We focus on the Strait of Hormuz, totally missing the fact that China is watching and taking notes. Our actions have put the entire South China Sea at risk, something we pay so little attention to. What will we do when China asserts its power.
As a young Marine, I attended a class on diplomacy at the State Department while training to be a Marine Security Guard. Our instructor, a senior Foreign Service Officer, randomly had me stand up. He held a fountain pen in his hand and asked what it was and what it symbolized. We were not sure, so he went on to explain; the fountain pen he held was a tool of diplomacy, a symbol of signing peace treaties, trade agreements, among a host of diplomatic functions. The work of real diplomacy in a difficult and complex world. He then pointed at me, asking the class what I was, what I symbolized. Again, we were not sure. He told us that we (Marines) were also tools of diplomacy, that we were symbols of one of the options our government held in its foreign interactions. We Marines represented the other end of the diplomatic spectrum, that of political failure, where the pen should have been used to reach accord rather than using the force of our military might.
Diplomacy is difficult and often slow to reach its intended goal. It takes knowledge, skill, honesty, empathy, and patience. Our actions with Iran have shown diplomacy was not only not used but ignored by a bully totally unqualified for his position.
I apologize for this, but I am going to repeat myself. I don't agree with Iran's terroristic mentality to achieve their goals but they necessarily have more integrity than the moron that got us into this mess. No intelligent person on earth can trust this rabid animal or anyone in the republican party.
I don't agree with the current leadership of Iran either, but I also recognize that the last 50 years of a country with a 2000-year history does not define it. It should not be surprising or upsetting to learn that America played a large part in the assent of the current regime. Still, the Trump administration's actions will be viewed historically as among the very stupidest of foreign intervention.
My military service allowed me a bit of knowledge of the JCPOA process and goals. One of the most difficult discussion points I had to make clear to my "liberal" Democrat friends was that the narrow focus was still a good deal. Many at the time felt the agreement should be scrapped as fatally flawed because it did not address human rights/women's rights. As important as international women's rights are, I still believe(d) keeping nuclear weapons proliferation is also important and should not be linked in this manner. One agreement, however narrow or incomplete, can open doors to other avenues for accord. Trump's actions have set us back at least two or three generations, as we all know trust, once betrayed, is difficult to restore.
Why so much concern about the freedom of navigation when this region is blocking a whole country, Cuba, from receiving any oil with the tragic consequences for the entire population. Preventable death in Cuba must be counted into thousands already. Did you think about that when you look ar yourself in the mirror Marco Rubio?
Missed a very important point…nothing is coming out of the strait, and fuel reserves are about to hit bottom. Oil prices will explode upward as this comes to pass. The emergency isn’t over…..
The reality of the tRump Regime is far worse than most of us imagined... and I imagined quite a lot. We are now in post-empire status. We have no allies, a truly massive National Debt, and an idiot emperor who sits on the Oval Office floor playing in the contents of his adult diaper.
We can expect both economic stresses and shocks in years to come, along with the mishegoss of climate weirding. Heaven only knows what social chaos will follow, but let's hope it's more like Britain 1947 than Roman Empire 235 CE, with warring nomads and civil wars...
He’s simply a caricature of a president..a “fun-house mirror” distortion of what the founders intended. He embodies every vice that they could imagine, and some they likely couldn’t.
Well, we will pay for this blunder for years to come. What I want to know is what we will do with the 2/3 of the senate who are not up for reelection soon. I think some should be tossed out on their heads…John thune for on. As senate R leader he should have been holding the line with this president as Article I dictates…he ignored it and let his party run rough shod over our government. As the article said, republicans have lost their privilege to serve in our government due to their own behavior, choices and violations of the constitutional order. I think every one of them needs to be out if not charged.
"There is no such thing as “partial” or “conditional” freedom of navigation of the world’s oceans and waterways. "
Yet as a result of Trump's (and Netanyahu's) international bugled meddlesome and illegal war, that is what we are now facing. The uncertaintay of the future is playing into Iran's hands. The dust has yet to settle, though it's clear that Iran will have more influence over the Strait than we will.
Second: Will the Democrats be strong and stay strong and not drop the ball? This is the biggest foreign policy blunder in years, and Trump must be reminded of this daily!
Like so many other policy points, 'freedom of navigation' has a 'flexible' meaning regarding the BFF alliance of the US and Israel.
The US regularly bombs boats in the Caribbean that for all anyone knows have zero to do with the US in any way, while at the same time blocking shipping to or from sovereign countries such as Cuba based on any pretense, or no pretense.
Israel of course regularly attacks aid ships bound for Gaza in international waters and kidnaps their crews, with meaningful consequence outside some 'concerned' language from the West, while it blows up fishing boats at whim. This rogue state's constant acts of piracy barely make the news.
