At the inaugural meeting of his self-styled Board of Peace earlier this month, Donald Trump declared peace in the Middle East while simultaneously threatening to plunge the region into devastating conflict by again attacking Iran. Within 10 days, Trump followed through on that promise, teaming up with Israel to unleash a widespread campaign of deadly airstrikes in Iran that have thrust the Middle East into regional war.
It was one of numerous incongruities that surfaced during the bizarre first meeting of Trump’s Temu United Nations.
“In terms of prestige, there’s never been anything close because these are the greatest world leaders, almost everybody has accepted, and the ones that haven’t will,” Trump proclaimed before he grasped a diminutive gold-colored mallet and gaveled out the conclave to strains of the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a member of the group’s executive board, could be seen standing alone in the background as Trump glad-handed some of the assembled world leaders. Rubio skulked off before Laura Branigan’s 1982 hit “Gloria” began to play.
Supporters of regime change beware. Trump won’t leave Iran with a Democratic government because he hates democracy.
This isn’t your typical American hostile takeover of a sovereign nation though.
Like, usually we drag it out, there’s some cat + mouse, the president doesn’t say the quiet part out loud. We might drone strike a couple of kids, but we won’t bomb a whole damn school. Let alone take out the leader.
And then have practically no plan following it? Trump’s first announcement after the attack made it seem like creating a power vacuum was the whole intent. Subsequent announcements make it seem more like “beatings will continue until morale improves”, or rather “we’ll just keep bombing you till you make the government we want”.
It’s like constantly hitting “next” while you’re on shuffle trying to get Macarena by Los del Rio, and you’ve got like 20,000 songs to go through. And even when Man in the Mirror comes on and you can see Macarena right there you’re like, “not good enough” and keep shuffling.
Last time the US had a regime change on Iran they installed a dictator as well, that part unfortunately isn’t unique to trump.
And that time was also because of oil.