A Most Deadly Betrayal

Whatever You Do, Do NOT Look at the Flash!

Occam's Razor should be employed when it comes to the Trump attack on Syria: the simplest explanation is usually best.

This is a very difficult post for me to write. It appears that I was wrong. As regular visitors to this site know, I have been among Donald Trump's strongest supporters from the beginning of his campaign. Although I certainly hope that the optimism many of his supporters continue to express proves to be justified, the concern that has developed among many of us is prompted by much more than the cruise missile attack on Syria. There is a pattern of disturbing behavior that goes far beyond that.

1. The President has filled his Cabinet and inner circle with Goldman Sach's alumni and neoconservative war hawks who now appear to be in complete control of U.S. defense and foreign policy.
2. He was far too quick to accept a "deal" to replace ObamaCare with an even worse federally-controlled scheme put forward by Republican denizens of the "Swamp" he promised to drain..
3. He has increased U.S. military support of Saudi aggression in Yemen, authorizing an escalating number of air strikes against the Houthis.
4. He has maintained the totally unjustified "sanctions" against Russia, sanctions which comprise an act of economic warfare.
5. He has failed to inform the American people of U.S. involvement in the February 2014 overthrow of the elected government of the Ukraine, led by none other than the despicable John McCain and the harpy, Victoria Nuland, Hillary Clinton's Under Secretary of State. This failure implicitly gives credence to the false "Russian aggression" meme which is being drummed into the American public consciousness 24/7 by the bi-partisan establishment war party. 
6. With respect to Syria, he has failed to inform the American people that under the Obama administration, the U.S. stood up, equipped, trained, and directed the so-called "Syrian Free Army" and is responsible for the years of war there. Although Assad is certainly an autocrat (on about the same level as our ally, the "King" of Jordan) when compared to the hideous regime in Saudi Arabia (also our "ally"), Assad is a virtual Captain Kangaroo.
7. Also with respect to Syria, Trump's UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, has now twice stated that removal of Assad is now a U.S. policy objective. This is exactly the kind of "regime change" operation that candidate Trump promised never to do!

Whatever rationalizations are presented to defend the President's actions, it is simply undeniable that the U.S. has no legitimate national interests in Syria. Neither the U.S. government or the President, acting alone, has the slightest constitutional or moral authority to attack another sovereign nation that has not attacked us. To do so is, by definition, a violation of international law and the Constitution.

One wonders if Trump will now drop the other shoe on the Korean peninsula. As one who spent two tours of duty there many years ago, I devoutly hope that he does not. Unfortunately, this morning’s media reports are not reassuring. This from The Guardian.

As the US navy deployed a strike group towards the western Pacific Ocean, to provide a presence near the Korean peninsula, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said China agrees with the Trump administration that “action has to be taken” regarding North Korea.

Given the direction things are heading, it seems likely that the next "news" come out of Washington will be approximately one of the following:

• Announcement of a "surgical strike" on the residence of the evil North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un.
• An expression of outrage over an alleged air strike by unidentified planes on the U.S.S. Ross and the U.S. Porter in the eastern Mediterranean.
• An expression of outrage over an alleged shoot-down of a U.S. military aircraft operating over Syria by Russian or Syrian ground-based, sea-based, or air-based forces.

The people of the United States and of the world are in a very bad place. Let us pray.

FJB

This site is not affiliated with any political party. Its goals are to advocate for individual liberty, traditional morality, and domestic peace and to resist all forms of tyranny and statism. It reflects the point of view of a life-long constitutionalist and recovering Republican. If you are among the millions trying to understand what has happened to the GOP, please visit "Who Killed the Republican Party?" If you agree with the content of this post, please feel free to print and distribute it or forward the link to your political representatives at the state and federal level Thank you for your interest.