From threats of obliteration to calls for restraint, Trump’s changing tone may reveal the failure of a decades-long strategy built on arrogance, wishful thinking and a failure to understanding Iran.
Western media as a monolith is dead. European media are rapidly repositioning the EU as a countervailing force of reason and truth. Trump's assault on NATO has incentivized them to push back against American disinformation. Ongoing Russian aggression is forcing the EU to speak with one voice. And corrupt American politicians are financing the morally indefensible Palestinian genocide. Outside of MAGA, billionaires, and some hapless diplomats, the entire planet wants to see Trump humiliated. Europe is no exception.
Western leadership after 70 years of empire is suffering acute juvenile geopolitical paralysis. The party is over and they don't have the balls brains to deal with the situation. All the skills they need to function in the world today are long gone, left to lapse into atrophy and war is the only language they speak. This ongoing idiocy has insured that renewal and revitalization will be trans-generational, no quick fixes, no band-aid solutions, real reform.
It is all the fault of the nations in WWII that praised America to the Hilton for "helping" to win that war when they finally agreed to come in, after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour.
I don't remember when it changed to "America won that war". It had been going on for well over two plus years when they joined - after months of begging for them to help. Yes, Britain was on its knees, but not totally out, Russia was being wounded badly because, at that time, they didn't have the right conditions, people were starving - being starved because Germany burned their fields, after they took as much as they needed for themselves. France had the resistance - not terrorists, when you are fighting however you can for your country it's resistance and that includes Hamas and Hezbollah. America refused Churchill's many attempts to get them to 'join' that is the operative word, they were not asked to do it alone but anyone reading about it now might think that was the case.
For some reason people have repeatedly praised America as though the other countries and resistance fighters just stood down. The other countries were still fighting and still having casualties, I know that because my father's ship was torpedoed and survivors were picked up by Canadian ships that were delivering fruit and vegetables to Britain.
That was the beginning of their narcissism, when they dropped those two horrifying Atom bombs on two Japanese cities, knowing what the damage would be, but did it anyway when Japan was already declaring surrender. From then on American hubris has just got worse, and with Drumpf, we'll, he's certainly no diplomat or leader of anything, just an old man that lies a lot and pretends to be something we all know he isn't and never has been - intelligent. If he were, he wouldn't go by what his choice of inexperienced people for top jobs in his cabinet.
Just wait; he'll soon be praising Iran as a beautiful country, maybe a big beautiful country, and it's leaders as beautiful and very smart people, and he'll like them - a lot. Yes, there will be an overuse of the word beautiful and big because he's short on words and daddy bought his certificate of education, like he did the bone spurs doctor's certificate.
It is impossible to see the final position in this chess game. However, it is clear that the US media are not reporting the moves as they are played. It is also clear that the disruption in oil supply (and fertilizer supply) will hurt millions of people world-wide, including many in the US who are struggling to pay their bills.
Of course, as evil as the US has been since WW-Two, it has sunk to new depths of depravity under Trump. How tragic that the nation is subject to the irrational rage and whims of an unhinged dictator.
Recently Pakistan announced that it would launch nukes if Iran was nuked. Soon after Saudi Arabia got a similar promise from Pakistan. We don't know what conditions Saudi Arabia exacted from Pakistan. Perhaps Pakistan had to renege on their promise to Iran. So maybe Pakistan moved the promise to Iran.
The irony is that Pakistan went nuclear with the assistance of the US.
If - truly *if* - this proves to be correct, it would help to explain why the US administration has been much more reluctant to escalate over the last few weeks
No disagreement here George. In 2026, if I had to make a choice between living in the USA or Iran…let’s just say I would be eating Kebab Koobideh.
Brother the world is now beginning toward your way thinking. Yours a great man my friend.
Western media as a monolith is dead. European media are rapidly repositioning the EU as a countervailing force of reason and truth. Trump's assault on NATO has incentivized them to push back against American disinformation. Ongoing Russian aggression is forcing the EU to speak with one voice. And corrupt American politicians are financing the morally indefensible Palestinian genocide. Outside of MAGA, billionaires, and some hapless diplomats, the entire planet wants to see Trump humiliated. Europe is no exception.
Western leadership after 70 years of empire is suffering acute juvenile geopolitical paralysis. The party is over and they don't have the balls brains to deal with the situation. All the skills they need to function in the world today are long gone, left to lapse into atrophy and war is the only language they speak. This ongoing idiocy has insured that renewal and revitalization will be trans-generational, no quick fixes, no band-aid solutions, real reform.
Another brilliant analysis from such a clear and wide perspective, as finely written as ever. Thank you.
'This is the world we now endure...'. Yes, but how? In all my 82 years, I've never been so appalled,so distressed, so angry.
And my generation watched the growth of all that is now, mostly blind to it ?
To borrow from Conrad, 'The horror. The horror'.
It is all the fault of the nations in WWII that praised America to the Hilton for "helping" to win that war when they finally agreed to come in, after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour.
I don't remember when it changed to "America won that war". It had been going on for well over two plus years when they joined - after months of begging for them to help. Yes, Britain was on its knees, but not totally out, Russia was being wounded badly because, at that time, they didn't have the right conditions, people were starving - being starved because Germany burned their fields, after they took as much as they needed for themselves. France had the resistance - not terrorists, when you are fighting however you can for your country it's resistance and that includes Hamas and Hezbollah. America refused Churchill's many attempts to get them to 'join' that is the operative word, they were not asked to do it alone but anyone reading about it now might think that was the case.
For some reason people have repeatedly praised America as though the other countries and resistance fighters just stood down. The other countries were still fighting and still having casualties, I know that because my father's ship was torpedoed and survivors were picked up by Canadian ships that were delivering fruit and vegetables to Britain.
That was the beginning of their narcissism, when they dropped those two horrifying Atom bombs on two Japanese cities, knowing what the damage would be, but did it anyway when Japan was already declaring surrender. From then on American hubris has just got worse, and with Drumpf, we'll, he's certainly no diplomat or leader of anything, just an old man that lies a lot and pretends to be something we all know he isn't and never has been - intelligent. If he were, he wouldn't go by what his choice of inexperienced people for top jobs in his cabinet.
Just wait; he'll soon be praising Iran as a beautiful country, maybe a big beautiful country, and it's leaders as beautiful and very smart people, and he'll like them - a lot. Yes, there will be an overuse of the word beautiful and big because he's short on words and daddy bought his certificate of education, like he did the bone spurs doctor's certificate.
Oops! Sorry, didn't mean it to be so long. 🫢
It is impossible to see the final position in this chess game. However, it is clear that the US media are not reporting the moves as they are played. It is also clear that the disruption in oil supply (and fertilizer supply) will hurt millions of people world-wide, including many in the US who are struggling to pay their bills.
Of course, as evil as the US has been since WW-Two, it has sunk to new depths of depravity under Trump. How tragic that the nation is subject to the irrational rage and whims of an unhinged dictator.
Recently Pakistan announced that it would launch nukes if Iran was nuked. Soon after Saudi Arabia got a similar promise from Pakistan. We don't know what conditions Saudi Arabia exacted from Pakistan. Perhaps Pakistan had to renege on their promise to Iran. So maybe Pakistan moved the promise to Iran.
The irony is that Pakistan went nuclear with the assistance of the US.
If - truly *if* - this proves to be correct, it would help to explain why the US administration has been much more reluctant to escalate over the last few weeks
I have to say “insufficient data” at this point