The defining characteristic of Trump’s foreign policy is that keeping promises, integrity, consistency, truthfulness, morality, and legality have no benefits for the US. Only raw power matters, and dollars, according to Trump. Trump has done his level best to destroy US soft power.
Which is pretty much how Iran itself works. E.g. 2026 Iran massacres. So if you don’t cheer for the US, fair enough, but please don’t cheer for terrorist Iran.
I think that’s the tragedy of this war. If Trump had involved the world, especially the UN, then it would have seemed more justified. It would have given cover to Iranian dissidents to overthrow their regime.
But as a solo act by Israel and the USA? You’d have to declare yourself a traitor to side with those two countries of all on the planet against your government. I found it baffling that Trump seemed to think now that Khamenei was dead the Iranians would rise up - but then I remembered he doesn’t really understand he is not widely liked anywhere.
I think that’s the tragedy of this war. If Trump had involved the world, especially the UN, then it would have seemed more justified.
Trump basically salted that option, when he shamefully reneged on Obama’s deal with Iran.
I found it baffling that Trump seemed to think now that Khamenei was dead the Iranians would rise up
Like Putin, Trump thinks that everybody in the world are motivated by selfishness only. Trump thought that the replacement leader would know he was dead if he didn’t surrender to Trump. And hence Khamenei’s successor would surely surrender.
According to Russia/Putin experts, Putin is also genuinely convinced that the Orange Revolution in Ukraine was orchestrated by the West. Because it is not possible that local idealists could have done it, because there are no real idealists in the world.
I’m certainly not cheering for a regime like the current Iranian one. I deliberately put “good guys” in quotation marks and suggested they might be the more reasonable party, as in the party that is more likely to keep its word.
He’s also destroyed a good bit of hard power by firing anyone competent leading to the deaths and destruction of trained personnel and expensive equipment.
The defining characteristic of Trump’s foreign policy is that keeping promises, integrity, consistency, truthfulness, morality, and legality have no benefits for the US. Only raw power matters, and dollars, according to Trump. Trump has done his level best to destroy US soft power.
Which is pretty much how Iran itself works. E.g. 2026 Iran massacres. So if you don’t cheer for the US, fair enough, but please don’t cheer for terrorist Iran.
I think that’s the tragedy of this war. If Trump had involved the world, especially the UN, then it would have seemed more justified. It would have given cover to Iranian dissidents to overthrow their regime.
But as a solo act by Israel and the USA? You’d have to declare yourself a traitor to side with those two countries of all on the planet against your government. I found it baffling that Trump seemed to think now that Khamenei was dead the Iranians would rise up - but then I remembered he doesn’t really understand he is not widely liked anywhere.
Trump basically salted that option, when he shamefully reneged on Obama’s deal with Iran.
Like Putin, Trump thinks that everybody in the world are motivated by selfishness only. Trump thought that the replacement leader would know he was dead if he didn’t surrender to Trump. And hence Khamenei’s successor would surely surrender.
According to Russia/Putin experts, Putin is also genuinely convinced that the Orange Revolution in Ukraine was orchestrated by the West. Because it is not possible that local idealists could have done it, because there are no real idealists in the world.
I’m certainly not cheering for a regime like the current Iranian one. I deliberately put “good guys” in quotation marks and suggested they might be the more reasonable party, as in the party that is more likely to keep its word.
He’s also destroyed a good bit of hard power by firing anyone competent leading to the deaths and destruction of trained personnel and expensive equipment.