It was almost exactly a year ago today that Trump bombed Syria, earning plaudits from the likes of Fareed Zakaria, who famously declared that Trump had become president. It quickly became known that Trump and/or his people had given the Russians (and therefore the Syrians) a heads up so far as the target was concerned, in order to make sure that no one got hurt.
Today Trump is once again threatening retaliationfor a chemical attack, the same sort of event that drew his manly man response last year. He says he’ll decide by the end of the day, a day which, alas, is the very same day that John Bolton begins his gig as national security adviser.
It’s obviously important that Trump make some sort of gesture to the effect that he will stand up to Russia and that Putin is not calling the shots.
Bolton makes Dr. Evil look like the Good Samaritan, but give the man his due. He wants a war and he wants it now! And he doesn’t particularly care who that war might be with, though maybe Russia is not his first choice.
In any event, it’s practically a sure thing that Bolton will be telling Trump to bomb away, and, judging by past performance, he will not allow views that dissent from his to be presented to the genius. This cannot make Putin happy. The genius will be in the middle. He has far more to risk by listening to Bolton than by displeasing Putin, since Putin has those tapes and a whole lot more. If it’s Bolton versus Putin, put your money on Putin.
So, maybe this situation will produce something good. If Putin lets the genius know that Mr. Bolton must go, then Mr. Bolton will, eventually (and probably fairly quickly), go. Or, perhaps, Mr. Putin will simply let the genius know that in no event should he take Bolton’s advice unless he gets the okay from Putin. Then, Bolton may go on his own.
Putin is an evil man, but at the moment, Bolton is a greater threat to world peace or stability than any other person walking the face of the earth. In the ordinary case, I’d say getting rid of a Trump official is no big deal. For instance, if Pruitt resigns, he’ll be replaced by someone just as bad. In Bolton’s case, there is no one just as bad. So, it’s at least possible that some good may come from this situation.
There’s always hope.
Post a Comment