Given nothing more than a grainy video that doesn’t show much of
anything, and a couple of tankers burning at sea, the Trump
Administration has proven themselves united in a way rarely seen,
declaring Iran wholly and directly to blame.
That’s where the unity appears to end, however. Officials are always keen to blame Iran for anything that might stick, and as for what to do after that, they all seem deeply divided, and their talking points vary wildly.
President Trump was quick to blame Iran, citing the dubious Centcom video as proof,
and declaring that they are “in deep, deep trouble.” Beyond that,
however, he reiterated that he wants to negotiate with Iran, and that
he’s “in no rush” to actually have the talks. He also continues to say
he’s not interested in a war.
That talk of not wanting a war stands in sharp contrast to John Bolton
and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who have been angling for a conflict
with Iran for months now, and for whom this is just another chance to
talk up a military response to Iranian misdeeds.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan seems to have landed somewhere
in the middle, continuing to echo Trump on not wanting war, but in such
a way as to suggest that he’s just trying to present this as a
reluctant war the US is being forced into.
In the age technology and cynical Gen-Xers, false flags are thing of the past. So says Mr. Stewart.
Nut-jobs rule.
Does sinking a tanker loaded with naptha cause less ecological damage than one loaded with heavy crude? Are there now green concerns that must be met in crafting a false flag for the Mid-East’s Hegemon?
Seeing as how “Iran” has attacked four civilian ships, failed to sink even one, and harmed barely anyone, blown holes above the waterline, etc etc, I’d say whoever is staging these attacks is very aware of the loss of civilian life and the environmental effects of an oil spill, etc etc.
Much like Trump’s Cruise Missile attack on Syria, Fifty-nine Tomahawks expended little damage few, if any, casualties.
…or doesn’t want to really endanger or slow any flow of crude. Which is what nobody wants but it can be used as bargaining chip. Some kind of MAD principle but then with crude, global markets and election meddling.
If you are actually interested, yes! Naptha is much lighter and will burn off much easier.
How can a geopolitically adept adult believe this president when he says he doesn’t want a war with Iran? Everything he has done and continues to do fans the flames. Tosses out JCPOA. Lays down new sanctions. Sends a carrier fleet. Labels them terrorists. Sells new arms to hostile neighbors. These are the actions of leader who hopes war happens, not a peacemaker.
Only if you think Iran is going to start the war, which they would never do. It looks to me like a leader that wants to cripple Iran.
Iran wouldn’t do it because they are dwarfed militarily. But what the Trump administration is doing would cause any country with an equal military to justifiably start a war. I guess being a bully with all the toys has its advantages.
Don’t forget, tossing JCPOA and slamming sanctions on was a big election promise. The other actions do not constitute anything really new historically and are caused by the full backing of old US allies SA & Israel on any issue of regional security, like the new “axis” between Iran, Iraq and Syria forming with some Russian blessing. On the global stage these are events in need of a response, that is, if you want to keep your allies in that region, your access to bases, OPEC or any kind of cloud really. Which is what might be really at stake here: a fading “empire” wanting to remain relevant. It’s the lever pulled by smaller nations in the region.
don’t forget all the secret operations that the president’s (any president’s) private army or the CIA torture terrorists can engage in: such things as killing nuclear scientists, blowing up power plants or grids, infiltrating ‘dissident’ groups and supplying arms to local or imported terrorists, cyber attacks etc etc… – lots of these things will never be reported in the mainstream media, only someone like Sy Hersh might write about from time to time
Trump needs to fire Bolton and Pompeo.
Wait for it. He will fire them in the run up to 2020, and he’ll wait to time it for maximum electoral benefit. The man has impeccable political instinct.
In the meantime a shitload of lives are made miserable.
Thanks for the heads-up, Q!
Replace “impeccable political instinct” with “trollish supporters who forget that life isn’t a reality show and love nothing more than when he infuriates the libtards” and you’re onto something.
Appeasement to liberal (in the american political vein) thought, doctrine, and policies, has ended, for now anyway. Oh don’t forget, got those Reparations Hearings coming up this week in the wacked out world of Victimhood political thought in the Dim Party.
Infuriated libtards is definite icing on the cake. But burning down the old system is the real deal. Five and a half years to go to complete the job, then Tulsi — having switched over to the GOP after being screwed out of the nomination in 2020 by the corporate Dems — will be ready to be the first woman president. Republican woman president from the new centrist Trump Republican Party.
Oh boy, more good cop/bad cop. Now is it Curly and Larry that are the good cops and Moe the bad cop or the other way around?
Lol, exactly. “I’ve got Bonkers Bolton on a tight leash, but i could release him (and CENTCOM) anytime!”
What’s worst is that 3 stooges were able to master that routine but these lovable war-mongering bozos can’t seem to get it right!
Let the lunatics in israel fight their own wars.
You left out Bibi the Trump Whisperer and his little buddy, Jared. I’m thinking they’re more influential than any of his so-called advisors. They’ve kept us mired in Syria and are now beating the drum for war with Iran.
Also, Christian Zionists like Pence are right in there always advocating for Armageddon so that their warrior “messiah” can come riding in on an ICBM and rapture their sorry asses up to heaven while the rest of us are turned into cinder cakes. They’re a death cult if there ever was one.
More analysis of a President who probably isn’t even in the loop about what is being planned and won’t be asked for a decision until the people behind the upcoming war tell him what it should be – which he will then dutifully follow because he can’t possibly know any better.
This is a joke. War with Iran is inevitable. The only question is when – and that depends on how the war on Hezbollah goes this summer or next summer.
To a degree, that’s better than practically the entire elected Government, taking their cues from a Fifth Column that stuffs money into their campaign coffers, and results in practically people like Joe Lieberman leaping to their feet like jacks-in-a-box every time the idiot opens his mouth in that address to a joint session of Congress.
If Trump doesn’t fire Bolton, his supporters need to admit that he enjoys the dissent and infighting and mixed messaging as yet another distraction or feint. Trump’s whole foreign policy seems to be ‘keep em guessing.’ Allies and enemies alike.
No onw knows what Trump is going to do ? Allies and enemies too and not even his poor supporters . Trump’s only advantage was we just did not know . Not much of a advantage , but still a advantage .
When will this madness end? Have the US “leaders” no real problems to solve in their darling Homeland”???
Kinda like the Governor of California going to Central America and pledging support for alleviating poverty there, while totally ignoring the feces soiled and dangerous discarded drug needles on the sidewalks/streets of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento. Damn fools is what they are.
Why does there even need to be a ‘next step’? How about waiting for the investigations to be done before jumping to conclusions? If we go to war with Iran, mark my words, American blood will be on Pompeo’s and Bolton’s hands- and on Trump’s as well since this is not something he has to do. Iranians- contrary to all the propaganda- are not bloodthirsty suicidal maniacs, and they’re not prone to doing stupid things. It’s a sad day when I place more confidence in Iran’s President Rouhani than I do our own.
They don’t care.
There is more than meets the eye. T.rump has until September 17 to create an emergency situation in ME so Bibi can form an emergency government. Because if he can’t form a government by then, he is looking at corruption charges. So says Mr. Stewart.