The US just has no credibility at all in this regard or practically anything else. This country is fa failing state, a crumbling empire that commands little respect anywhere.
The remaining decent people of the US & World are caught between the Predator Capitalists (Trump, Bezos, & the Muskrat, et al) and the foaming at the mouth Religious Psychos such as the Iranian Republican Guard and the White Christian Nationalists in the US. One side will do or accept anything that will make them a few more pennies of profit and the others will do anything that the God Voices in their heads command. Meanwhile the "Progressive" Dems focus on pronouns and group hugs for anyone they can label "Indigenous" and the "Moderate" Dems worry about alienating their Predator Capitalist donors while mouthing negative rhetoric about billionaires. As all this is happening a large portion of the semi-conscious American electorate will not be distracted from their entertainment apps other than for the brief moments when there's a spike in the price of gasoline, hamburger, or "fast fashion".
The current total control of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is what we get when Trump-MAGA run foreign policy and the “Department of WAR.” Yet another major f*ckup the American taxpayer in particular, and ALL American citizens in general will pay for, for untold years after Trump is gone. He cares not about that. The only thing he cares about is staying out of jail, accruing more power and riches, and vengeance against anyone who opposes those things.
"Meanwhile, the Republican Congress, having entirely abandoned its constitutional and oversight role in America’s disastrous war, is equally responsible for this debacle."
It's important to remember in November that Trump only acted with unchecked, unconstitutional authority because the spineless house and senate republicans refused to carryout their war powers function. The Iran war is a disaster of REPUBLICAN making, not just Trump's.
An attack on Iran has amounted to a tactical error. Charging fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is their way to recoup their losses. They didn’t think about that before they acted. If congress had been involved in the efforts of declaring war someone might have already brought this to the forefront before it could have ever been an issue. The military strategists in congress would have no doubt thought about it.
Every single thing the occupant of our people’s house touches turns to sh*t….except his bank account.
We focus on the Strait of Hormuz, totally missing the fact that China is watching and taking notes. Our actions have put the entire South China Sea at risk, something we pay so little attention to. What will we do when China asserts its power.
As a young Marine, I attended a class on diplomacy at the State Department while training to be a Marine Security Guard. Our instructor, a senior Foreign Service Officer, randomly had me stand up. He held a fountain pen in his hand and asked what it was and what it symbolized. We were not sure, so he went on to explain; the fountain pen he held was a tool of diplomacy, a symbol of signing peace treaties, trade agreements, among a host of diplomatic functions. The work of real diplomacy in a difficult and complex world. He then pointed at me, asking the class what I was, what I symbolized. Again, we were not sure. He told us that we (Marines) were also tools of diplomacy, that we were symbols of one of the options our government held in its foreign interactions. We Marines represented the other end of the diplomatic spectrum, that of political failure, where the pen should have been used to reach accord rather than using the force of our military might.
Diplomacy is difficult and often slow to reach its intended goal. It takes knowledge, skill, honesty, empathy, and patience. Our actions with Iran have shown diplomacy was not only not used but ignored by a bully totally unqualified for his position.
I apologize for this, but I am going to repeat myself. I don't agree with Iran's terroristic mentality to achieve their goals but they necessarily have more integrity than the moron that got us into this mess. No intelligent person on earth can trust this rabid animal or anyone in the republican party.
I don't agree with the current leadership of Iran either, but I also recognize that the last 50 years of a country with a 2000-year history does not define it. It should not be surprising or upsetting to learn that America played a large part in the assent of the current regime. Still, the Trump administration's actions will be viewed historically as among the very stupidest of foreign intervention.
And worse, we had a diplomatic solution painstakingly negotiated, which Trump ripped up. Sad
My military service allowed me a bit of knowledge of the JCPOA process and goals. One of the most difficult discussion points I had to make clear to my "liberal" Democrat friends was that the narrow focus was still a good deal. Many at the time felt the agreement should be scrapped as fatally flawed because it did not address human rights/women's rights. As important as international women's rights are, I still believe(d) keeping nuclear weapons proliferation is also important and should not be linked in this manner. One agreement, however narrow or incomplete, can open doors to other avenues for accord. Trump's actions have set us back at least two or three generations, as we all know trust, once betrayed, is difficult to restore.
Why so much concern about the freedom of navigation when this region is blocking a whole country, Cuba, from receiving any oil with the tragic consequences for the entire population. Preventable death in Cuba must be counted into thousands already. Did you think about that when you look ar yourself in the mirror Marco Rubio?
Another crime against humanity committed by the US, adding to so many occurring inside and outside of the US. The ICC is taking notes, I'm sure.
