Friends, DJT is not well pleased with the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran still claims to be in control, where they seem to be demanding tribute from anyone who wants to engage in lawful commerce, and where, in fact, almost no ships are passing, because of ongoing fear of Iranian aggression. Trump says this situation is unacceptable, and he's right, so....what shall be done? I bet our servicemen in the theater have some ideas!
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116377109535639790
The Iranian leadership seems fairly oblivious to the immense damage that has already been done not only to the country's armed forces but also to the leadership class itself. Do they really want to come back for more??? It's looking like they may believe their own propaganda that Trump is a weakling and the U.S. has been put in its place. We may have to disabuse them of such notions!
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Whoever or whatever many are in charge in Iran are international criminals. Most of the hundreds of criminals I was acquainted with were consummate gamers, always looking to "get over" and viscerally resistant to principled agreement in which both sides are dependable for expectations and concessions. They always keep testing the other side to see what they might be able to get away with until the consequences of their sneakiness become unbearable. So lets make it unbearable for these unreconstructed 7th century barbarians as long as they make it necessary by their resolution not to step off.
ReplyDeleteA street wise hombre like DJT probably has a well developed sensitivity to such tactics and how to counter them. And JD strikes me as nobody's fool. Any Marine enlisted man vet like him has dealt with some "hard cases"in the people he met in the Corps.
I'm reading a book now on immediate post war Japan. Even the utterly defeated and occupied Japanese did play some subtle games with the occupiers. Courtly Japanese is a very poetic , symbolic and suggestive language and the Emperor's rescript "denying" his deity contained subtle mitigations of complete renouncement, which escaped most American comprehension. Perhaps there are some , maybe only anecdotal coincidences between the reformation of Japan and that we seek to work on Iran. Both countries were and are motivated by fanatic devotion to sacred principles enjoining their countries to aggressively advance them. They have included and do include savage contempt for any who dare to contradict them objectively, strategically and doctrinally. Both cultures have seen or see themselves as excused from widely held restraints on conduct in international relations, war or government. Japanese coercive power had to be pounded into the ground and their country dictatorially occupied (albeit by the most astonishingly benevolent conquerers in history)before we were able to stop them from being an indescribably cruel scourge to any they had overpowered.
Who ever or what incidentally dominant faction "speaks" for Iran at the moment is obviously playing games (eg. in the Straits of Hormuz and with their bumbling acknowledgement of their devotion to Hezbollah and , by implication with all radical Islamist terrorism) Well, they'll do that with a guy like DJT only so long and he'll put a thumb in their eye. And when he says he does not intend to put boots on the ground then Iranian die hards must think VERY seriously about the alternatives he might consider.
Dr. Waddy from Jack : Today's RealClearPolitics has an article describing the vast economic benefits the administration of Javier Milei has brought to Argentina. I think I remember you predicting he would do well.
ReplyDeleteFor any of objective and logical mind there is already much , much more than enough historical evidence to prove the humanity of democratic capitalism over always catastrophic, necessarily totalitarian trainwrecks dreamed up in places like the British Library and the Sorbonne by egg headed "thinkers".
The Czech philosopher / economist Friedrich Hayek said it best . No one human or even close cabal of presumptuous "managers" is competent to guide as infinitely complex a phenomenon as an economy.
But necessarily tyrannical socialist control of economies and , always, societies, still attracts many. Marxism apparently, will not die of its own inherent demonstrated absurdity and murderousness. Its defeat must come from continued resolved and courageous opposition to the far left's siren call and Mr Milei in Argentina is doing that and consequently affording his country belated well being. Good for him!
I must say, I find it utterly unsurprising that the Iranians would try to "game" the ceasefire and test its limits. Frankly, part of me thinks it might be a good idea to LET THEM charge extortionate "fees" to transit the Strait. Heck, if the fees become sufficiently irritating, maybe the countries that depend on the Strait for their energy might consider, oh, using force to reaffirm their right to navigate international waters? What a radical thought!
ReplyDeleteAgreed: Milei's achievements in Argentina are most encouraging, since it's not inconceivable that our country could someday be as economically/fiscally desperate as his was not so long ago. It's heartening to know that a country can step back from the brink. Who knows when we might have to...