Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Ignore the News at Your Own Peril

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

After announcing in this space yesterday my intent to avoid any discussion of Donald John Trump in this space whenever possible, it wasn't surprising - at least to me - that a situation developed overnight which more or less demanded an acknowledgement of Trump's heavy hand and marshmallow brain.  Last night at 1:30 a.m. in the Middle East - the same hour at which Trump had ordered an American drone strike that killed Iran's top general just days before - Iran retaliated by firing missiles at several bases in Iraq where US troops are housed - and managed to hit at least two of those bases.

Last week the Iraqi Parliament went on record with a unanimous vote that all US forces leave their country.  The United States has informally replied that the time is not right to withdraw our forces from Iraq, a country which clearly does not want them there.

Trump initially said he would speak to the nation last night, but then regrouped and decided that it might be smarter to gather all of the facts first - and perhaps get his administration's story straight - and then hold that national address until this morning.

Some reports last night indicated that there had been American deaths as a result of the bombings, but those reports have not been confirmed this morning.

Whatever the actual extent of last night's attack, and however Trump chooses to characterize it, the situation appears to be escalating.   At this point some pundits have questioned whether Trump is wagging the dog - trying to enhance his own political situation by scaring up a conflict in the Middle East - or is the dog now wagging Trump?    Has a situation that he originally stirred up for his own political benefit now grown beyond his control and threatens his political survival?

Then, to dice up the situation even more, a Ukrainian passenger jet crashed just after taking off from the Tehran airport in Iran last night, killing all 176 people aboard.  The passenger plane was enroute from Tehran to Kiev, Ukraine.  There were 82 Iranians on board, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians (including nine of the plane's crew members) and a few Swedes, Afghans, Germans, and Brits.  As of now that crash appears to be independent of the missiles fired from Iran last night.

At this time Trump is preparing to speak to the nation.  We await his ramblings with bated breath!

1 comment:

Xobekim said...

What appeared to be an impaired President addressed the nation late yesterday morning. Trump was slurring his words. Perhaps he did not know how to pronounce some words, like tolerated. Tolerated, toleration, to tolerate are no likely alien concepts to his limit vocabulary and spoiled life. Several keen observers noted and posted photographs of the pupils of Trump's eyes; images captured as he spoke.

Facing the glare of lights his pupils were dilated and did not contract. Apparently this is an indication of a person using drugs. Some have suggested Trump's possible use of Adderall, a synthetic drug that stimulates the sympathetic and central nervous systems, used to treat attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy. It is a mixture of amphetamine derivatives.

Trump, it appears, is not healthy in mind, body, or soul.