Friendly (Back)Fire
“Donald Trump does not think strategically. Nor does he think historically, geographically, or even rationally. He does not connect actions he takes on one day to events that occur weeks later. He does not think about how his behavior in one place will change the behavior of other people in other places. He does not consider the wider implications of his decisions. He does not take responsibility when these decisions go wrong. Instead, he acts on whim and impulse, and when he changes his mind—when he feels new whims and new impulses—he simply lies about whatever he said or did before.” Anne Applebaum has been right about Trump since the beginning and she sums him up pretty well in this lede. And, like it or not, that strategy has worked out for Trump over the years. But now he’s in a war he hasn’t been able to fully explain and asking for, then not asking for, then demanding, then saying he doesn’t need the assistance of allies that he has maligned, bullied, embarrassed, and disregarded for years. And, “this week, something broke. Maybe Trump does not understand the link between the past and the present, but other people do.” The Atlantic (Gift Article): Everyone but Trump Understands What He’s Done.
+ Unlike Trump, Bibi has been preparing for this moment for years, and has a defined strategy. Whether or not it will work (or whether or not Trump will remain on board with it) is another question. Netanyahu Hopes Strikes on Iran Will Lead to Uprising and Regime Change.
+ Netanyahu’s strategy is based in part on removing layer after layer of the leadership of the Iranian regime. (Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, was killed on Wednesday). Israel and the US have also been targeting Iran’s energy sites, threatening the regime, but also global energy supplies.
+ Russia has seen sanctions drop and oil sales surge. It’s a pretty nice reward for a country that’s been attacking a US ally for years and is currently aiding Iran in its fight against the US. WSJ (Gift Article): Russia Is Sharing Satellite Imagery and Drone Technology With Iran.
