We’re being governed by liars, creeps, and suck-ups. What other words would you use to describe Jared Kushner, John Bolton, Giggling Mike Pompeo, Chuckling Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Donald (He Denies It) Trump, and the behavior of the Trump Administration in the aftermath of the gruesome murder and dismemberment of an American Resident inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul?
Who sits at the top of this suck-up chain of command? A name no so-called liberal dares to mention, Sheldon Adelson. He is, by far, the most powerful private citizen in both the United States and Israel. Say that out loud and some jerk like Bret Stephens at the Times will charge you with “dealing in anti-semitic tropes.”
Liberals are cowed. Unfortunately, that’s their default state. They’ve got no problem gang tackling Kavanaugh, waxing outraged at comparative nobodies like the Mercers and the Kochs or some dopey evangelical with a bird nest hairdo who gets caught on a recording talking weird with his mistress. Rachel will work that for weeks.
Where the hell did the Saudis get the idea that they could kill and dismember an American Resident in the Saudi Consulate in a NATO State, Turkey? Reflect on that please. Turkey is a tried and true friend of the Untied States. They fought and died with us in Afghanistan after we were hit by individual Saudi citizens under the direction of Saudi Osama bin Laden.
Here’s how they got that idea. Go back to the closing days of the 2016 US Presidential Campaign. Trump looks dead in the water. His people convince Adelson he has as shot…a long shot, but a shot. Adelson comes up with $30 Million and the rest is history. Someday, we’ll find out what kind of “understanding” Sheldon reached with Trump before releasing the $30 Mil. We do know after Trump took office he started checking off Adelson’s wish list: move US Embassy to Jerusalem; cancel Iran deal; no talk of two state solution; no problem on settlements. Unchecked so far…War with Iran.
Adelson’s desire for a war in Iran is part of an old neocon wish list. Adelson dependent Netanyahu, lectured a House Committee a year after 9/11 that a war with Iraq was necessary then Iran. The Congress Members sat and nodded like trained seals.
But, the War with Iran Crowd has a problem. There is a substantial body of opinion in the US to the effect that we do too much for Israel and Israel seems to always have one more war for us to fight. If you’re trying to beat the “War With Iran Drums” how do you solve the problem of the reluctance of many/most in the US to fight one more war for Israel?
You say we have to fight Iran to protect our new super best friends the Saudis who have a wonderful new leader Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman who is doing wonderful things. So he cut a guy up and put him in some boxes that doesn’t mean he’s not a nice guy…that I can tell you.
CONCLUSION
The Saudis view the Israelis as their admission ticket to the community of nations. If the Israelis say the Saudis are OK, the American Press will move to make it unanimous. Of course the Israelis aren’t going to just give that blessing away.
They want their Iran War.
The Crown Prince wants to be able to walk into Starbucks in Manhattan with Mike Bloomberg. 100,000 Dead bodies in Iran is a small price to pay.
Trump agrees.
Comments are welcome at tomc[at]wednesdayswars[dot]com. Comments will be addressed in subsequent posts.