'There's Another Big Reason Trump Is Stuck in the Gulf'
(TPM) "You’ve certainly seen or heard about President Trump’s morning threat to destroy Iran’s civil energy and bridge infrastructure if the country doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday. To quote him: 'Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH. Praise be to Allah.' (That’s not my arch summary. That’s a quote.) I will set aside that these would appear to constitute war crimes as going without saying. The man is careening from one day to the next from ‘the Strait doesn’t matter’ to (alternatively) ‘not our problem/it will open itself’ to ‘I give you fucking two days or you’ll be living in hell. Of course, then, he has then repeatedly 'postponed' the day of destruction after encouraging talks with Iran leaders, talks which we then learn a few days later never occurred. But now he says, 'Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.' (This time I really, really mean it!)"
"In other words, talk like an insane person and carry a really small stick. He thinks these outbursts make him look stronger but each threat and retreat makes him look weaker and more clearly not in control of the situation. These are the words of a man who has spent a lifetime either TACOing or bullshitting his way out of messes suddenly coming up against an immovable object and at a moment when he already appears to be under some mix of extreme psychic strain and a more general senescent decompensation."
"There is another part of this equation which I do not think has gotten sufficient focus. On March 24th The New York Times published an article which reported that the Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has told President Trump that he needs to finish the job, overthrow the Iranian regime or render it so feeble that it cannot threaten anyone – the second condition likely being impossible without achieving the first. As the Times put it (emphasis added), 'Prince Mohammed has conveyed to Mr. Trump that he must press toward the destruction of Iran’s hard-line government.' "
Continued at link:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/theres-another-big-reason-trump-is-stuck-in-the-gulf
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