Missed a very important point…nothing is coming out of the strait, and fuel reserves are about to hit bottom. Oil prices will explode upward as this comes to pass. The emergency isn’t over…..
The reality of the tRump Regime is far worse than most of us imagined... and I imagined quite a lot. We are now in post-empire status. We have no allies, a truly massive National Debt, and an idiot emperor who sits on the Oval Office floor playing in the contents of his adult diaper.
Any student of history knows that this could be a prelude to further decline, particularly when seen in the context of the past quarter century.
No, he's playing with his billions in crypto and other ill-begotten gains.
It is rather sobering to peruse the list of (former, mostly) empires in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_empires
We can expect both economic stresses and shocks in years to come, along with the mishegoss of climate weirding. Heaven only knows what social chaos will follow, but let's hope it's more like Britain 1947 than Roman Empire 235 CE, with warring nomads and civil wars...
Donald is no Alexander.
He’s simply a caricature of a president..a “fun-house mirror” distortion of what the founders intended. He embodies every vice that they could imagine, and some they likely couldn’t.
I have a new acronym for him… TOFU
The ‘O’ in TOFU?
“Only”
"Republicans have disqualified themselves from holding power."
There's a line for the ages.
Well, we will pay for this blunder for years to come. What I want to know is what we will do with the 2/3 of the senate who are not up for reelection soon. I think some should be tossed out on their heads…John thune for on. As senate R leader he should have been holding the line with this president as Article I dictates…he ignored it and let his party run rough shod over our government. As the article said, republicans have lost their privilege to serve in our government due to their own behavior, choices and violations of the constitutional order. I think every one of them needs to be out if not charged.
"There is no such thing as “partial” or “conditional” freedom of navigation of the world’s oceans and waterways. "
Yet as a result of Trump's (and Netanyahu's) international bugled meddlesome and illegal war, that is what we are now facing. The uncertaintay of the future is playing into Iran's hands. The dust has yet to settle, though it's clear that Iran will have more influence over the Strait than we will.
First and foremost: TACO, TACO, TACO!
Second: Will the Democrats be strong and stay strong and not drop the ball? This is the biggest foreign policy blunder in years, and Trump must be reminded of this daily!
Like so many other policy points, 'freedom of navigation' has a 'flexible' meaning regarding the BFF alliance of the US and Israel.
The US regularly bombs boats in the Caribbean that for all anyone knows have zero to do with the US in any way, while at the same time blocking shipping to or from sovereign countries such as Cuba based on any pretense, or no pretense.
Israel of course regularly attacks aid ships bound for Gaza in international waters and kidnaps their crews, with meaningful consequence outside some 'concerned' language from the West, while it blows up fishing boats at whim. This rogue state's constant acts of piracy barely make the news.
The US just has no credibility at all in this regard or practically anything else. This country is fa failing state, a crumbling empire that commands little respect anywhere.
The remaining decent people of the US & World are caught between the Predator Capitalists (Trump, Bezos, & the Muskrat, et al) and the foaming at the mouth Religious Psychos such as the Iranian Republican Guard and the White Christian Nationalists in the US. One side will do or accept anything that will make them a few more pennies of profit and the others will do anything that the God Voices in their heads command. Meanwhile the "Progressive" Dems focus on pronouns and group hugs for anyone they can label "Indigenous" and the "Moderate" Dems worry about alienating their Predator Capitalist donors while mouthing negative rhetoric about billionaires. As all this is happening a large portion of the semi-conscious American electorate will not be distracted from their entertainment apps other than for the brief moments when there's a spike in the price of gasoline, hamburger, or "fast fashion".
Maybe a bit simplistic, but mostly true and horrifying.
The current total control of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is what we get when Trump-MAGA run foreign policy and the “Department of WAR.” Yet another major f*ckup the American taxpayer in particular, and ALL American citizens in general will pay for, for untold years after Trump is gone. He cares not about that. The only thing he cares about is staying out of jail, accruing more power and riches, and vengeance against anyone who opposes those things.
"Meanwhile, the Republican Congress, having entirely abandoned its constitutional and oversight role in America’s disastrous war, is equally responsible for this debacle."
It's important to remember in November that Trump only acted with unchecked, unconstitutional authority because the spineless house and senate republicans refused to carryout their war powers function. The Iran war is a disaster of REPUBLICAN making, not just Trump's.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find out the Cheeto Cheater is making a fortune off of this war.
An attack on Iran has amounted to a tactical error. Charging fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is their way to recoup their losses. They didn’t think about that before they acted. If congress had been involved in the efforts of declaring war someone might have already brought this to the forefront before it could have ever been an issue. The military strategists in congress would have no doubt thought about it.
Tactical error due to incompetence, ignorance and lack of history!