January 11, 2020
We all breathed a temporary sigh of relief when Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javan Zarif, announced that the missile attacks on the Iraqi bases would constitute the full extent of its retaliation for Soleimani,stating that “Iran took and concluded proportionate measures in self-defense….We do not seek escalation or war,” (Source: “Iran Attacks U.S. Forces, Then Both Sides Stand Down,” by Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 1/8/20). The next morning, Trump followed with an address clearly intended to reassure Americans that his mindless brinkmanship would not lead us into war.
Far from being reassuring, Trump’s speech was cause for concern. Late night comedians had a field day with his awkward opening statement and his garbled delivery. Trump’s promise that Iran would never have a nuclear weapon as long as he was president rang hollow in light of the fact that every action he has taken has made that possibility more likely not less. From ripping up the Iran deal, to imposing crippling sanctions; to killing their highest ranking military official, to imposing more sanctions on Iran, Trump’s punishing instincts are hardly likely to lead to peace.
The administration briefings on the alleged “imminent threat” posed by Soleimani were so insulting and absurd that staunch conservative Republican Senator Mike Lee denounced them as “demeaning to the Constitution.” The obfuscation and contempt that administration officials displayed led Lee to announce his support for Tim Kaine’s War Powers resolution limiting Trump’s power to “go to war with Iran,” (Source: “‘Probably the worst briefing I’ve ever seen,’: Inside the disastrous Congressional Iran meeting,” by Alex Ward, Vox.com, 1/8/20). Thursday the House passed a corresponding bill of its own in an effort to reassert Congress’ Constitutional authority to declare war, (Source: “House votes to limit Trump’s ability to attack Iran,” by Karoun Demirjian, The Washington Post, 1/9/20).
The most alarming development may have been Monday’s transmittal of an unsigned letter from the Pentagon notifying the Iraq Ministry of Defense of the imminent withdrawal of American troops. When questioned about it, Defense Secretary Mark Esper denied that we were withdrawing, but had no coherent explanation of what our current position is, (Source: “Read the Letter the Pentagon Accidentally Sent Announcing Withdrawal From Iraq,” by Matt Stieb, NewYorkMag.com, 1/6/20). What clearer evidence do we need that the rot of mendacity and incompetence that characterizes this White House has spread through every corner of the Executive Branch?
This rot doesn’t merely pose a danger to Americans, but imperils the safety and security of people around the globe. One can draw a straight line from the reckless American assassination of Soleimani to the Iranian missile attack on a Ukrainian commercial airline that left 176 innocent civilians dead, (Source: “Iran admits shooting down Ukrainian plane,” by Isabelle Khurshudyan and Erin Cunningham, The Washington Post, 1/10/20). Far from being chastened by the unintended consequences set off by killing Soleimani, Trump has ratcheted up the rhetoric, claiming, without a shred of substantiation, that Iran was planning to attack FOUR American embassies, (Source: “Trump now claims that Iran planned to attack 4 embassies,” by Josh Dawsey, Shane Harris and Seung Min Kim, The Washington Post, 1/10/20).
The news that Mitch McConnell met with Trump this Wednesday to discuss impeachment was dispiriting proof that, Mike Lee’s burst of independence notwithstanding, Senate Republicans are hellbent on rigging the process to keep Trump from facing any accountability, (Source: “Report: McConnell Met Privately With Trump To Discuss Impeachment,” by Cristina Cabrera, TalkingPointsMemo.com, 1/9/20). Romney, Murkowski and Collins, despite their murmurs of disapproval, have signaled their support for McConnell, and between evidence that Russian troll operations are targeting Biden and Facebook’s new rules allowing microtargeting and misinformation it is easy to see a path to the re-election of a lunatic fringe of authoritarian zealots.
Our best hope is to focus on wresting the Senate from Republican control (h/t Gordon Davis, Esq.). While our chances of defeating Trump depend on selecting a nominee who will energize the widest swath of the Democratic electorate, we have ten opportunities to pick up the four seats we need to retake the majority, (Source: “The Battle for the Senate” by Tim Dickinson, RollingStone.com, 11/22/19). Given the unholy alliance between “rapture hawks,” racists and oligarchs determined to rule us, we have no choice. Democracy, and our very lives, depend on it.
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