mom could be cold, but I never had any doubt they would stand up for my brothers and me and look out for our interests.
So I have no experience of an abusive household with an insane parent, one who threatens to kill you and then backs off, or drinks heavily and takes to bed before reappearing and denying anything was awry.
Unfortunately, we’re all stuck in the latter now. It’s pretty terrifying.
It’s incredible that the world is buying this as anything but a pause in the hostilities. They are still firing back and forth in Lebanon. The two proposals are no where near each other in scope. What happens when the whole world points this out and Trump realizes he has been had and is now the butt of all the “surrender monkey” jokes.
Yea, this isn't a done deal, not by a long shot. Does Trump think he can tell Israel to stop attacking Lebanon (or Iran, or Gaza)? Bibi might play ball, even for the two-week ceasefire, but he's not going to agree to something he didn't even have a hand in negotiating. In two weeks we'll be right back where we were, only with a re-stocked Iran who has already made The Great Satan bleed and back off once.
No advantage to our World for Trump to realize he is the butt of jokes - he will only escalate the craziness. Let’s all SHUT UP - let him declare victory and stop the killing and destruction.
I know what you're saying, but it sounds a little like "Just let Dad have what he wants and he'll stop threatening us." Perhaps we should be discussing family annihilators.
He will then start in on Cuba and Greenland. He thinks that Iran was just like Venezuela
"Art of the Kneel"
Trump just showed the world that the US is what we refer to in some corners of the gaming community as a "glass cannon": a character build that can dish out massive damage but breaks quickly against firm counterattack. We showed the world that while we can do extraordinary things with our military, we have a political and economic glass jaw. We can throw one hell of a haymaker, but we can't take more than a jab or two before throwing in the towel. That's our global reputation now.
Great analogy!
"Maybe he wouldn’t insist that Iran stop tolling the Strait of Hormuz, as they’d begun to do since the war began. Maybe, instead, the United States would just get in on the action too."---Trump 4/8/26. So now POTUS is a bridge troll?
YES! Thanks for making my day with that one. I needed it!