Posted on 01/05/2020 7:01:49 PM PST by Hojczyk
Trump partisans. This past year, they could not decide whether Trump was a “Twitter tiger” appeaser or a provocative and dangerous bull in the Middle East china shop.
We are told his unpredictability creates “confusion,” but confusion and unpredictability are not always a disadvantage. In this case, both North Korea and China are both carefully calibrating U.S. reactions and are not quite sure what’s next.
Trump’s base is nationalist-populist and Jacksonian, not merely doctrinaire isolationist. “Don’t tread on me” translated into 2020 terms means something like “live and let live — or else.” If Iran hits the U.S. first, then the U.S. would shrug and hit Iran back harder — without any grand notions of preemption, ideological nation-building, regime-change agendas, ground wars, or larger policing commitments to international or allied interests.
After the recent furor over Turkey in Syria, Trump’s base accepts that he is backing out of the Middle East firing, not firing to get in. How strange that his progressive opponents damned Trump for not exercising preemptive choices in Turkey to protect third parties, and damned him more for taking reactive action in Iraq to protect Americans.
The current Iranian crisis is complex and dangerous. And by all means retaliation must be designed to prevent more Iranian violence and aggression rather than aimed at a grandiose agenda of regime change or national liberation. But so far the Iranians, not the U.S., are making all the blunders.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Great post, thank you. As usual, VDH (Victor Davis Hanson) is erudite and supremely verbose.
Such a great article, had to read every word ... couldn’t wait to get to the bottom to see its author.
Ah yes. VDH
Thx for the post
A correct assessment. I especially agree with his 2020 interpretation of “Don’t Tread on Me.” It’s exactly how I and my family look at that revered motto.
Also "live and let live... or else."
I think that sums up Trump's foreign policy.
When we leave, the sunni jihadists from all over middle east come back to face off against the Iranian backed shia.. Lesson learned from Afghanistan and Iraq and Libya is sloganeering about hearts and minds and rebuilding is empty rhetoric and very expensive rhetoric, at that The middle east is not a hearts and minds region of the world. because it is empty of both hearts or minds, only an abject religious tribal hatred between the two groups no one can tame. They were killing each other 500 years ago and they will be doing so 500 years in the future. There is no benefit to being a third party to their blood sport.. In that region,. when conflict is necessary to defend Western security interests, the hearts and minds fantasy needs to be replaced by bomb and leave reality.
Along with the rest of the piece being superb, his point about Trump sending a message to North Korea is also excellent.
In summary, North Korea won’t be a problem for at least the next 5 years, the duration of Trump’s time in office.
:)
Trump replaced “hearts and minds” with “heads and hands” (with rings).
When you were young and your heart
Was an open book
You used to say live and let live
(You know you did)
(You know you did)
(You know you did)
But if this ever changin’ world
In which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die
What did it matter to ya
When you got a job to do you got to do it well
You got to give the other fella hell
You used to say live and let live
(You know you did)
(You know you did)
(You know you did)
But if this ever changin’ world
In which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die
The Iranian regime are like cornered rats, it makes them capable of dastardly, desperate things. I’m sure our brass knows that.
Excellent post.
I see a local strike from cells. Except maybe New Mexico. ;)
What if all the experts are wrong and Trump is right?
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