On this website we still think launching missiles on Assad’s forces was an act of war and a mistaken one. But Donald Trump is a wily and very determined man who will do whatever he thinks is good for America.
We continue to see him as a gift to the Nation, who risked all he had to win the Republican nomination and the Presidency, and has endured more personal attacks than any President in history.
His recent assurance, delivered personally in uncompromising language, that no American troops will be sent to Syria, should re-assure many Broad Right critics who feared he intended to get mired in a ground war and regime change. This assurance makes it clear that the missile attack was nothing more than a gesture.
Many, many times in his campaign Trump criticized his predecessor for telegraphing troop movements and intentions, and promised that as President he would not reveal military intentions if that was counter-productive.
It is our view that the missiles were launched primarily to demonstrate to China, North Korea, Russia and Iran that American firepower is awesome and that Trump is not Obama. The fact that Trump was meeting with China’s leader as news of the attack broke, was highly significant. Just as Assad can do nothing that will offend Putin, so North Korea has to bow to China’s wishes.
For sure, Trump must have discussed North Korea at the meeting and given some kind of warning or ultimatum to China’s leader. The meeting remained amicable, and subsequently Trump sent submarines to North Korea and delivered more warning of intent. Now we hear – though not on the Mainstream Media (MSM) – that China is issuing warnings to NK.
Trump is not guilty of ‘grandstanding’ where dangerous foreign affairs are concerned. His grandstanding is limited to domestic politics, and we should be reassured by that. What is going on between him and China regarding NK, we can only speculate, but it does look as though NK is being squeezed between China and America.
Meanwhile the MSM is doing all it can to heighten ‘tensions’ between Russia and America. Michael Savage and others have fallen for the narrative that Trump is being ‘led’ into a Russian conflict by neo-Cons in his inner circle. Putin’s supposed about-turn in meeting with Tillerson is being presented by the MSM as further evidence of a Russian/American military showdown.
On this website we will go out on a limb, and predict that such a showdown is a neocon fantasy and a Savage nightmare. We think Trump has Putin on the defensive but both men know that America is not going to confront Russia in Syria. Trump may continue to verbally attack Assad as a bad guy but will do nothing militarily to remove him from office. Putin has been assured of this.
Nevertheless, Trump has fired a missile across Putin’s front lawn, for Putin is an expansionist as well as a Nationalist, especially when he has problems at home. Our guess is that Trump intends to let Putin keep the Crimea but not invade the rest of the Ukraine or other neighbors.
It is our view that Trump is positioning America on Syria (no real involvement and no military confrontation with Russia there), and on North Korea (which is a real threat to America) through China and naval power. At this time, NK is Trump’s real target, and here there is a danger of events spinning out of control because Kim Jung Un is an unpredictable gambler.
If the NK situation is duly resolved by China, expect Trump to turn his attentions to Iran. We believe China will do what is necessary in NK to avoid an American military strike on NK from the submarines.
Obama has bequeathed a very dangerous world for America, and Trump may falter here or there, but we see no reason to doubt his commitment to America’s vital interests, no reason to worry that he has fallen prey to neo-Cons or greedy warmongers, and no reason to doubt his cunning, his nerve and his sanity.
Syria is Trump’s smokescreen and a distraction for his enemies at home.
The election result in Kansas was a wake-up call for the Broad Right. Certainly such elections have low turn-outs and give opposition Parties a small advantage. And given the strength of the two Parties in this part of Kansas, the Democrats probably did not fight hard last November but did fight hard this time. Nevertheless, the resulting Republican victory for Ron Estes was too close for comfort at 53% to 45%.
The Republicans had to fight hard in the end with big guns getting involved to beat a Far Left civil rights lawyer in a Conservative stronghold. This is the price the Broad Right and Trump are paying for the Healthcare fiasco. Trump and Congressional victories – and there have been several – are never reported by the MSM, but defeats and disunity are gifts to the enemy, and a divided Party (and divided from its President) are bad news. People do not turn out to vote for a disunited Party. Successes and momentum, even if based on compromises, are essential if the Counter-Revolution is to succeed.
Georgia’s pending election will be lost unless the Republicans in Congress unite. Trump’s tax cuts – whatever they are – must be legislated, and funds for the wall approved.