This report is worth reading. The war fever being stoked by Trump is not matched by any change in U. S. military actions or preparations. Also, "Hey Man"'s observation is entirely correct. Supposedly sober types like General Mattis speak casually of the genocidal destruction of the entire population of North Korea as though it were simply a technical matter.
Meanwhile, it appears Trump will offer Joe Manchin a cabinet job, allowing the newly declared Republican governor of West Virginia to appoint a Republican replacement, after which the Senate can pass their horrendous health care bill. This is monstrously bad news.
We should also be aware that Trump has begun to threaten Venezuela with military intervention.
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely no justification for a U.S. military intervention there.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40906290
Well, I have heard anecdotal reports from military people that there is much activity around Korea right now. Who knows? As Trump said, we will wait and see. In his Q&A the other day he seemed more like a man of purpose and resolve, who had perhaps already committed to a hard road. Whether this was another act or not, only time will tell.
ReplyDeleteS. Wallerstein, we shouldn't feel happy about anything Trump says or does, but my understanding is that, in the Venezuela case, he was "freestyling" in response to a question that he knew nothing about. (Not that this makes it unusual, of course.) And, everyone who did know anything was caught by surprise, as the remark wasn't connected to any plan or policy. Saying it's just Trump being Trump shouldn't make us happy - saying things, even for no reason at all, can be a start to doing them - but I think there's good reason to think it was just a case of him making something up on the fly, and not a revelation of any policy or proposal.
ReplyDeleteI've worried for some time that sen. Joe Manchin would switch party affiliation if the Republican majority in the Senate were imperiled. To elevate him to the cabinet (giving the Energy portfolio to a voice of BigCoal rather than to a voice of BigOil) and naming a new Republican senator is a fancier way to achieve the same arithmetic buffer.
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