It’s hard not to laugh, dire though these times of ours most assuredly are.
I’m an incorrigible pessimist who harbors a grim view of humanity and everything to do with it. Despite that — and in a lot of respects because of it — I find myself possessed by a case of the wry chuckles on a more or less daily basis during Donald Trump’s second stint as the most powerful person on the planet.
His penchant for saying and doing things conducive to different sorts of apocalypse scenarios is nothing short of extraordinary. When paired with his almost complete grammatical bereftness and total disregard for any sort of decorum, Trump’s the living, breathing personification of the term “beyond parody.”
A week or so on from the apparent fizzling of existential social unrest in Iran — which is to say just when you thought tensions had abated — Trump on Wednesday threatened to Maduro (and after January 3, that’s an action verb) Ali Khamenei.
“A massive Armada is heading to Iran,” Trump declared, seemingly out of the blue. “It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm and purpose.”
Lest the Maduro parallel be lost on anyone in Tehran — i.e., on the off chance the theocracy wasn’t picking up what he was laying down — Trump made it explicit. “It is a larger fleet than that sent to Venezuela,” he said, adding that “like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”
There you have it. That’s the President of the United States threatening, in no uncertain terms and using a very recent US commando raid as a reference point, to overthrow the Iranian government.
Given everything that happened with Greenland mid-month and then, as soon as that fracas died down, a new escalation in Minneapolis, it’s easy enough to forget that it was just two weeks ago when Trump toyed with the idea of new airstrikes on Tehran in a bid to embolden the protest movement.
Although we might’ve forgotten about that (what with everything else Trump’s forced us to reckon with), Trump didn’t. And now, he’s issued an ultimatum to Khamenei: Negotiate a new nuclear deal or face military conflict “commenced at a time of our choosing,” as America’s second-worst president famously put it, setting up what would be remembered as the most ill-fated US military adventure since Vietnam.
“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,'” Trump went on, referring to his brazen decision to bomb the country’s nuclear sites last year. “The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”
To paraphrase Joe Pesci’s Nicky Santoro (based on the real-life mob figure Anthony Spilotro), “Listen to me Ali. I got your head in a vise. Don’t make me have to do this, please. Don’t make me be a bad guy, come on.”
A quick scan of the Pentagon’s social media feeds shows the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Middle East earlier this week “to promote regional security and stability.”
They should paint “promoting stability” on the carrier. Seems like a fitting slogan for an aircraft carrier.
“Promoting stability with speed and violence.”
…. And enthusiasm!
Iran’s nuclear material will get scattered in the chaos and end up in dirty bombs for New York and Wash DC.
Sadly, this is the language of our abusive administration about everything… Cmon Minnesota, don’t make me do this. Cmon, lady, settle down, didn’t you learn your lesson from what’s been happening?
I don’t call it “abusive” lightly. This is the very language of abusers the world over. Spouse abusers, child abusers, employee abusers, and I have experience with them all. Trump is an abuser, and has empowered (and pardoned) abusers both within his administration and without. This is why we who are not abusers have to stand up, and not be bystanders to this abuse. This is the example the good people of Minnesota have set for us. Minnesotans cannot, and must not, stand alone. You may not feel comfortable calling your representatives or going to a protest against this abuse, but at least share your voice in some small way, at least let somebody else who is active know that you support them in their efforts.
Bravo, for your brave words. We need more like you.
I was speaking with an elderly vet in a riding stable, discussing the care of a recent gelding. He wished that he could do his job on the current crop in th White House. At least he made my day.
Of course, others are more thorough and more eloquent about this abusive behavior than I can be. This is one of the best in that regard.
https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/the-she-made-him-do-it-theory-of-everything-2/
I am waiting for the return of propriety, civility, courtesy, politeness, decency, respectability, dignity, etiquette, formality and good manners (list came from AI) as the unwritten, but foundational rules, by which our country and society are governed.
Hopefully, I’m still alive.
I think it goes without saying, but you really shouldn’t be telegraphing your intentions vis a vis military operations. So far this hasn’t bitten him yet, but at some point our people are going to experience a pre-emptive strike in response to these threats.
With no major headlines about the overdue Epstein files for over a week now, I think we can call Operation Smokescreen a success. That pesky offshore account holding the money from the sale of Venezuelan crude is also a strategic national security concern, well worth the sacrifice of… well, the little people.
Is Trump still cosplaying Acting President of Venezuela? I can’t find a single recent news story update. Maybe he dropped that gig to open up some time in his schedule to become Acting Supreme Leader of Iran. I heard that job may be opening up soon.
Like you said, Mr H., he’s beyond parody.